Badja Djola
Born
Bernard Bradley

(1948-04-09)April 9, 1948
New York City, U.S.
DiedJanuary 8, 2005(2005-01-08) (aged 56)
Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1979–2005
Notable workMississippi Burning, Who's the Man?, Penitentiary, A Rage in Harlem

Badja Medu Djola (born Bernard Bradley; April 9, 1948 – January 8, 2005) was an American actor from Brooklyn,[citation needed] New York who worked primarily within black film.[1][2] He is best known for Mississippi Burning,[1] Penitentiary,[3] A Rage in Harlem,[1] and Who's the Man?.[4]

Career

Djola's breakout role was as Leon Isaac Kennedy’s cellmate, the villainous "Half Dead" Johnson, in the 1979 movie Penitentiary, which led to many more feature films, including a supporting role in Wes Craven’s 1988 movie The Serpent and the Rainbow.[3][1] He starred alongside Danny Glover in the 1991 film A Rage in Harlem and Doctor Dré in Who's the Man? (1993).[1][4] In addition to movies, Djola appeared in several television shows, including The X-Files, Nash Bridges, and NYPD Blue.[5][6][7] He also starred in theatre performances, with shows including Once in a Wife Time (1981),"[8] Edmond (1984),[9] 227,[10] Southern Rapture (1993),[11] and Dancing on Moonlight (1995),[12]

Personal life

Djola died of a heart attack on January 8, 2005, in Los Angeles, California.[2]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Ref
1979 The Main Event Heavyweight in Gym [13]
Penitentiary "Half Dead" Johnson [14]
1982 Night Shift Cleon [15]
1984 The Lonely Guy Native [16]
1985 The Lightship Nate [17]
1988 The Serpent and the Rainbow Lieutenant Gaston [18]
Mississippi Burning FBI Agent Monk [19]
1989 An Innocent Man IA Detective John Fitzgerald [20]
1991 A Rage in Harlem Slim [21]
The Last Boy Scout Alley Thug [22]
Christmas on Division Street Scorpio [23]
1992 The Waterdance Decton [24]
Eddie Presley The Drycleaner (uncredited) [citation needed]
1993 Who's the Man? Lionel Douglas [4]
Marked for Murder [25]
1994 Knight Rider 2010 Zeke [25]
1996 Heaven's Prisoners Batist [26]
1997 Rosewood John Bradley [27]
The Brave Rider [citation needed]
First Time Felon Disciple Leader [28]
1998 Gunshy Abel [29]
The Players Club The Doctor [30]
Butter Roscoe [25]
1999 Deterrence Harvey [31]
The Hurricane Mobutu [32]
2000 Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel "Fast Eddie" [citation needed]
The Price of Air Sugar [33]
2001 Night at the Golden Eagle Gabriel [34]
2005 Back in the Day Grant Brown [citation needed]
Slipdream Sahdu [citation needed]

