Stan Shaw | |
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Born |
Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
July 14, 1952
Occupation | Television, film, stage actor |
Website | Stan Shaw on Twitter |
Stan Shaw (born July 14, 1952) is an American actor.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, he is the son of Bertha Shaw and saxophonist Eddie Shaw, and cousin of the late soul singers Sam Cooke and Tyrone Davis. His brother is Vaan Shaw (a guitarist). Shaw started his acting career in the Chicago production of the Broadway musical Hair as well as the Broadway production of The Me Nobody Knows. His last Broadway show, Via Galactica was directed by Sir Peter Hall.
Before becoming an actor, Shaw was a karate, judo, and jujutsu instructor in Chicago. He holds first dan black belt in judo and jujutsu and a second dan in karate. Shaw appeared in The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings in 1976 as Esquire Joe Calloway. Shaw appeared also in Rocky (1976) as Dipper, another boxer. In a deleted scene, Dipper, infuriated by the attention Rocky has received, challenges him before a television reporter. He also played a professional fighter in Tough Enough (1983), Harlem Nights (1989), and Snake Eyes (1998).
One of his most notable roles was his appearance as Alex Haley's maternal grandfather Will Palmer in the 1979 miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. Another notable role was Private Washington in The Boys in Company C (1978). Shaw also played in The Great Santini (1979) as Toomer Smalls with Robert Duvall and David Keith. After a part in the 1991 film Fried Green Tomatoes, he had a role in the 1995 comedy Houseguest, alongside Sinbad, and appeared as a pirate in Cutthroat Island (1995) with Geena Davis. He also appeared as George Tyrell in the 1996 disaster film Daylight and as Archie Mullen in the film Freedom Song (2000). His television credits include episodes of Starsky & Hutch, The Moneychangers, Matlock, The Young Riders, Murder, She Wrote, The X-Files, and a 2009 episode of CSI. He had a regular role in the 1983 TV series The Mississippi. He also appeared as Isaac in the miniseries North and South.