Nick Stewart, Acting - KorPlix:Korean Person Archives

Back

Back

Top

Korplix
Korean Online
Content Archives

0
2.552

Nick Stewart
Acting

Nick Stewart
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1910-03-15,New York City, New York, U.S.
Gender
Male
Biography
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.

Filmography

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

7

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1963-11-07

Song of the South

6.414

Song of the South
1946-11-12

Behind Green Lights

5.6

Behind Green Lights
1946-02-15

Delightfully Dangerous

5.3

Delightfully Dangerous
1945-03-31

Go West Young Man

5.3

Go West Young Man
1936-11-18

Flame of the Islands

3.5

Flame of the Islands
1955-12-04

My Son, The Hero

0

My Son, The Hero
1943-04-05

International Crime

5.5

International Crime
1938-04-23

Gildersleeve's Ghost

5

Gildersleeve's Ghost
1944-06-01

Three Little Girls in Blue

6.5

Three Little Girls in Blue
1946-09-03

0

Shine
1942-06-01

Wall Street Cowboy

6.5

Wall Street Cowboy
1939-08-06

6.9

Stormy Weather
1943-07-21

Tarzan's Fight for Life

4.6

Tarzan's Fight for Life
1958-08-15

7

False Faces
1943-05-28

Mind Your Own Business

0

Mind Your Own Business
1936-12-18

Hoosier Holiday

0

Hoosier Holiday
1943-09-13

She Wouldn't Say Yes

5.9

She Wouldn't Say Yes
1945-11-29

5.1

Dakota
1945-12-15

Night Train to Memphis

0

Night Train to Memphis
1946-07-12

6.7

Silver Streak
1976-12-03

Robin Hood of the Pecos

5

Robin Hood of the Pecos
1941-01-14

5.9

Carmen Jones
1954-10-28

Cabin in the Sky

6.3

Cabin in the Sky
1943-03-24

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood

5.66

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood
1945-10-05

Who Killed Cock Robin?

6.635

Who Killed Cock Robin?
1935-06-25

The Meanest Man in the World

6.4

The Meanest Man in the World
1943-02-12

7

Dumbo
1941-10-31

6.7

Mister Ed
1961-01-05

7.5

Amos 'n' Andy
1951-06-28

5.7

Ben Casey
1961-10-02