Television

Year Title Role Episode/s Ref
1981 Palmerstown, U.S.A. "The Threat" [35]
1982 Tales of the Gold Monkey Oomupwah "Legends Are Forever" [36]
1984 Maximum Security Prisoner Preacher "Pilot" [citation needed]
1987 Spenser: For Hire Tyrone Blackwell "Among Friends" [citation needed]
1990 B.L. Stryker "Grand Theft Hotel" [25]
Wiseguy Etoile de Joie "Black Gold" [37]
1991 The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage Francoise Benoir "The Not-So-Great Dictator" [38]
1993—1994 Roc William Long "Final Analysis" and "Citizen Roc: Part 2" [citation needed]
1995 The X-Files Napoleon "Neech" Manley "The List" [5]
1997 Nash Bridges Jack Archer "Inside Out" [7]
NYPD Blue Clyde Bell "Bad Rap" [6]
The Last Don Phil Sharkey "Part III" [25]
Millennium Lacuna "Sense and Antisense" [39]
1998 Brooklyn South Clude Miller "Skel in a Cell" [citation needed]
ER Mike Lembreaux "Shades of Gray" [40]
Chicago Hope Jean Baptiste Marche "Austin, We Have a Problem" [citation needed]
Born Free Motumbo "Celebration of Life" [citation needed]
2001 The Fugitive Dominick "Lagniappe" [citation needed]
The Lone Gunmen Spike "Maximum Byers" [41]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Russell, Candice (1989-02-16). "OSCAR BOUND?: [SUN-SENTINEL Edition]". Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, FL. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b "Badja Djola". U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014. n.d. Retrieved 2021-12-26 – via ancestry.com.
  3. ^ a b Berry, S. Torriano; Berry, Venise T. (2007-01-26). Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema. Vol. 12. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810855458.
  4. ^ a b c Barone, Matt; Zirm, Jordan (2018-02-22). "The Best Bad Movies Of All Time". Complex. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  5. ^ a b "THE WEEK". Entertainment Weekly. 1995-10-20. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  6. ^ a b Vest, Jason P. The Wire, Deadwood, Homicide, and NYPD Blue: Violence is Power. p. 68.
  7. ^ a b "Inside Out: Nash Bridges Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. n.d. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  8. ^ Chamberlain, Carl (1981-02-19). ""Once in A Wife Time" Instant Hit". Los Angeles Sentinel. Los Angeles, CA. p. A8. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Article 6 -- No Title: Incomplete Source". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA. 1984-06-25. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Gertrude Gipson's CANDID COMMENTS: Stephanie Stars In "The Wiz"". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA. 1984-01-05. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Southern Rapture". Variety. 1993-04-05. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  12. ^ "Theater review: 'Moonlight' eclipsed by visuals". Daily News. New York, NY. 1995-04-24. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Film review: The Main Event". Variety. Vol. 295, no. 7. Los Angeles. 1979. p. 19. Retrieved 2021-12-26 – via ProQuest.
  14. ^ Harris, Will (2012-06-13). "Ernie Hudson talks Oz and losing out on the Ghostbusters cartoon". AV Club. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
  15. ^ Thomas, Don (1995-04-27). "Horsford and De Shields: 'Giving You Heavy Drama!, Hooray!'". New York Beacon. New York City, NY. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via ProQuest.
  16. ^ Hiller, Arthur (1984). "The Lonely Guy". Aspen Film Society. Retrieved 2021-12-26 – via ProQuest.
  17. ^ Kehr, Dave (1987-06-12). "Jerzy Skolimowski meshes details with emotions in 'The Lightship'". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, IL. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Campos, Leonardo (2019-08-31). "CRÍTICA - A MALDIÇÃO DOS MORTOS-VIVOS" (in Portuguese). Plano Critico. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  19. ^ Rosenbaum, Jonathan (1988-12-15). "A Perversion of the Past". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
  20. ^ "Cast of 'An Innocent Man'". The York Dispatch. York, PA. 1989-10-05. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Rice, Briana (2020-03-26). "20 best-ranked movies ever filmed in Greater Cincinnati". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
  22. ^ ANDRÁS, HUSZÁR (2016-03-07). "Hollywood megalázta, bosszúból megcsinálta a legjobb filmjét" (in Hungarian). Origo. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  23. ^ "Sunday Prime Time". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. 1995-12-24. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Douglas, John (1992-07-11). "Film is entertaining despite story line". The Grand Rapids Press. Grand Rapids, MI. p. A7. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  25. ^ a b c d e "Filmography". Turner Classic Movies. n.d. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  26. ^ Johnson, Malcolm (1996-05-17). "'Prisoners' a captivating film noir'". Hartford Courant. Hartford, CT. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Rosewood". Variety. 1997-02-08. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  28. ^ "First-Time Felon". Variety. 1997-09-05. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  29. ^ McCarthy, Todd (1998). "Gunshy". Variety. Los Angeles. Retrieved 2021-12-26 – via ProQuest.
  30. ^ Bunke, Joan (1998-05-14). "Clubbed into submission". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, IA. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Deterrence". Variety. 1999-05-24. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  32. ^ Leo, Carmelo (2019-08-24). "Hurricane – Il grido dell'innocenza: trama, cast e streaming del film di stasera su Rai 3" (in Italian). The Post Internazionale. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  33. ^ Foundas, Scott (2000). "Film Reviews: THE PRICE OF AIR". Variety. Los Angeles. Retrieved 2021-12-26 – via ProQuest.
  34. ^ "Night at the Golden Eagle". Variety. 2002-04-25. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  35. ^ "Tuesday on Radio". The Minneapolis Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. 1981-04-19. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "The series". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, MO. 1982-10-20. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  37. ^ "Could Wiseguy's language get any more stupid and boorish?". The Miami Herald. Miami, FL. 1990-11-24. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "Sunday highlights". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati, OH. 1991-05-19. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  39. ^ Bertola, Renata; Turdo, Giuseppe. Le Oscure Visioni di Frank Black - Guida non ufficiale alla serie televisiva Millennium. p. 100.
  40. ^ "Shades of Gray: ER Season 4". Rotten Tomatoes. n.d. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  41. ^ "Lone Gunmen Review – "Maximum Byers"". Bureau 42. 2001-04-14. Retrieved 2021-12-26.

External links

Categories