RICHARD GANT
(A biography)
Richard Gant is probably best known
for his role as, the silver streaked boxing promoter, George Washington Duke in
“Rocky V,” in which he co starred with Sylvester Stallone.
“George’s” canning zest for success, morphed Richard Gant into a memorable
character entrenched in the seedy side of the boxing world. “Sylvester had seen
my work and he wanted me for the part. I got a phone call and the next
thing I knew I was in Hollywood.” Richard proudly states.
Richard’s statuesque presence,
combined with his talent and personality provided for a very successful
marriage with Hollywood. Some of his more notable films include, “Kingdom
Come,” with Whoopi Goldberg and LL Cool J, and an Irish thriller shot
in Belfast, “Divorcing Jack.” Richard
also appeared in the gripping Child Soldier film, “Ezra”, shot in Rwanda, East Africa, and the controversial urban drama, “Cover”,
by Bill Duke. On to family comedy, Richard recently starred as Colonel Buck in Cuba
Gooding’s hilarious “Daddy Day Camp.”
Born in Berkley California, the mid 60’s for an Oakland college student was both tumultuous and
culturally edifying. Fully defined by the times, Gant fell in love with theatre
through the works of the Harlem Renaissance writers and Langston Hughes and
discovered his life’s great passion, theater.
The New York Theatre Renaissance was
in full bloom demanding the attention of any serious artist. In this atmosphere Richard joined artists from around the country defining cultural and
political directions for the new age. He acted in or directed some 35
Off Broadway productions. Notable productions as an actor included, “The
Talented Tenth,” The Manhattan Theater Club; “The Playboy of the West Indies,” The Yale Repertory Company; which led to the role in the
original Broadway production, “The Mighty Gents,” with Morgan
Freeman and Howard Rollins.
In addition to stage performances
throughout the New York/New Jersey and Connecticut area, Richard toured extensively
nationally and abroad at the Dublin Theater Festival. Gant heralded Buffalo’s Paul Robeson Theater as Artistic
Director, Directed “The World of Ben Caldwell,” for New York’s Henry Street Settlement Theatre, which
starred Morgan Freeman, Garrett Morris and Reginald Vel Johnson, and directed
the Obie Award winning, “La Grima Del Diablo,” for the famed
Negro Ensemble company. “Making films is a great experience, but working
on the stage creates an unimaginable thrill. It’s you and the
audience. No retakes!” exclaims Gant.
Later, again with Woody King Jr.,
Richard would direct the only known recording of Denzel Washington in his much
talked about portrayal of Malcolm X, in the play “When The Chickens
Come Home To Roost.”
The theater is undoubtedly Richard’s
first love. It was as early as his college days when he pioneered a
multicultural effort directing “The Lion and The Jewel,” and “Trials
of Brother Jero” written by the Nigerian Pulitzer Prize winner, Wole
Soyinka.
Richard Gant met South African
writer Duma Ndlovu and his love affair with South Africa began. He and Duma began a trend
setting partnership which lasted through four South African/American
projects. “Sheila’s Day” was the most successful,
ultimately having a very successful Broadway run. While “Sheila’s
Day” may have been the most financially successful of these ventures,
it was clearly, “The Mandela Letters,” starring Ruby Dee and
Ossie Davis, at Lincoln Center that was the most memorable.
It
can be argued, Mr. Gant’s most memorable television character is Hostetler in
the HBO blockbuster series, “Deadwood.” To the Daytime audiences,
enthusiastic fans know and love Richard as Dr. Russell Ford, Chief of Staff on America’s longest running soap, “General Hospital.” Richard’s television appearances are as plentiful
and varied as his film and theatrical career; “NY PD Blue,” “Babylon Five,” “For Your Love,” and “Eve” are just a few of
those appearances. As a series regular Richard also costarred in the “Bonnie
Hunt Show,” and “Special Unit II” as Captain Richard
Page. With the recent conclusion of the acclaimed series “Men of a Certain
Age,” with Emmy awardees’ Ray Romano and André Braugher, Richard has joined
the cast of Family Channel’s new series, Hair Buns slated for this fall.
Richard Gant is the co founder of My Mandela Moment, a social
networking campaign that celebrates and reaffirms Dr. Nelson Mandela’s
principals of leadership and community service. The My Mandela Moment campaign created
the 20th anniversary celebration for Nelson Mandela’s release from
prison attended by 10,000 people,
February 2010, in Cape Town, South Africa. It was around this time that
Richard was invited by President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, to accompany the American
delegation to the nations’ 50th independence celebration. Most
recently as a member of the African Renaissance and Diaspora network, Gant’s
work is in the development of a global Theater of the Diaspora. No
stranger to the politics of the vast continent of Africa, Gant was the campaign
manager for Governor Aper Aku, Benue State NPN party, Nigeria, reelection in
1983.
Richard
has always embraced all that is vibrant whether it’s culture or art in Harlem, Nigeria, The Caribbean or South Africa. Rooted in a depth of experience,
knowledge and expertise, Richard Gant’s passion for arts and culture has created a space for him that many would aspire
to. Ladies and Gentlemen….Mr. Richard Gant!
