ActorAmericanAfrican-AmericanPlaywright

Felton Perry

Felton Perry is a retired American actor and playwright known for his roles in films like Walking Tall, Magnum Force, and RoboCop, and his play Buy the Bi and Bye.

1. Life and Career

Felton Perry's career in the entertainment industry spans several decades, encompassing a diverse range of roles in film and television, alongside his work as a playwright.

1.1. Early Life

Felton Perry was born on September 11, 1945, in Chicago, Illinois, United States.

1.2. Acting Career

Perry's acting career began in the late 1960s, establishing him as a prominent figure in both film and television. He is also recognized for his contributions to animated productions as a voice actor.

1.2.1. Film Roles

Perry gained significant recognition for his film appearances, particularly in a series of popular movies from the 1970s and 1980s. One of his early notable roles was as Deputy Obrah Eaker in the 1973 film Walking Tall. In the same year, he appeared as Inspector Early Smith in Magnum Force, the second film in the Dirty Harry series.

His most widely known role is that of Donald Johnson, an executive at the Omni Consumer Products (OCP) corporation, in the 1987 science fiction film RoboCop. He reprised this role in the sequels RoboCop 2 (1990) and RoboCop 3 (1993), making him a recurring character in the popular franchise.

1.2.2. Television and Voice Acting

In television, Felton Perry was a life member of The Actors Studio and starred as Inspector Clarence McNeil on the television show Hooperman from 1987 to 1989. He has made numerous guest appearances across a wide variety of television series throughout his career. These include roles in 227, Adam-12, Ironside, Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, Cagney and Lacey, What's Happening Now!!, Mannix, The Partridge Family, Barnaby Jones, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, N.Y.P.D. Blue, Judging Amy, Civil Wars, Murphy Brown, Stingray, Marcus Welby, M.D., Sports Night, and The West Wing.

Beyond live-action roles, Perry has also lent his voice to animated characters. His voice acting credits include the feature film The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat and the children's television series A Pup Named Scooby-Doo.

1.3. Playwriting Career

In addition to his acting, Felton Perry is also a recognized playwright. His notable works include the play Buy the Bi and Bye, which premiered in 1976. The Progress Bulletin newspaper described this play as an "offbeat and hilarious black satire" featuring a "zinging performance" by Ron Thompson. However, a review in the Los Angeles Times in 1986 noted that the play had become "A bit stale" by that time.

2. Filmography

  • Medium Cool (1969) - Black Militant
  • Brute Corps (1971) - Hill
  • Night Call Nurses (1972) - Jude
  • Trouble Man (1972) - Bobby Golden
  • Walking Tall (1973) - Deputy Obrah Eaker
  • Magnum Force (1973) - Inspector Early Smith
  • The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat (1974) - (voice)
  • The Towering Inferno (1974) - SFFD Firefighter Scott
  • Sudden Death (1977) - Wyatt Spain
  • Mean Dog Blues (1978) - Jake Turner
  • Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986) - Al
  • RoboCop (1987) - Donald Johnson
  • Weeds (1987) - Associate Warden
  • Checking Out (1989) - Dr. Duffin
  • Angel's Kiss (1989)
  • RoboCop 2 (1990) - Donald Johnson
  • Daughter of the Streets (1990) - Captain Towers
  • Talent for the Game (1991) - Fred
  • Perfume (1991) - Freddy
  • Let's Kill All the Lawyers (1992) - Cyrus
  • RoboCop 3 (1993) - Donald Johnson
  • Relentless 3 (1993) - Detective Ziskie
  • Puppet Master 4 (1993) - Dr. Carl Baker
  • Dumb & Dumber (1994) - Detective Dale
  • Sweeper (1996)
  • Dark Breed (1996) - Astronaut Bill Powell
  • Buck and the Magic Bracelet (1999) - Shanka
  • Hollywood Vampyr (2002) - Professor Chiles
  • The Members (2007) - Mjaji
  • Robodoc: The Creation of Robocop (Documentary) (TBA) - Himself

3. Television

  • Room 222 (1969) - E.M. Farmer
  • Ironside (1969-1973) - Gilbert Loggins / Roger Stewart / Mustafa / Charlie Tattersall
  • Dragnet (1970) - Howie Frazer
  • Julia (1970) - Jerome
  • Nanny and the Professor (1970) - Fred
  • O'Hara, US Treasury (1971-1972) - Don Eberly / Billy Trent
  • Adam-12 (1971-1972) - Floyd Sinclair / Cleotis James
  • Mannix (1972) - Jesse / Berdue
  • Medical Center (1974) - Jeff
  • Police Story (1975) - Clyde Williamson
  • Barnaby Jones (1978) - Alexander Street
  • Hill Street Blues (1982-1985) - Bobby Castro / Alonzo / Carter Reese
  • Cagney & Lacey (1985) - Earl Covay
  • Hooperman (1987-1989) - Inspector Clarence McNeil
  • L.A. Law (1986-1990) - Detective Lester Tuttle
  • Daughter of the Streets (1990) - Captain Towers
  • Murphy Brown (1991) - John Lloyd Barrows
  • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1991-1992) - Lester
  • Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1993) - Mr. Foster
  • NYPD Blue (1994) - Calvin Butler
  • Living Single (1995) - Bernie
  • Sports Night (1998) - Man
  • Judging Amy (2002) - Dr. Connelly
  • The West Wing (2000-2002)