Robert Hooks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Hooks
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| Born |
Bobby Dean Hooks
April 18, 1937 Washington, D.C., United States
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| Other names | Robert Hooks |
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| Years active | 1960–present |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Spouse(s) | Lorrie Marlow (aka LorrieGay Marlow) (m. 2008) |
| Children | Kevin Hooks, Eric Hooks, Cecilia Onibudo, Christopher Carter (née Hooks), Kiyo Tarpley, Robert (Rob) Hooks, Jr. |
| Parent(s) | Mae Bertha "Bert" Ward Hooks (9/27/11 – 12/27/78); Edward Hooks (d. 1939) |
Robert Hooks (born Bobby Dean Hooks on April 18, 1937) is an American actor, producer, and activist. He helped start The Negro Ensemble Company. This company helped many Black artists begin their careers. It also created important plays about African-American life. Hooks also started two other Black theater groups: the D.C. Black Repertory Company and New York's Group Theatre Workshop.
Contents
Robert Hooks: Early Life and Education
Growing Up in Washington, D.C.
Robert Hooks was the youngest of five children. He was born in Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C.. His mother, Mae Bertha, was a seamstress. His father, Edward, passed away in 1939 from a work accident. Robert was the first of his siblings born in a hospital.
He went to Stevens Elementary School. When he was nine, his sister encouraged him to act. He played the main role in his first play, The Pirates of Penzance. From ages 6 to 12, Robert and his siblings worked in tobacco fields in North Carolina. This helped them earn money for school.
Moving to Philadelphia and High School Years
In 1954, Robert moved to Philadelphia to live with his mother and her new husband. This was when schools were starting to become integrated in the North. At West Philadelphia High School, Robert experienced his first integrated school.
He joined the drama club and acted in plays by famous writers. After graduating in 1956, he chose to become a stage actor. He studied at the Bessie V. Hicks School of Theatre. He also worked at a men's tailor shop.
Robert Hooks: A Career in Acting
Starting on Broadway
After training, Robert moved to New York to act. In April 1960, he made his first appearance on Broadway. He replaced Louis Gossett Jr. in the play A Raisin in the Sun. He then toured the country with the play.
He also took over roles from other actors in Broadway shows. He replaced Billy Dee Williams in A Taste of Honey. Later, he took over from James Earl Jones in The Blacks. In 1964, he played the role of Clay in Dutchman. It was then that he started using the name Robert Hooks.
Television and Awards
Robert Hooks became the first African American lead actor on a TV drama. This was in David Susskind's show N.Y.P.D.. In 1968, he hosted the TV show Like It Is.
He was nominated for a Tony Award for his role in the musical Hallelujah, Baby!. He also won an Emmy Award for his PBS special, Voices of Our People. Robert Hooks has received the NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement. He is also in the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.
He has played many important roles in films and on television. Some of his well-known movie roles include Mr. T. in Trouble Man (1972) and Fleet Admiral Morrow in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984). He also appeared in TV shows like Dynasty and Murder, She Wrote.
Robert Hooks: Activism and Community Work
Founding Arts and Culture Groups
In 1964, Robert Hooks started The Group Theatre Workshop. This program offered free acting classes for young people in the city. Famous actors and writers taught there.
This workshop later joined with The Negro Ensemble Company. Hooks helped create this company in 1967. It received a large grant to support its work.
From 1969 to 1972, Hooks was on the board of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters. This group brought together Black artists and scholars from around the world. Many famous Black artists were members.
Helping His Hometown and Beyond
After the 1968 Washington, D.C., riots, Hooks wanted to help his hometown. He started The D.C. Black Repertory Company (1970–1981). This company used art to help people heal. The famous singing group Sweet Honey in the Rock started there.
Hooks also helped create The Inner Voices (1971). This was the first prison-based arts program in the United States. It helped inmates through acting and performing. One inmate, Rhozier "Roach" Brown, even had his sentence ended by President Gerald Ford because of his work in the program.
Later, Hooks moved to the West Coast. He became involved with the Bay Area Multicultural Arts Initiative. This group helped fund local multicultural arts organizations.
In 1992, Hooks co-founded Arts in Action. This center in Los Angeles trained people for careers in film and television. It taught them about film production and how to get jobs in the industry.
Hooks also created the Negro Ensemble Company of Los Angeles (1994–1997). Many original members of the New York company had moved to the West Coast. This new company aimed to be a successful multicultural arts project.
Robert Hooks: Personal Life
Robert Hooks is the father of actor and director Kevin Hooks. He married Lorrie Gay Marlow in 2008. He was previously married to Yvonne Hickman and Rosie Lee Hooks.
In 2021, Emory University began collecting materials about Hooks' career. These include scripts, notes, and records.
Robert Hooks: Awards and Recognition
Robert Hooks has received many awards for his work.
- 1966 – Theatre World Award for "Where's Daddy?"
- 1979 – American Black Achievement Award from Ebony Magazine
- 1982 – Emmy Award for Producing "Voices of Our People: In Celebration of Black Poetry"
- 1985 – Inducted into The Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame
- 1986 – March 2 was declared Robert Hooks Day by the City of Los Angeles.
- 2000 – Received an honorary degree from Bowie State University.
- 2005 – NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement.
- 2007 – The Black Theatre Alliance Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.
- 2015 – Living Legend Award at the National Black Theatre Festival.
- 2018 – October 18 was proclaimed Robert Hooks Day in Washington, D.C.
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Robert Hooks
