Person Biography:
Adolphus Jean Sweet, known professionally as Dolph Sweet, was a talented character actor born on July 18, 1920, in New York City. His father was an auto mechanic, and Sweet initially attended the University of Alabama in 1939 before his studies were interrupted by World War II Air Force duty.
During his time in the Air Force, Sweet was shot down during a raid and captured, spending two years as a POW in Germany. For his valor, he was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross and The Purple Heart.
After the war, Sweet pursued a career in the entertainment industry, studying voice with Peyton Hibbett, taking intensive acting classes with Tamara Daykarhanova and Joseph Anthony, and appearing in random stock productions. He eventually made his Broadway debut in the Zero Mostel starrer "Rhinoceros" in 1961.
Sweet's television career spanned decades, with notable roles in blue-collar cop shows, soap operas, and sitcoms. He played Police Chief Gil McGowan on the soap opera "Another World" for five seasons and had a starring role as Carl Kanisky, a widower and police chief, on the popular sitcom "Gimme a Break!"
Despite his success on television, Sweet's film career was marked by relatively scarce recognition, with notable roles in movies such as "Fear Is the Key" and "Go Tell the Spartans." However, he did receive a change-of-pace comedy lead in the popular sitcom "Gimme a Break!" in the early 1980s.
Sadly, Sweet was stricken with cancer and passed away on May 8, 1985, at the age of 64. He was survived by his second wife, actress Iris Braun, and son Jonathan from his first marriage to Reba Gillespie.
