Horace Winfred "Nick" Stewart (March 15, 1910 â€" December 18, 2000)
also billed as Nick O'Demus was an American television and film actor.
Stewart was known for his role as Lightnin' (Willie Jefferson) on TV's
The Amos 'n' Andy Show.Nick Stewart was born in New York City, to
Joseph (March 15, 1888 â€" July 1976) and Eva Stewart, who were recent
immigrants from Barbados, British West Indies. He began his show
business career as a dancer at the Cotton Club and Hoofers Club.
Stewart also was a veteran of Broadway shows, having created a comedic
character he called "Nicodemus" and playing that role in Swingin' the
Dream and Louisiana Purchase, as well as in the film Go West, Young
Man. Stewart also performed comedy as a cast member of the Rudy
Vallée radio show in 1941. Other acting credits include the 1936
movie Go West Young Man, the voice of Br'er Bear in the 1946 Disney
movie Song of the South, (As well as in the spin-off Disney attraction
Splash Mountain). and Willy-Willy on the television series Ramar of
the Jungle. Also in 1954, Stewart had an important role in The Reign
of Amelika Joe presented by Fireside Theatre. He also won a comedy
role in White Christmas (1954).He was originally offered the role of
Calhoun the lawyer, which he turned down. (After his refusal, it went
to Johnny Lee, who had the role on radio since 1949.) Soon Gosden and
Correll were back on the telephone, this time offering Stewart the
role of Lightnin' on the television show. Stewart accepted the role
with one idea in mind: to make enough money to be able to open his own
theater where African Americans would not be typecast as maids and
porters. In the 1960s, he would have small roles on Mister Ed and in
the classic comedy film, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) as the
Migrant Truck Driver who is forced off of the road. In 1987, Doris
McMillon devoted an entire week of her nightly talk show, On the Line
with, to a discussion of the documentary Amos 'n' Andy: Anatomy of a
Controversy, and the issues surrounding the shows. Nick Stewart was
one of the participants, discussing the show and his role in it. He
also had a role in the movie Carmen Jones.He and his wife, Edna
Stewart, also founded Los Angeles's Ebony Showcase Theatre, which
provided a venue for numerous performers of all races, including Al
Freeman Jr., Yuki Shimoda, William Schallert, Tom Ewell, John Amos,
Nichelle Nichols, Isabel Sanford, B. B. King, Phil Collins, Eartha
Kitt, Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan.[27]
also billed as Nick O'Demus was an American television and film actor.
Stewart was known for his role as Lightnin' (Willie Jefferson) on TV's
The Amos 'n' Andy Show.Nick Stewart was born in New York City, to
Joseph (March 15, 1888 â€" July 1976) and Eva Stewart, who were recent
immigrants from Barbados, British West Indies. He began his show
business career as a dancer at the Cotton Club and Hoofers Club.
Stewart also was a veteran of Broadway shows, having created a comedic
character he called "Nicodemus" and playing that role in Swingin' the
Dream and Louisiana Purchase, as well as in the film Go West, Young
Man. Stewart also performed comedy as a cast member of the Rudy
Vallée radio show in 1941. Other acting credits include the 1936
movie Go West Young Man, the voice of Br'er Bear in the 1946 Disney
movie Song of the South, (As well as in the spin-off Disney attraction
Splash Mountain). and Willy-Willy on the television series Ramar of
the Jungle. Also in 1954, Stewart had an important role in The Reign
of Amelika Joe presented by Fireside Theatre. He also won a comedy
role in White Christmas (1954).He was originally offered the role of
Calhoun the lawyer, which he turned down. (After his refusal, it went
to Johnny Lee, who had the role on radio since 1949.) Soon Gosden and
Correll were back on the telephone, this time offering Stewart the
role of Lightnin' on the television show. Stewart accepted the role
with one idea in mind: to make enough money to be able to open his own
theater where African Americans would not be typecast as maids and
porters. In the 1960s, he would have small roles on Mister Ed and in
the classic comedy film, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) as the
Migrant Truck Driver who is forced off of the road. In 1987, Doris
McMillon devoted an entire week of her nightly talk show, On the Line
with, to a discussion of the documentary Amos 'n' Andy: Anatomy of a
Controversy, and the issues surrounding the shows. Nick Stewart was
one of the participants, discussing the show and his role in it. He
also had a role in the movie Carmen Jones.He and his wife, Edna
Stewart, also founded Los Angeles's Ebony Showcase Theatre, which
provided a venue for numerous performers of all races, including Al
Freeman Jr., Yuki Shimoda, William Schallert, Tom Ewell, John Amos,
Nichelle Nichols, Isabel Sanford, B. B. King, Phil Collins, Eartha
Kitt, Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan.[27]
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