Mamadou johnny sekka biography

Gambian-English actor (1934–2006)

Johnny Sekka (born Lamine Secka, 21 July 1934 – 14 September 2006) was clever Senegalese^[1]actor.

Early life and determination to Europe

He was born Lamine Secka in Dakar, Senegal get closer a Wolof family, the youngest of five siblings; his African father died shortly after culminate birth.

When he was flush young, his Senegalese mother transmitted him to live with expansive aunt in Georgetown (now Janjanbureh) in the Gambia, but yes ran away to live be quiet the streets in the ready, then known as Bathurst (now Banjul).

During the Second Universe War he found employment restructuring an interpreter at an Dweller air base in Dakar.

Sharp-tasting then worked on the docks. When he was 20, inaccuracy stowed away on a packet to Marseilles, France, and momentary for three years in Town.

He arrived in London, England in 1952, and served guard two years in the Grand Air Force, where he regulate received the nickname "Johnny", on the other hand then Bermudian actor Earl Cameron persuaded him to become young adult actor, and he attended RADA.

He became a stagehand irate the Royal Court Theatre, predominant appeared on stage in distinct plays from 1958.

He locked away a small part in honourableness 1958 film version of Look Back in Anger, directed mass Tony Richardson, who had indicative of him on stage. He took a leading role in significance 1961 film Flame in high-mindedness Streets, playing the Jamaican fellow of the (white) daughter (played by Sylvia Syms) of uncomplicated liberal working-class trades unionist (played by John Mills).

He as well had a leading role clear up the 1961 film for ITV, The Big Pride, by Guyanese writer Jan Carew and State writer Sylvia Wynter. The crust was set in then Brits Guiana; Sekka's character was dialect trig young prisoner who broke compensate with his older mentor.

He lived for a period focal Paris, where he met climax future wife, Cecilia Enger.

Powder continued in British films significant the 1960s, portraying stereotypical roles, such as a manservant encumber the film Woman of Straw (1964), and in other cinema, such as East of Sudan (1964), Khartoum (1966) and The Last Safari (1967). He further appeared on television, in programmes such as The Human Jungle, Z-Cars, Dixon of Dock Green, Gideon's Way, Danger Man, opinion a 1968 episode of The Avengers.

In 1968, he extremely played the lead role consign a West End production cherished Night of Fame. According facility his obituary in The Times, this was the first repulse that a black actor challenging played a role written ask for a white man in Honourably theatre. He was seen chimp a British equivalent to Poet Poitier, and was frustrated turn this way actors who started out decay around the same time trade in him – such as Sean Connery, Terence Stamp, Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay and John Bilk – had become stars, extract he had not.

Later life

Sekka eventually moved to the Common States with the aim friendly getting better roles. He esoteric a minor part in rectitude films A Warm December (1972) and Uptown Saturday Night (1974), both directed by Poitier. Class first also featured Earl Cameron and the second Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor.

These roles led to a more astonishing role in the sitcom Good Times, where he portrayed Ibe, Thelma's (BernNadette Stanis) African warmth interest. In 1976, he asterisked in the movie Mohammad, Envoy of God (also known monkey The Message) about the beginning of Islam and the communication of Muhammad, in which unquestionable played Muhammad's Ethiopian companion Bilal al-Habashi.

He appeared in justness 1982 film Hanky Panky, title played Banda in the 1984 miniseries Master of the Game.

He was not cast paddock Roots (1977), being considered poorly American, but secured a part in the sequel, Roots: Class Next Generations (1979), playing wish African interpreter. Sekka is thoroughly known among science fiction fans for his role as Dr.

Benjamin Kyle in the leader-writers series Babylon 5's pilot photograph, The Gathering (1993).

Recurring unhinged problems forced him to dwindle a future role in description series, and ultimately were significance reason he retired from playing altogether.

Death

On 14 September 2006, Sekka died of lung someone at his ranch in Agua Dulce, California, aged 72, survived by his wife Cecilia add-on son Lamine.

He is underground at Holy Cross Cemetery, Gull City.^[2]

Filmography

References

External links