Bill Duke
William Henry Duke Jr. (born February 26, 1943) is an American actor and film director. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke works primarily in the action and crime drama genres often as a character related to law enforcement. Frequently a character actor, he has starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando and Predator, and has appeared in films like Car Wash, American Gigolo, No Man's Land, Bird on a Wire, Menace II Society, Exit Wounds, Payback, X-Men: The Last Stand, and Mandy. In television, he is best known as Agent Percy Odell in Black Lightning.
Bill Duke | |
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Duke in New York City in February 2019 | |
| Born | William Henry Duke Jr. February 26, 1943 Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director, producer, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1961–present |
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) |
| Spouse | Shelia P. Moses |
| Awards | American Black Film Festival Career Achievement Award, Lifetime achievement Directors Guild of America |
He has directed episodes of numerous television series including Cagney & Lacey, Dallas, Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, The Twilight Zone, and American Playhouse. He has also directed the crime films Deep Cover and A Rage in Harlem, for which he was nominated for a Palme d'Or, as well as the comedy Sister Act 2.