Carl W. Crudup, who appeared on Broadway in The First Breeze of Summer and on the screen in J.D.’s Revenge, The Rockford Files, Better Things and A Man on the Inside during his five-decade career as an actor, has died. He was 79.
Crudup died Jan. 10 of prostate cancer on his ranch in Littlerock, California, where he “found peace and joy [and] lived as both actor and farmer,” his family noted.
“The ranch was Carl’s sanctuary, a place of nature, animals and quiet reflection. His goats were treasured like children, and he embodied the heart of the original Dr. Dolittle, gentle, compassionate and endlessly patient.”
Crudup made his film debut as a basketball player in Karel Reisz’s The Gambler (1974), starring James Caan.
He worked primarily on television, showing up on everything from Harry O, The Six Million Dollar Man, The White Shadow, T.J. Hooker and ER to Criminal Minds, Agent Carter, Shameless, Kidding and This Fool.
One of five kids, Crudup was born on Nov. 14, 1946. His parents, Pauline and Daniel, took the family in 1952 from the Mississippi Delta to Pittsburg, California, and he graduated from Pittsburg High School in 1965.
After service with the U.S. Army in Europe, he studied acting in New York at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts through 1972.
He made to Broadway in 1975 opposite Moses Gunn in an acclaimed Negro Ensemble Company production of The First Breeze of Summer, written by Leslie Lee and directed by Douglas Turner Ward. The play, which revolves around a grandmother and a visit to her family, was shown in 1976 on an episode of PBS’ Great Performances.
Crudup then worked for director Arthur Marks in two films released in 1976: the cult horror classic J.D.’s Revenge, starring Glynn Turman and Louis Gossett Jr., and The Monkey Hustle, starring Yaphet Kotto.
His résumé also included work on Mundo Real, Baretta, The Blue Knight, Beauty and the Beast, Vegas, Empty Rooms (2012), Halfway to Hell (2013), The Remarkable Life of John Weld (2018) and Horror Noire (2021).
Survivors include his daughters, Jamilah and Akilah.
Crudup “exemplified a truly genuine persona to whatever size of the role he was asked to play,” Rel Dowdell, Director of Film Studies at Hampton University, said in a statement. “Like many unsung African American talents of that era, he used his formal training to always bring charisma and distinction to elevate and bring dignity to the collective work done on any screen.”
