Robert Judd (actor) facts for kids

Robert Judd (born around 1926 – died January 20, 1986) was an American actor. He performed on stage, on television, and in some movies. People remember him best for playing Scratch (also known as Legba) in the film Crossroads. He was also well-known for his role as Toledo, the piano player, in the first stage show of August Wilson's play Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

Early Life

When Robert Judd was a young man, he served in the United States Navy. After leaving the Navy in 1946, he worked many different jobs. He discovered acting in the late 1960s and began his career.

Acting Career Highlights

Judd's first known movie role was in Across 110th Street in 1972.

He also acted with William Sanderson in the 1977 action film Fight for Your Life. In an interview from 2017, Sanderson said he got along very well with Judd. He mentioned they talked a lot and felt comfortable with each other. Sanderson respected how Judd handled his parts in the movie.

On Stage

Robert Judd had a busy career in theater. He worked with the Actor's Theatre of Louisville, playing Crooks in Of Mice and Men. He also performed at the Cincinnati Playhouse and the Crossroads Theatre of New Jersey. He appeared in many Off-Broadway shows. In 1979, he was in a new production of Lillian Hellman's play Watch on the Rhine at the Long Wharf Theatre. This play then moved to Broadway in 1980.

On Television

Judd also appeared on television. He was on Saturday Night Live and in popular soap operas like As the World Turns and The Guiding Light. In 1980, he was part of the PBS series Gettin' to Know Me, which was about an African-American family.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

The play Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which starred Charles S. Dutton, had its first reading in 1982. This took place at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. The main actors, including Joe Seneca and Leonard Jackson, quickly became a strong team.

During early rehearsals, Leonard Jackson was asked to switch roles with Judd. Judd had been given the part of Slow Drag, the bassist. Judd was happy to switch, saying, "I told them that with this play, I didn't mind what role I played. From the minute I read it, I knew that it would make history."

After nearly two years of work by writer August Wilson and director Lloyd Richards, Ma Rainey opened. It first showed at the Yale Repertory Theater in April 1984. Then, it moved to Broadway, where it ran from October 11, 1984, to June 9, 1985. Frank Rich, a theater critic for The New York Times, praised the actors. He wrote that the speeches given by Mr. Judd, Joe Seneca, and Leonard Jackson were beautiful and touching.

Crossroads

Joe Seneca and Robert Judd acted together again in Walter Hill's film Crossroads. Judd played Scratch in a short but memorable performance. He wore a black suit, a wide-brimmed black hat, a crisp white shirt, and a black bowtie. With a goatee and a broad smile, Judd made his character seem very powerful. One review noted that Judd, Joe Morton (who played Scratch's helper), and Akosua Busia gave strong performances in the film.

Another article said that Judd's character was "level-headed and all-business." It added that his portrayal was a welcome change from other actors who might play a similar role in a wild or over-the-top way.

Later Life and Legacy

Sadly, Robert Judd passed away on January 20, 1986, at age 59. This was before Crossroads was released in March 1986. He had been sick with stomach cancer but had not told anyone. His fellow actors in Ma Rainey thought his coughing and sickness were just from stage nervousness.

Robert Judd was also a talented photographer.

August Wilson, the playwright, wrote about Robert Judd in the book Broadway Day & Night (1992). He wrote that Judd was a Black man in America who lived by his own rules. Wilson was inspired by Judd and continued to write roles for him in his plays.

When Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was performed again on Broadway in 2003, the show was dedicated to the memory of Theresa Merritt, Joe Seneca, and Robert Judd.