Julius Harris

A late bloomer, Julius Harris came to acting at the improbable age of 41. His first part, as Will Anderson in Michael Roemer's romantic drama "Nothing but a Man," marked him as an actor to watch, particularly within the small community of African American film makers. His career started slowly; his next part came in 1969 with "Slaves," about a revolt on a Kentucky plantation, starring Dionne Warwick and Ossie Davis. In the '70s, Harris became a familiar face in blaxploitation films. Taking life in the urban ghetto as their theme, featuring gun-wielding black men in positions of power, these heavily stylized films usually had prominent funk and soul soundtracks. In 1972 Harris played Captain Bollin in "Shaft's Big Score!," starring Richard Roundtree as the most famous character of the genre, Shaft. Harris made two other famous films in 1972, "Super Fly," in which he played Scatter, and "Trouble Man," starring Robert Hooks. In 1973 he was cast in the James Bond film "Live and Let Die" in the memorable role of Tee Hee Johnson. Outside the genre he was cast in the crime thriller "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" and the remake of the classic giant-gorilla adventure "King Kong." With the decline of blaxploitation, Harris began appearing in guest performances on various TV series in the late '70s and '80s, accepting fewer and fewer roles until the end of his career in 1997. At age 81, after a 40 year career, Harris passed away from heart failure.