D'Urville Martin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids D'Urville Martin
Martin in 1974
Born	(1939-02-11)February 11, 1939 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	May 28, 1984(1984-05-28) (aged 45) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor and director
Years active	1964–1984
Spouse(s)	Frances L. Johnson ​ (divorced)​ Lillian Ferguson ​ (m. 1966)​
Children	3

D'Urville Martin (born February 11, 1939 – died May 28, 1984) was an American actor and director. He was known for appearing in many movies in the 1970s, especially those in the blaxploitation film style. He also acted in early versions of the famous TV show All in the Family.

Born in New York City, Martin started his acting career in the mid-1960s. He quickly got roles in important films like Black Like Me, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and Rosemary's Baby. D'Urville Martin also directed movies, including Dolemite, which starred Rudy Ray Moore.

About D'Urville Martin

D'Urville Martin was born in New York City in 1939. He had a daughter, Debra, with his first wife, Frances L. Johnson. Later, he married Lillian Ferguson in 1966, and they had two more children together. Sadly, Martin passed away from a heart attack in Los Angeles in 1984. He was 45 years old.

His Acting and Directing Career

Martin's first movie role was a small part in Black Like Me in 1964. After that, he had minor roles in other well-known movies. He played Frankie in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) and Diego, an elevator operator, in Rosemary's Baby (1968).

Many of D'Urville Martin's later films were part of the blaxploitation genre. These were movies made in the 1970s that often featured African-American actors in lead roles, usually in action or crime stories. He played Sonny in Hammer (1972) and Reverend Rufus in Black Caesar (1973) and its follow-up, Hell Up in Harlem (also 1973).

Martin also directed the 1975 movie Dolemite, which starred Rudy Ray Moore. Besides directing, Martin also played the bad guy, Willie Green, in the film. Even though Dolemite had a sequel called The Human Tornado in 1976, Martin did not direct that one. In the 2019 movie Dolemite Is My Name, which tells the story of Rudy Ray Moore making Dolemite, D'Urville Martin is played by actor Wesley Snipes.

His Impact on Film

By directing Dolemite, D'Urville Martin helped create a movie that became a great example of the blaxploitation film style from that time. Even today, Dolemite is still one of the most popular movies from that era. It continues to inspire new films and funny tributes.

Movies He Was In

See also

In Spanish: D'Urville Martin para niños