Bill Duke
| Bill Duke | |
|---|---|
| Born |
William Henry Duke, Jr. February 26, 1943 Poughkeepsie, New York, USA |
| Occupation | Actor, director |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Relatives | Ethel Louise Douglas (mother) William Henry Duke, Sr. (father) |
| Website | http://www.billduke.com |
William Henry "Bill" Duke, Jr. (born February 26, 1943) is an American actor and film director. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke's work frequently dwells within the action film genre as well as crime and drama genres but also includes comedy. He often plays characters related to law enforcement.
Duke was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, the son of Ethel Louise (née Douglas) and William Henry Duke Sr. He attended Franklin D. Roosevelt High School in Hyde Park and later received his first instruction in the performing arts and in creative writing at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie. After graduation from Dutchess he went on to Boston University for further instruction in drama and for his B.A. After studying at New York University's Tisch School of Arts and the AFI Conservatory, he appeared on Broadway in the 1971 Melvin Van Peebles musical Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death. He directed episodes of several noteworthy 1980s television series, including Hill Street Blues and Miami Vice.
Standing an imposing 6 ft 4½ in and featuring a closely shaved head, Duke first became a familiar face to moviegoers in Car Wash (1976) where he portrayed fierce young Black Muslim revolutionary Abdullah Mohammed Akbar (formerly known as Duane), and expanded his repertoire with American Gigolo (1980) where he played a gay pimp.
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