Avery Brooks

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Avery Brooks (2007)

Avery Franklin Brooks (born October 2, 1948 in Evansville , Indiana ) is an American actor and director . He became internationally known for his leading role as “ Cmdr./Cpt. Benjamin Sisko ”in the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , which aired from 1993 to 1999.

life and career

Avery Brooks' mother, Eva Lydia (née Crawford), was one of the first African American women to graduate with a Masters degree in music. His father was a singer in a choir for the CBS radio station from 1937 to 1947 , so that a career as a musician seemed to be predetermined for him. Brooks attended Indiana University and Oberlin College after completing his schooling and graduated in 1976 with a master's degree from Rutgers University in directing and acting. He then taught for a few years as a professor of theater studies at Rutgers University and was involved in several projects, for example the "National Black Arts Festival".

Avery Brooks began his acting career as a theater actor, where he had his first major success in 1976 in the play Paul Robeson by Phillip Hayes Dean. The life story of the singer, actor and civil rights activist Paul Robeson , told in the play, challenged Brooks' vocal skills. As a result of Solomon Northup's Odyssey in the American Playhouse series , Brooks first appeared in front of the camera in 1984 for a television production. However, he did not gain international fame until 1993 in the science fiction series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) as Commander (and later Captain) Benjamin Lafayette Sisko , commanding officer of the space station "Deep Space 9" and envoy of the Bajorans . Previously he could be seen as "Hawk" in the Spenser series , alongside Robert Urich , as a friend of the main character, as well as in the spin-off of this series with the series title Hawk , in which he took over the title role.

A highlight of his Star Trek role was an episode in which he played the fictional black writer Benny Russell , who writes short novels for a science fiction magazine called " Incredible Tales " in New York in 1953. This episode ( Beyond the Stars ) stages the problems of racism and discrimination against blacks in the United States in the 1950s. After the end of the seven- season series Deep Space Nine in 1999, he got a few supporting roles in TV and cinema productions.

In 1998 he played the principal of the two main characters in the film American History X. He has acted in the theater, spoken with his deep baritone commentary on Discovery Channel and National Geographic documentaries , taught at Oberlin College and Case Western Reserve University, and recorded audio books. He is also a lecturer at the Mason Gross School of the Arts with a professorship in theater studies . In 2008 he entered the theater production Death of a Salesman , based on the drama by Arthur Miller in 1949, on (German title Death of a Salesman ).

Avery Brooks has been married to Vicki Bowen since 1976. The couple has three children.

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Commons : Avery Brooks  - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Avery Brooks. at moviesection.de, accessed on February 28, 2013.
  2. ↑ Avery Brooks returns to Oberlin for special 'Death of a Salesman' production. on cleveland.com, accessed February 28, 2013.
personal data
SURNAME Brooks, Avery
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Brooks, Avery Franklin
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American actor and director
DATE OF BIRTH October 2, 1948
PLACE OF BIRTH Evansville , Indiana