Bill Gunn (writer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Gunn
Born	William Harrison Gunn July 15, 1934 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Died	April 5, 1989 (aged 54) Nyack, New York
Occupation	Writer, director, actor
Nationality	American

William Harrison Gunn (born July 15, 1934 – died April 5, 1989) was an American artist. He was a talented writer, actor, and film director. He created plays, novels, and movies.

One of his most famous films is the 1973 horror movie Ganja and Hess. This movie was so good that it was picked as one of the ten best American films of the decade at the Cannes Film Festival in 1973. Famous filmmaker Spike Lee said that Bill Gunn was "one of the most under-appreciated filmmakers of his time." This means many people didn't realize how great he was during his life.

Bill Gunn also won an Emmy Award in 1972 for his play called Johnnas.

Bill Gunn's Amazing Career

Bill Gunn was born in Philadelphia. He wrote more than 29 plays during his life. He also wrote two novels and many screenplays for movies.

Early Life and Acting

In the 1950s, Bill Gunn studied acting in New York City. In 1954, he acted in a play on Broadway called The Immoralist. He acted alongside famous stars like James Dean. He also became friends with other well-known people such as Montgomery Clift, Eartha Kitt, and Marlon Brando.

Bill Gunn lived in Nyack, New York with Sam Waymon. Sam Waymon is the brother of singer Nina Simone. Sam Waymon also wrote the music for Bill Gunn's movie Ganja and Hess.

Directing Films

Bill Gunn was supposed to direct his first movie, Stop!, in 1970. This film was meant to be one of the first studio movies directed by an African American person. However, the movie was never released by the studio. They even claimed they didn't have a copy of it anymore. Luckily, a copy was found later.

Bill Gunn was also a friend and supporter of filmmaker Kathleen Collins. He even acted in her movie Losing Ground.

His Final Work

Bill Gunn passed away at age 54 in Nyack, New York. He died from a brain infection called encephalitis. This happened just one day before his new play, The Forbidden City, opened at the Public Theater in New York City.

In 2021, an art show called "Till They Listen: Bill Gunn Directs America" celebrated his work. It was held at a gallery in New York.

Movies Bill Gunn Directed

Bill Gunn directed some important films. Here are a few:

Movies and TV Shows Bill Gunn Acted In

Bill Gunn also had many acting roles in movies and TV shows. Here are some of them:

• 1957: Look Up and Live
• 1959: The Sound and the Fury
• 1961: Route 66
• 1963: The Outer Limits
• 1964: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
• 1966: Penelope
• 1973: Ganja & Hess (He acted in his own film!)
• 1982: Losing Ground
• 1986: The Cosby Show

See also

In Spanish: Bill Gunn para niños