Glynn Russell Turman was born on January 31, 1947, in New York City. He began his acting career as a teenager, originating the role of Travis Younger in Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun" on Broadway in 1959. He played alongside Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, and Diana Sands.
After graduating from the High School of Performing Arts, Turman apprenticed in regional companies throughout the country, including Tyrone Guthrie's Repertory Theatre. He made his Los Angeles stage debut in Vinnette Carroll's "Slow Dance on the Killing Ground" and earned TV marks for appearances in "Daktari," "Julia," "Room 222," and "Peyton Place."
Turman's directing career began with the play "What The Wine Sellers Buy" on Broadway and earned him a Los Angeles Critics Award nomination and a Dramalogue Award. He won his first NAACP Image Award for his work in the play "Eyes of the American."
As a writer and stage director, Turman received his second NAACP Image Award for directing "Deadwood Dick" at the Inner City Cultural Center. He went on to direct several episodes of "The Parenthood," "Hanging with Mr. Cooper," and "The Wayans Bros."
Turman's film career began in the 1970s with "blaxploitation" flicks such as "Honky" and "Cooley High." He advanced to cult classics like "The River Niger" and "A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich." He won his third NAACP Image Award for the TV-movie "Minstrel Man."
Turman's television career included guest appearances on shows like "The Mod Squad," "The Rookies," and "Murder, She Wrote." He also had recurring roles on "The Wire" and "Mr. Mercedes."
Turman has continued to work in film and television, appearing in movies like "Gremlins" and "How Stella Got Her Groove Back." He has also appeared in more critically acclaimed films like "Kings of the Evening" and "Windows on the World."
Turman has been married three times and has four children. He has continued to work in the entertainment industry, returning to the theatre in 2013 with a production of "Joe Turner's Come and Gone."
