Lincoln Kilpatrick

Lincoln Kilpatrick was born on February 12, 1932 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was encouraged to pursue an acting career by legendary blues singer Billie Holiday. Kilpatrick earned a degree in drama from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri and got his first big break acting alongside Sidney Poitier in the hit Broadway play "A Raisin in the Sun." Lincoln subsequently appeared in the stage plays "Blues for Mr. Charlie," "The Slave," "Hallelujah Baby!," "Take a Giant Step," and "The Black" (he acted with Cicely Tyson and Louis Gossett Jr. in this latter play). Kilpatrick made his film debut as the ill-fated Detective Dave Foster in the gritty 1958 crime drama thriller Cop Hater (1958). His most memorable movie roles include the bitter Zachary in the funky end-of-the-world science fiction gem The Omega Man (1971), burnt-out priest Father Paul in Soylent Green (1973), Olympic athlete Woody Russo in Chosen Survivors (1974), crazed transvestite homosexual psycho Billy Most in Together Brothers (1974), terrific as venerable old felon Cresus in the excellent supernatural horror chiller Prison (1987), and wise trustee inmate Abraham in Stuart Gordon's exciting futuristic science fiction prison winner Fortress (1992). Among the TV shows Kilpatrick did guest spots on are Naked City (1958), Then Came Bronson (1969), Medical Center (1969), Ironside (1967), McCloud (1970), Mannix (1967), Harry O (1973), Baretta (1975), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), The Jeffersons (1975), The Greatest American Hero (1981), Hill Street Blues (1981), Trapper John, M.D. (1979), Frasier (1993), Melrose Place (1992), NYPD Blue (1993), and ER (1994), along with dozens of others. Moreover, Lincoln co-founded the Kilpatrick-Cambridge Theatre Arts School in Hollywood, California in 1971 and holds the distinction of being the first black member of the Lincoln Center Repertory Company. He was married to his wife Helen Ferguson for 47 years. Kilpatrick's sons Erik Kilpatrick and Lincoln Kilpatrick Jr. are both actors, while his daughter Dacarla Kilpatrick is an actress, director and editor. Lincoln Kilpatrick died at age 72 from lung cancer on May 18, 2004.