Hari Rhodes facts for kids

Hari Rhodes (born April 10, 1932 – died January 15, 1992) was an American author and actor. He had a career that lasted for over 30 years, starting around 1960.

Sometimes, he was known as Harry Rhodes. He appeared in 66 movies and TV shows, including the 1963 ABC medical drama Breaking Point.

Early Life and Military Service

Hari Rhodes grew up in a tough part of his hometown, Cincinnati, Ohio. In a 1968 interview with TV Guide, he shared how his family lived near the railroad tracks and the river. Floods would often force them to leave their home, but they always returned. He said that growing up, he only knew "rats, roaches, and poverty."

When he was 15, Rhodes wanted to join the U.S. Marine Corps. He spent two months practicing his mother's signature so he could sign her name on his enlistment papers.

In the Marines, Rhodes was a part of his camp's judo team for two years. He became a sergeant and served in Korea. There, he led a special team that went behind enemy lines to gather information.

Rhodes once shared a story about being hurt during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. A Chinese soldier came towards him, and his gun was empty. He threw his gun down, and the soldier attacked him with a bayonet. Rhodes bravely fought back and defended himself with a knife.

In 1965, he wrote a book called A Chosen Few. This novel was based on his experiences in the Marine Corps at the last all-Black Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Montford Point.

Acting Career Highlights

Hari Rhodes started his acting career in 1960, appearing in several TV shows. These included General Electric Theater, hosted by Ronald Reagan, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, and Have Gun, Will Travel. He also appeared in two episodes of Adventures in Paradise. In 1961, he was in an episode of Follow the Sun, and in 1963, he played a patrolman in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.

From 1966 to 1969, Rhodes was a regular on the TV show Daktari, playing Mike Makula. In 1969, he starred in the show The Bold Ones: The Protectors. One of his most famous TV roles was in the 1977 ABC miniseries Roots. In this powerful series, he played a leader in Kunta Kinte's village.

Rhodes also played a very important role for African-American actors in science fiction TV. In 1964, he played Lieutenant Ernie Travers, a member of a moon exploration team, in an episode of The Outer Limits called "Moonstone." This was before Nichelle Nichols played Lieutenant Uhura, a Black crew member, on Star Trek. Later, in 1985, he appeared as Mr. Wanda in an episode of Magnum P.I.

His early movie roles included The Nun and the Sergeant (1962), Drums of Africa (1963), and Shock Corridor (1963). In 1966, he had a supporting role as Captain Davis in the movie Blindfold, starring Rock Hudson. He also played Mr. MacDonald, who helped Caesar in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972). He was also the star of the 1973 film Detroit 9000. His later movies included Mayday at 40,000 Feet! (1976), Coma (1978), and Sharky's Machine (1981).

Writing and Overcoming Challenges

Hari Rhodes' very first TV role was in 1957 on Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater. This role came just a year after he had a difficult experience with racial prejudice.

In 1968, Rhodes told TV Guide about trying to join a training program for actors at a major studio. He called the person in charge and asked for an interview. When he mentioned he was Black, the person told him, "Don't waste your time – we don't take Negroes in this program." Rhodes was very upset by this.

He used his anger and frustration to write his novel, A Chosen Few. This book was described as a powerful story about his experiences in the American South at the last all-Black Marine boot camp. In the novel, his main character says that anger can lead to positive changes, while bitterness only hurts oneself.

Rhodes also wrote two other novels that were not published: Harambee, and Land of Odds, which was about Hollywood.

Rhodes explained that writing was a way for him to express himself and deal with his feelings. He said he preferred writing his own stories over reading others.

Death

Hari Rhodes passed away from a heart attack in January 1992. This was just a few months before his last project, the TV movie Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story, was released.