Fred Berry
| Fred Berry | |
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| Born |
Fred Allen Berry March 19, 1951 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | October 21, 2003 (aged 52) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Stroke |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, street dancer |
| Spouse(s) | Franchesska Berry (1976-1976) Franchesska Berry (1978-1980) Carol Ann Ross (1984-1991) Darlene Bitten (1994-1999) Essie Berry (1999-2003) |
| Children | DeShannon Berry Portia Berry-Allen Fred Berry, Jr. |
Fred Allen "Rerun" Berry (March 19, 1951 – October 21, 2003) was an American actor and street dancer. He was best known for the role of Fred "Rerun" Stubbs on the popular 1970s television show What's Happening!!.
Berry was born in St. Louis, Missouri.
Before starring on What's Happening!!, he was a member of the Los Angeles-based dance troupe The Lockers, with whom he appeared on the third episode of Saturday Night Live. He also appeared on the dance music show Soul Train, and was featured in the program's signature line dance segment doing the memorable early 1970s dance step "the slo-mo".What's Happening!! lasted from 1976 to 1979.
Berry was a millionaire by age 29 in 1980. After the show ended, Berry, weighing over 300 lbs, had trouble finding work because he was typecast with the Rerun character. Eventually, however, he came to embrace his typecasting, and made his peace with it as the best means to maintain his celebrity. In public, he was often seen wearing the red beret and suspenders that are part of the Rerun character.
During the 1980s, Berry battled drug addiction and alcoholism. He revived the character of Rerun in the series What's Happening Now!!, but he was only on that show for a year. Berry asked for more money than the rest of the cast (believing he was the reason people tuned in). Berry's widow, Essie Berry, told Urbanite magazine at Georgia State University that their unwillingness to pay Fred Berry his due in both shows led to their early cancellations. During the 1990s, Berry became a Baptist minister and lost 100 lbs after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He made a living during this time mostly through making public appearances as Rerun.
Berry made a brief appearance in Insane Clown Posse's film Big Money Hustlas as Bootleg Greg, a merchandise counterfeiter. In 1996, he made an appearance in Less Than Jake's video "Dopeman" (which was never aired on television). In the second season of the comedy television series Scrubs, he appeared in his iconic Rerun suspenders and beret in an extended dance sequence fantasized by Dr. John "JD" Dorian (which included a dozen others also wearing the same outfit).
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