David_Downing_(actor)
David Downing (actor)
American actor (1943-2017)
David Downing was an American stage, film, and television actor. He was one of the original members of the Negro Ensemble Company in New York City.[1][2][3]
Downing, a native of Harlem, New York City, attended the High School of Performing Arts.[4] As a child actor, he made his professional debut on Broadway in The Green Pastures. He served a tour of duty with the U.S. Armed Forces in Okinawa.[4]
As part of the Negro Ensemble Company in the 1960s and 70s, Downing appeared in productions including the Obie Award-winning musical The Great MacDaddy,[5][6] and the successful play Ceremonies in Dark Old Men.[7][8][9] Downing later appeared in the Pulitzer Prize-nominated play, Miss Evers' Boys.[10][11][12]
Downing appeared in films, including Gordon's War,[13] and numerous television shows, including The Jeffersons, Baretta,[14] Backstairs at the White House,[15][16] and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.[17]
Downing died in Los Angeles on November 1, 2017, at the age of 74.[18]