Geoffrey Holder facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Geoffrey Holder
Holder at the Big Apple Con 2008
Born	Geoffrey Lamont Holder (1930-08-01)August 1, 1930 Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Died	October 5, 2014(2014-10-05) (aged 84) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	Queen's Royal College
Occupation	Actor, voice actor, singer, dancer, composer, choreographer, director
Years active	1957–2014
Spouse(s)	Carmen de Lavallade ​ (m. 1955)​
Children	1 son
Family	Boscoe Holder (brother) Christian Holder (nephew) Ralph McDaniels (second cousin)
Awards	Outstanding Costume Design 1975 The Wiz Best Direction of a Musical 1975 The Wiz Best Costume Design 1975 The Wiz

Geoffrey Lamont Holder (born August 1, 1930 – died October 5, 2014) was a talented person from Trinidad and Tobago who also became an American citizen. He was an actor, dancer, musician, and artist.

Before he started acting in movies in 1957, he was a main dancer for the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. He became well-known for playing the bad guy Baron Samedi in the James Bond movie Live and Let Die in 1973. You might also remember his voice from commercials for the drink 7 Up.

Early Life and Beginnings

Geoffrey Holder was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. He was one of four children. His family had roots in both Barbados and Trinidad.

He went to Tranquility School and Queen's Royal College in Port of Spain. Geoffrey started performing at just seven years old. He joined his brother Boscoe Holder's dance company, showing his talent early on.

A Career of Many Talents

Geoffrey Holder had a very diverse career. He was known for his dancing, acting, directing, and even his art.

Dancing and Broadway

A famous choreographer named Agnes de Mille saw Geoffrey perform in the United States Virgin Islands. She invited him to New York. There, he joined Katherine Dunham's dance school. He taught traditional dance forms for two years.

From 1955 to 1956, he was a main dancer with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. He then made his first appearance on Broadway in the musical House of Flowers. While working on this show, he met Alvin Ailey, another famous dancer, and Carmen de Lavallade, who would become his wife. After House of Flowers, he acted in an all-black version of Waiting for Godot in 1957.

As a choreographer, Holder created dances for many groups. This included the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Dance Theatre of Harlem. For these companies, he often created the dances, music, and even the costumes!

Acting in Movies and TV

Geoffrey Holder started his movie career in 1962 in the British film All Night Long. This movie was a modern version of William Shakespeare's play Othello. He then appeared in Doctor Dolittle (1967) as Willie Shakespeare.

In 1973, he played the memorable villain Baron Samedi in the James Bond movie Live and Let Die. He also helped with the dance moves in the film.

Later, he played Jupiter in a TV movie of Edgar Allan Poe's The Gold-Bug (1980). In the 1982 movie Annie, he was Punjab, the bodyguard. He also played the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in John Grin's Christmas (1986). In 1992, he was Nelson in the film Boomerang with Eddie Murphy.

Geoffrey Holder also used his voice for many roles. He was the voice of Ray in Bear in the Big Blue House. He also narrated Tim Burton's 2005 movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Broadway Director and Designer

In 1975, Geoffrey Holder won two Tony Awards for his work on The Wiz. This was an all-black musical version of The Wizard of Oz. He won for directing the show and for designing the costumes. He was the first black man to be nominated in either of these categories. He also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design. The show was very popular and ran for a long time.

In 1978, Holder also directed and choreographed another Broadway musical called Timbuktu!.

Other Creative Works

Besides his acting and stage work, Holder was also a talented painter. Famous people like Lena Horne collected his art. He won a special award called a Guggenheim Fellowship for his painting in 1956.

He also wrote books and composed music. A book of his photographs, called Adam, was published in 1986.

Advertising Work

Many people remember Geoffrey Holder from his commercials. In the 1970s and 1980s, he was the spokesman for the soft drink 7 Up. He famously called it the "uncola." In the 1980s, he described it as "crisp and clean, and no caffeine; never had it, never will." He even appeared in a 7 Up commercial again in 2011 on The Celebrity Apprentice.

Personal Life

Geoffrey Holder married Carmen de Lavallade in 1955. They lived in New York City and had one son named Léo. A documentary about their lives, Carmen & Geoffrey, was made in 2005.

His older brother, Boscoe Holder, was also a dancer, choreographer, and artist. Boscoe's son, Christian Holder, also became a well-known dancer.

Death

Geoffrey Holder passed away in Manhattan, New York, on October 5, 2014. He was 84 years old. He died from problems related to pneumonia.

Productions

Broadway Shows

• House of Flowers, Original Musical, 1954 – Performer and dance choreographer
• Josephine Baker, musical review, 1954 – Performer
• Waiting for Godot, revival (all black cast), 1957 – Performer
• The Wiz, original musical, 1975 – Director and costume designer (Won Tony Awards for both in 1975)
• Timbuktu!, original musical, 1978 – Director, choreographer, costume designer, and designed the playbill cover
• The Wiz, revival, 1984 – Director and costume designer
• The Boys' Choir of Harlem and Friends, staged concert, 1993 – Staging

Radio Work

• KYOT-FM in Phoenix, Arizona, 1994–2011 – Voiceover artist

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Geoffrey Holder para niños