Person Biography:
Percy Rodrigues was a renowned African-Canadian actor, born on June 13, 1918, in Montreal to a couple of African and Portuguese descent. He was the oldest of four children, and his father abandoned the family when he was a youth. To support his family, Percy started working as a teenager and later became a professional boxer. He joined Montreal's Negro Theater Guild and won a Canadian Drama Festival acting award in 1939, but job offers were scarce, so he worked as a machinist and toolmaker for the next decade.
Percy's distinctive voice and acting skills eventually led him to make his Broadway debut in the 1960s, starring in plays such as "Toys in the Attic" and "Blues for Mister Charlie". He then transitioned to film and television, becoming one of the first black actors to break racial barriers on screen. He appeared in numerous TV shows, including "The Nurses", "Naked City", "The Wild Wild West", "Route 66", and "Star Trek", and in films like "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter".
Throughout his career, Percy sought out dignified roles, avoiding negative stereotypes, and became known for his quiet authority and inner calm. He broke into American television with episodes of "The Nurses" and "Star Trek", and made big news in 1968 for his casting as a neurosurgeon in the popular nighttime soap opera "Peyton Place". He also had recurring roles on "Sanford" and "Benson".
In the 1980s, Percy continued to remain visible with episodes of "The Fall Guy", "T.J. Hooker", and "Dynasty", but later focused on his work as a voice actor, known as "The King of Voiceovers". He provided voicings for films like "Jaws" and narrated Michael Jackson's sci-fi musical "Captain EO".
