Percy Rodrigues
| Percy Rodriguez | |
|---|---|
Rodriguez as Dr. Harry Miles in Peyton Place, 1968.
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| Born |
Percy Rodrigues June 13, 1918 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | September 6, 2007 (aged 89) Indio, California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1948-1987 |
Percy Rodriguez (June 13, 1918 – September 6, 2007) was a Canadian actor who appeared in many television shows and films from the 1950s to the 1980s. Born in the Saint-Henri neighbourhood in Montreal, his birth surname was "Rodrigues," but after it was misspelled in a Broadway program early in his career, "Rodriguez" became his de facto stage name and most of his acting credits are under that spelling. He was of Afro-Portuguese heritage.
Percy was the oldest of three siblings and was of African and Portuguese descent. His father was out of the picture as he left his family. Percy then began working in his early teens to help provide for his family. As Percy continued to grow up he began to enjoy boxing and acting. He became a professional boxer while simultaneously exploring acting jobs. Percy ended up joining Montreal’s Negro Theatre Guild and ultimately won the Canadian Drama Festival acting award in 1939. Although Percy won that award, finding a legitimate acting job was difficult, which led to him working as a toolmaker and machinist for 10 years in order to survive.
Rodriguez began his acting career in the 1930s, appearing in stage plays and television series in his native country. He eventually moved to New York City, where he made his Broadway theatre debut in Lillian Hellman's Toys in the Attic in 1960. Appearing next in The Actors Studio Theatre production of James Baldwin's Blues for Mister Charlie (and, shortly thereafter, in an abbreviated television adaptation on CBS), Rodriguez subsequently became a life member of the Studio.
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