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Nick Stewart‌

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1910-03-15

Popularity

star4.9

Nick Stewart

New York City, New York, U.S.

Nick Stewart

New York City, New York, U.S.

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1910-03-15

Popularity

star4.9

Biography

Horace Winfred "Nick" Stewart (March 15, 1910 – December 18, 2000) also billed as Nick O'Demus was an American television and film actor. Stewart was known for his role as Lightnin' (Willie Jefferson) on TV's The Amos 'n' Andy Show. Nick Stewart was born on March 15, 1910, in Harlem, New York City, to Joseph (March 15, 1888 – July 1976) and Eva Stewart, who were recent immigrants from Barbados, British West Indies. He began his show business career as a dancer at the Cotton Club and Hoofers Club. Stewart also was a veteran of Broadway shows, having created a comedic character he called "Nicodemus" and playing that role in Swingin' the Dream and Louisiana Purchase, as well as in the film Go West, Young Man. Stewart also performed comedy as a cast member of the Rudy Vallée radio show in 1941. Other acting credits include the 1936 movie Go West Young Man, the voice of Br'er Bear in the 1946 Disney movie Song of the South, and Willy-Willy on the television series Ramar of the Jungle. Also in 1954, Stewart had an important role in The Reign of Amelika Joe presented by Fireside Theatre. He also won a comedy role in White Christmas (1954). He was originally offered the role of Calhoun the lawyer, which he turned down. (After his refusal, it went to Johnny Lee, who had the role on radio since 1949.) Soon Gosden and Correll were back on the telephone, this time offering Stewart the role of Lightnin' on the television show. Stewart accepted the role with one idea in mind: to make enough money to be able to open his theater where African Americans would not be typecast as maids and porters. In the 1960s, he would have small roles in Mister Ed and the classic comedy film, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) as the Migrant Truck Driver who is forced off of the road. In 1987, Doris McMillon devoted an entire week of her nightly talk show, On the Line, to a discussion of the documentary Amos 'n' Andy: Anatomy of a Controversy, and the issues surrounding the shows. Stewart was one of the participants, discussing the show and his role in it. He also had a role in the movie Carmen Jones. Stewart's final acting role would be returning to Disney to reprise the voice role of Br'er Bear for the theme park attraction Splash Mountain, which is based on the animated segments of Song of the South. He was the only actor to return and voice his character from the aforementioned movie. In an interview with author Jim Korkis, he was asked about whether or not his role of Br'er Bear was degrading. He replied, "Disney treated us like Kings." He went on to say that the money he earned from Song of the South was donated to a theatre for African-American actors to play roles other than maids and butlers, and was doing the same with the money from reprising his role for the Disneyland attraction.

Movie Credits

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World‌
star7.0
calendar 1963

Song of the South

Song of the South‌
star6.4
calendar 1946

Behind Green Lights

Behind Green Lights‌
star5.6
calendar 1946

Delightfully Dangerous

Delightfully Dangerous‌
star5.3
calendar 1945

Go West Young Man

Go West Young Man‌
star5.3
calendar 1936

Flame of the Islands

Flame of the Islands‌
star3.5
calendar 1955

My Son, The Hero

My Son, The Hero‌
star0.0
calendar 1943

International Crime

International Crime‌
star5.5
calendar 1938

Gildersleeve's Ghost

Gildersleeve's Ghost‌
star5.0
calendar 1944

Three Little Girls in Blue

Three Little Girls in Blue‌
star6.5
calendar 1946

Shine

Shine‌
star0.0
calendar 1942

Wall Street Cowboy

Wall Street Cowboy‌
star6.5
calendar 1939

Stormy Weather

Stormy Weather‌
star6.9
calendar 1943

Tarzan's Fight for Life

Tarzan's Fight for Life‌
star4.6
calendar 1958

False Faces

False Faces‌
star7.0
calendar 1943

Mind Your Own Business

Mind Your Own Business‌
star0.0
calendar 1936

Hoosier Holiday

Hoosier Holiday‌
star0.0
calendar 1943

She Wouldn't Say Yes

She Wouldn't Say Yes‌
star5.9
calendar 1945

Dakota

Dakota‌
star5.1
calendar 1945

Night Train to Memphis

Night Train to Memphis‌
star0.0
calendar 1946

Silver Streak

Silver Streak‌
star6.7
calendar 1976

Robin Hood of the Pecos

Robin Hood of the Pecos‌
star5.0
calendar 1941

Carmen Jones

Carmen Jones‌
star5.9
calendar 1954

Cabin in the Sky

Cabin in the Sky‌
star6.3
calendar 1943

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood‌
star5.7
calendar 1945

Who Killed Cock Robin?

Who Killed Cock Robin?‌
star6.6
calendar 1935

The Meanest Man in the World

The Meanest Man in the World‌
star6.4
calendar 1943

Tv Credits

Mister Ed

Mister Ed‌
star6.7
calendar 1961

Amos 'n' Andy

Amos 'n' Andy‌
star7.5
calendar 1951

Ben Casey

Ben Casey‌
star5.7
calendar 1961