Next person biography:
Juan Candido Washington y Landron was born in the Puerta De Tierra section of San Juan, Puerto Rico. His parents believed that a better education, better schools, and a better life awaited him in the New England town of Boston, Massachusetts. So, they relocated to Boston, where young Juan Candido Washington y Landron, later known as Jack Landron, began his American journey.
In Boston, Jack quickly became proficient in English, which sparked a love for the spoken word in its many forms. He was influenced by his grandfather's thick Spanish accent, his grandmother's West Indian speech pattern, and the Yiddish dialect of the nurturing old couple who lived next door. This talent for mimicry would later prove helpful in his voice-over work.
After a lackluster college experience at Emerson College in Boston, Jack pursued a successful folk singing career, starting at Club 47 in Cambridge. He then traveled to Mississippi in the spring of 1964, where he became a founding member of the renowned Free Southern Theatre. While performing, he caught the attention of Rev. Martin Luther King, leading to a memorable time as a personal assistant to the Civil Rights icon.
After leaving Mississippi, Jack moved to New York City and became deeply involved in TV and theatre. He appeared in the NBC children's series "First Look" and joined AFTRA, but discovered that a Jackie Washington already existed in the union. He used his other name, Jack Landron, and was cast in the TV premiere of "10 Blocks on the Camino Real" (Tennessee Williams) alongside the legendary actress Lotte Lenya, with whom he formed a lasting friendship.
Jack's acting career flourished, with roles at the Negro Ensemble Theatre, the Puerto Rican traveling theatre, AMAS Repertory Theatre, and the NY Shakespeare Festival, among others. However, marriage, parenthood, and eventual single parenthood required him to secure daytime employment, leading him to a long career in commercials, industrials, and voice-over work.
In 2012, with his children grown, Jack shifted his base of operation to Los Angeles, where he worked in independent films and resumed his career as a singer/songwriter, marked by the release of his CD "Curbside Cotillion".
