William Goldwyn Nunn III (October 20, 1953 – September 24, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his collaborations with director Spike Lee, notably as Radio Raheem in Do the Right Thing (1989). He also portrayed Daily Bugle editor Robbie Robertson in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man film trilogy (2002–07), and co-starred in the sitcoms The Job (2001–02) and Sirens (2014–15).
Early life Bill Nunn III was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Frances Nunn and William G. Nunn, Jr., a journalist and editor at the Pittsburgh Courier and a National Football League scout. His paternal grandfather was the first African American football player at George Westinghouse High School. While ball boys for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bill Nunn and current Steelers president Art Rooney II stole "Mean" Joe Greene's car during training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. "Joe Greene showed up in a beautiful green Lincoln Continental, and me and Bill Nunn, Jr. were ball boys. Somehow Bill got the keys one night and we decided to take it for a ride. We only told Joe that story about 10 years ago. We figured that enough time had passed that we could disclose our little joy ride."
Nunn was a 1970 graduate of Schenley High School and a 1976 graduate of Morehouse College. He attended college with Spike Lee and appeared in several of Lee's early feature films.
Career Nunn made his credited film debut in the 1988 Spike Lee film School Daze, and is best known for his roles as Radio Raheem in Lee's Do the Right Thing, and as Nino Brown's bodyguard Duh Duh Duh Man in New Jack City. Some of his other film credits include Lee's Mo' Better Blues and He Got Game, as well as Regarding Henry, Sister Act, Canadian Bacon, The Last Seduction, Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead, Runaway Jury, Spider-Man trilogy (as Joseph "Robbie" Robertson), Firehouse Dog, the television series The Job, Randy and The Mob, and the 2016 televised adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun.
Nunn also performed on stage, including August Wilson's Fences, a Pittsburgh-based play in which Nunn performed with Anthony Mackie, who played Nunn's character's son. He was also very involved in community outreach, and he formed his own Pittsburgh-area outreach project in 2008.
Personal life Nunn was married to Donna Watts, and they had 2 children Sydney and Jessica .
Death Nunn died of leukemia on September 24, 2016, at his home in Pittsburgh's Hill District; he was 62 years old.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes Ref 1981 Sharky's Machine Kitten's Bouncer Uncredited 1988 School Daze Grady 1989 Do the Right Thing Radio Raheem A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court School Teacher Glory 54th Massachusetts Soldier Uncredited 1990 Def by Temptation Dougy Cadillac Man Grave Digger Mo' Better Blues Bottom Hammer (Bass) 1991 New Jack City "Duh Duh Man" Regarding Henry Bradley White Lie Chief Adams 1992 Sister Act Lt. Eddie Souther 1993 Loaded Weapon 1 Police Photographer Blood Brothers William Crawford 1994 The Last Seduction Harlan Save Me Detective Vincent 1995 Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh Reverend Ellis Canadian Bacon Kabral Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead "Easy Wind" True Crime Detective Jerry Guinn Money Train Crash Train Motorman 1996 Bulletproof DEA Agent Finch Extreme Measures Detective Bob Burke 1997 Quicksilver Highway Len Kiss the Girls Detective John Sampson Mad City Cliff Williams Uncredited 1998 He Got Game Uncle Bubba Ambushed Watts Fatboy 1999 The Legend of 1900 Danny Boodman The Tic Code Kingston Foolish Jimmy Beck The Hungry Bachelors Club Moses Grady 2000 Lockdown Charles 2002 Spider-Man Joe "Robbie" Robertson People I Know Reverend Lyle Blunt 2003 Runaway Jury Lonnie Shaver 2004 Spider-Man 2 Joe "Robbie" Robertson 2006 Out There Desmond Idlewild G.W. 2007 Firehouse Dog Joe Musto Spider-Man 3 Joe "Robbie" Robertson Randy and the Mob Wardlowe Gone 2008 Little Bear and the Master The Warden 2009 Help Me, Help You Detective 2012 Won't Back Down Principal Holland
Television +YearTitleRoleNotes1987Vietnam War StoryMP #1Episode: "The Pass"1993Bakersfield P.D.Troy DaviesEpisode: "The Ex-Partner"1994TrapsCloud5 episodes1995Chicago HopeTony MaxwellEpisode: "A Coupla Stiffs" Fallen AngelsFearless JonesEpisode: "Fearless"The AffairSergeant RiversTV movieNew York UndercoverLieutenant CarverEpisode: "Internal Affairs"1996Touched by an AngelFrank ChampnessEpisode: "Lost and Found"Mr. and Mrs. LovingLeonardTV movie1997MillenniumLt. McCormickEpisode: "Maranatha"Ellen FosterMr. DouglasTV movie1998Early EditionDetective BarnsEpisode: "A Minor Miracle"Always OutnumberedHoward M'ShallaTV movie1999Passing GloryHoward Porter2001–02The JobTerrence "Pip" PhillipsMain cast2001The Substitute 4: Failure Is Not An OptionLutherTV movie2003The DistrictGrant SingerEpisode: "Free Byrd"2007October Road Leslie EtwoodPilot2008A Raisin in the Sun"Bobo"TV movie2014–15Sirens"Cash"Recurring role; Season 1 Main cast; Season 2
Theatre +YearTitleRoleNotes2004A Raisin in the SunBoboRoyal Theatre, New York2009FencesGabrielHuntington Theatre Company
References
External links
Obituary at cremationfuneralcare.com Life of Bill Nunn from death-notices.co.uk (archived)