Joe Seneca
Joe Seneca | |
|---|---|
 Seneca during filming of
1986's Crossroads | |
| Born | Joel McGhee Jr. January 14, 1919 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | August 15, 1996 (aged 77) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1940s–1996 |
Joe Seneca (January 14, 1919 – August 15, 1996)[1] was an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for Willie Brown in Crossroads (1986), Dr. Meadows in The Blob (1988), and Dr. Hanes in The Cosby Show.
Life and career[]
Seneca was born Joel McGhee, Jr. in Cleveland, Ohio. Before his acting career, he belonged to the R&B singing group The Three Riffs, which was active from the late 1940s and performed at upscale supper clubs in New York City.[2] He was also a songwriter and had big hits with "Talk to Me", sung by Little Willie John, and "Break It to Me Gently," which was a smash hit by Brenda Lee in 1962 and by Juice Newton in 1982.
In the 1982 film, The Verdict, Seneca plays the supporting role of Dr. Thompson, a small-town women's hospital physician brought in by attorney Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) to support his belief that two famous doctors' incompetence left his client alive but in a coma. Arguably his most well-known roles are that of bluesman Willie Brown in Crossroads (1986) and Dr. Meddows in The Blob (1988), the evil head of a government team sent to contain the title creature.
Seneca also made multiple appearances on The Cosby Show as Hillman President Dr. Zachariah J. Hanes. He also played Alvin Newcastle, a man suffering from Alzheimer's disease, on an episode of The Golden Girls titled "Old Friends".[3] Seneca appeared in Spike Lee's School Daze as Mission College President McPherson.
Seneca played Eddie Haynes on Matlock in the May 9, 1989 episode "The Blues Singer." He later played a murder witness in the October 13, 1993 Law & Order episode "Profile."
Seneca appeared in Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" music video in the late 1980s.
He died from asthma at the age of 77.[4]
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | Police Sergeant | |
| 1979 | The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh | Mr. Sweets | |
| 1979 | Kramer vs. Kramer | Partygoer #6 | |
| 1982 | The Verdict | Dr. Thompson | |
| 1984 | The Evil That Men Do | Santiago | |
| 1985 | Heart of the Garden | ||
| 1985 | Silverado | Ezra | |
| 1986 | Crossroads | Willie Brown | |
| 1987 | Big Shots | Ferryman | |
| 1987 | Moments Without Proper Names | ||
| 1988 | School Daze | President McPherson | |
| 1988 | The Blob | Dr. Meddows | |
| 1990 | Mo' Better Blues | Big Stop's Friend | |
| 1991 | Mississippi Masala | Williben Williams | |
| 1992 | Malcolm X | Toomer | |
| 1993 | The Saint of Fort Washington | Spits | |
| 1996 | A Time to Kill | Reverend Isaiah Street |
References[]
- ^ Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 255. ISBN 978-0313344237.
- ^ "The Three Riffs ", Vocal Group Harmony. Retrieved 25 October 2016
- ^ The Golden Girls Season 3 episode 52; air date September 19, 1987
- ^ Crocker, Catherine (August 17, 1996). "Obituaries | Joe Seneca, Singer, Composer, Actor". The Seattle Times. Associated Press.
External links[]
- Joe Seneca at IMDb
- New York Times: Joe Seneca, a Character Actor In 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'
- Joe Seneca at Find a Grave
- Joe Seneca discography at Discogs
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- 1919 births
- 1996 deaths
- American male singers
- Songwriters from Ohio
- African-American male actors
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- Male actors from Cleveland
- People from Roosevelt Island
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American singers
- Deaths from asthma
- 20th-century male singers
- African-American male singers
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