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person_profile-Nick Stewart

Nick Stewart Died at age: 90

Actor | Producer

Fullname:

Nick Stewart

Date of Birth:

Mar 15, 1910

Country of birth:

U.S.

Died:

Dec 18, 2000

Biography of

Nick Stewart

    Horace Winfred "Nick" Stewart (March 15, 1910 – 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 on March 15, 1910, in Harlem, New York City, to Joseph (March 15, 1888 – 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, 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 theater where African Americans would not be typecast as maids and porters. In the 1960s, he would have small roles in Mister Ed and 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, to a discussion of the documentary Amos 'n' Andy: Anatomy of a Controversy, and the issues surrounding the shows. Stewart was one of the participants, discussing the show and his role in it. He also had a role in the movie Carmen Jones.

    Stewart's final acting role would be returning to Disney to reprise the voice role of Br'er Bear for the theme park attraction Splash Mountain, which is based on the animated segments of Song of the South. He was the only actor to return and voice his character from the aforementioned movie. In an interview with author Jim Korkis, he was asked about whether or not his role of Br'er Bear was degrading. He replied, "Disney treated us like Kings." He went on to say that the money he earned from Song of the South was donated to a theatre for African-American actors to play roles other than maids and butlers, and was doing the same with the money from reprising his role for the Disneyland attraction.

Photos of

Nick Stewart

Photos ( 1 Photos

Filmography of

Nick Stewart

Found 25 Movies in total

Silver Streak

Shoeshiner ( Actor )

... 1976

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Driver run off highway ( Actor )

... 1963

... 1958

Flame of the Islands

Nick ( Actor )

... 1955

Carmen Jones

Dink Franklin ( Actor )

... 1954

Song of the South

Br'er Bear (voice) ( Actor )

... 1946

... 1946

Night Train to Memphis

Train Porter ( Actor )

... 1946

Behind Green Lights

Man reporting stolen car ( Actor )

... 1946

Dakota

Nicodemus (as Nicodemus Stewart) ( Actor )

... 1945

She Wouldn't Say Yes

Porter (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1945

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood

Houseboy (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1945

Delightfully Dangerous

Desk Clerk ( Actor )

... 1945

Gildersleeve's Ghost

Chauncey ( Actor )

... 1944

Stormy Weather

Cousin Jake (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1943

False Faces

Mack (as Nicodemus) ( Actor )

... 1943

My Son, The Hero

Nicodemus ( Actor )

... 1943

Cabin in the Sky

Dude ( Actor )

... 1943

The Meanest Man in the World

Elevator Operator ( Actor )

... 1943

Dumbo

Specks Crow (voice) ( Actor )

... 1941

Robin Hood of the Pecos

Mose Johnson (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1941

Wall Street Cowboy

Train Porter ( Actor )

... 1939

International Crime

Bootblack ( Actor )

... 1938

Mind Your Own Business

Butler (as Nicodemus) ( Actor )

... 1936

Go West Young Man

Nicodemus (as Nicodemus Stewart) ( Actor )

... 1936