Kenneth Earl "Kene" Holliday (born June 25, 1949) is an American actor
of stage, film, and television. He is known for his role as Ben
Matlock's original private investigator, Tyler Hudson on Matlock and
as Sgt. Curtis Baker on Carter Country from 1977 until 1979.Holliday,
a product of the Copiague area of Long Island, New York was raised in
a Christian home, born into a Baptist family. At age 12 he lost his
father. With the encouragement of his mother he participated in track
at Copiague High School where he was part of the Fantastic Four Relay
Team and was the star of his football team. He was nicknamed as Mr.
Hotshot and was known as a "scoring machine" on the football field. He
graduated in 1967 and attended University of Maryland on a full
scholarship. As he recalled, times were turbulent and the football
team was preparing to go on strike against the NCAA over a change in
coaches.He was "jazzed" by a class he took related to the history of
theater and acting became his new passion. In 1969, as an
undergraduate he played Yank in The Hairy Ape by Eugene O'Neill. He
was the first black person to perform in a leading role on the
college's "main stage."After graduation from college his first work
was with the Inaugural Theater Group at the Folger Shakespeare Library
in Washington, D.C. There, he conducted workshops as a founding member
of the D.C. Black Repertory Company. In 1975, he was fired from his
job because of his continued problems with drugs and alcohol. His
chemical abuse continued for the next 14 years. However, despite those
problems he starred in the role of Carlyle in David Rabe's Vietnam
War-era play Streamers at the Lincoln Theatre.
of stage, film, and television. He is known for his role as Ben
Matlock's original private investigator, Tyler Hudson on Matlock and
as Sgt. Curtis Baker on Carter Country from 1977 until 1979.Holliday,
a product of the Copiague area of Long Island, New York was raised in
a Christian home, born into a Baptist family. At age 12 he lost his
father. With the encouragement of his mother he participated in track
at Copiague High School where he was part of the Fantastic Four Relay
Team and was the star of his football team. He was nicknamed as Mr.
Hotshot and was known as a "scoring machine" on the football field. He
graduated in 1967 and attended University of Maryland on a full
scholarship. As he recalled, times were turbulent and the football
team was preparing to go on strike against the NCAA over a change in
coaches.He was "jazzed" by a class he took related to the history of
theater and acting became his new passion. In 1969, as an
undergraduate he played Yank in The Hairy Ape by Eugene O'Neill. He
was the first black person to perform in a leading role on the
college's "main stage."After graduation from college his first work
was with the Inaugural Theater Group at the Folger Shakespeare Library
in Washington, D.C. There, he conducted workshops as a founding member
of the D.C. Black Repertory Company. In 1975, he was fired from his
job because of his continued problems with drugs and alcohol. His
chemical abuse continued for the next 14 years. However, despite those
problems he starred in the role of Carlyle in David Rabe's Vietnam
War-era play Streamers at the Lincoln Theatre.
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