Otis Young
Encyclopedia
Otis E. Young was an African-American actor. He was only the second African-American actor to co-star in a television Western
, The Outcasts
(1968–1969), with Don Murray
, the first being Raymond St Jacques who had co-starred on the final season of Rawhide
in 1965, as cattle drover Simon Blake. Young played another memorable role as Jack Nicholson
's shore-patrol partner in the 1973 comedy-drama film The Last Detail
.
Young, one of 14 children, joined the U.S. Marine Corps at the age of 17 and served in the Korean War
. He then enrolled in acting classes at New York University School of Education where his classmate was the young Louis Gossett, Jr.. He trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse
, and worked off-Broadway as an actor and writer in the early 1960s. (He appeared on Broadway in James Baldwin's "Blues for Mr. Charlie," with such notables as Diana Sands, and Al Freeman, Jr..) His first movie appearance was in Murder in Mississippi (1965).
In 1983 Young earned his bachelor's degree from L. I. F. E. Bible College in Los Angeles
and became an ordained pastor
, eventually serving as senior pastor of Elim Foursquare Gospel Church
in Rochester
, New York
, from 1986-1988. He taught acting classes at School Without Walls, a college-like alternative public high school
in Rochester, from 1987 through 1991. In 1989 he joined the faculty at Monroe Community College
in Rochester; he remained there as a Professor of Communications and head of the Drama Department until his retirement in 1999.
Otis Young suffered a stroke
in Los Angeles and died in 2001. He was survived by his (second) wife, Barbara, and his children, Saudia Young, Lovelady Young, El Mahdi Young, and Jemal Young.
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
, The Outcasts
The Outcasts (TV series)
The Outcasts is a short-lived Western genre television series, appearing on ABC in the 1968-69 season. The series co-starred Don Murray and Otis Young, and is probably most notable for being the first television Western with a Black co-star and the first bi-racial Western action...
(1968–1969), with Don Murray
Don Murray (actor)
Donald Patrick "Don" Murray is an American actor.-Early life and career:Murray was born in Hollywood, California on July 31, 1929, the only child of Dennis Aloisius, a Broadway dance director and stage manager and Ethel Murray, a former Ziegfeld performer...
, the first being Raymond St Jacques who had co-starred on the final season of Rawhide
Rawhide (TV series)
Rawhide is an American Western series that aired for eight seasons on the CBS network on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to September 3, 1965, before moving to Tuesday nights from September 14, 1965 until January 4, 1966, with a total of 217 black-and-white episodes...
in 1965, as cattle drover Simon Blake. Young played another memorable role as Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
's shore-patrol partner in the 1973 comedy-drama film The Last Detail
The Last Detail
The Last Detail is a 1973 American comedy-drama film directed by Hal Ashby with a screenplay adapted by Robert Towne from a novel of the same name by Daryl Ponicsan. The film became known for its frequent use of profanity.-Plot:...
.
Young, one of 14 children, joined the U.S. Marine Corps at the age of 17 and served in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. He then enrolled in acting classes at New York University School of Education where his classmate was the young Louis Gossett, Jr.. He trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse
Neighborhood Playhouse
The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre is an actor training school at 340 East 54th Street in New York City, generally associated with the Meisner technique of Sanford Meisner.-History:...
, and worked off-Broadway as an actor and writer in the early 1960s. (He appeared on Broadway in James Baldwin's "Blues for Mr. Charlie," with such notables as Diana Sands, and Al Freeman, Jr..) His first movie appearance was in Murder in Mississippi (1965).
In 1983 Young earned his bachelor's degree from L. I. F. E. Bible College in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and became an ordained pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, eventually serving as senior pastor of Elim Foursquare Gospel Church
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, commonly referred to as the Foursquare Church, is an evangelical Pentecostal Christian denomination. As of 2000 it had a worldwide membership of over 8,000,000, with almost 60,000 churches in 144 countries. In 2006, membership in the United States...
in Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, from 1986-1988. He taught acting classes at School Without Walls, a college-like alternative public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Rochester, from 1987 through 1991. In 1989 he joined the faculty at Monroe Community College
Monroe Community College
Monroe Community College is a two-year college of the State University of New York, located in Monroe County, New York. The college has two campuses, one in the town of Brighton and another, the Damon City Campus, in the City of Rochester...
in Rochester; he remained there as a Professor of Communications and head of the Drama Department until his retirement in 1999.
Otis Young suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in Los Angeles and died in 2001. He was survived by his (second) wife, Barbara, and his children, Saudia Young, Lovelady Young, El Mahdi Young, and Jemal Young.