Burks, Willis II 1935–

views updated

BURKS, Willis II 1935–

(Willis Burks)

PERSONAL

Born October 25, 1935, in Birmingham, AL.

Career: Actor.

Awards, Honors: Obie Award, Village Voice, Drama Desk Award, Audelco Award, L.A. Ovation Award nomination, Los Angeles Theatre Alliance, award from Hollywood chapter, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and Joseph Jefferson Award, all for Jitney.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Willie, Equinox (also known as Isimeria), 1992.

The Preacher's Wife, Buena Vista, 1996.

Baja, Fall, 1997.

(As Willis Burks) Selwyn, Sunday, 1997.

Colonel, Everything's Jake, Blackjack Entertainment/Boz Productions, 2000.

(As Willis Burks) Gift for the Living (short film), 2005.

Also appeared in Deadline.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Troy, Trigger Happy, Independent Film Channel, 2001.

Appeared as an old man in Black Filmmaker Showcase, Showtime.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Monty, "Slave," Law & Order, NBC, 1996.

Vagrant, "Yes Sir, That's My Baby," NYPD Blue, ABC, 1996.

Mr. Baxter, "The Unthinkable," New York Undercover (also known as Uptown Undercover), Fox, 1997.

Ralph Weathers, "Jones," Law & Order: Criminal Intent (also known as Law & Order: CI), NBC, 2001.

Thomas, "Walk Like a Man," ER (also known as Emergency Room), NBC, 2002.

Old man, Everybody Hates Chris, UPN, 2005.

Appeared as Judge Robin Ingles in another episode of Law & Order, NBC; also appeared in an episode of As the World Turns, CBS.

Stage Appearances:

Fences, Missouri Repertory Theatre (also known as Kansas City Repertory Theatre), Kansas City, MO, c. 1991, also produced at Syracuse Stage.

Pill Hill, Hartford Stage, Hartford, CT, c. 1992.

Boochie, East Texas Hot Links, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, Anspacher Theatre, New York City, 1994.

Two Trains Running, Center Stage, Baltimore, MD, c. 1994.

The Piano Lesson, Crossroads Theatre Company, New Brunswick, NJ, c. 1996, also produced at Penumbra Theatre Company.

Shealy, Jitney, GeVa Theatre, Rochester, NY, 1999–2000, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 2000, Second Stage Theatre Company, Union Square Theatre, New York City, 2000–2001, National Theatre, Lyttelton Theatre, London, 2001.

Saint Lucy's Eyes, Women's Project Theatre, then Cherry Lane Theatre, both New York City, 2001.

Major Tours:

Shealy, Jitney, U.S. cities, 2000.

RECORDINGS

Video Games:

Voice of Pope Joe, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, Vivendi Universal Games, 2004.