Calvin Lockhart / Biography

A strong, handsome presence, Bahamian-born Calvin Lockhart first caught moviegoers' attention in the films Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) and Halls of Anger (1970) before becoming a steady fixture in 'blaxploitation' films in the early-to-mid 1970s. Prior to acting he was in the construction business with initial designs of becoming a civil engineer. Calvin first studied with legendary coach Uta Hagen before hitting the New York theatre boards and supposedly was discovered by playwright Ketti Frings while driving a taxi for a living. She was so impressed with his arrogance that she cast him in the play "The Cool World" in 1960. From there he drummed up interest and a bit of controversy on Broadway playing a sailor in love with a white girl in the racially-themed "A Taste of Honey" starring Angela Lansbury.Serious film and TV roles for black actors were scarce at that time, so Calvin moved to England, appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford, and began accumulating credits in British movies. Returning to the U.S. with a stronger resume, he made a distinct impression in such black action features as Melinda (1972), Uptown Saturday Night (1974), Honeybaby, Honeybaby (1974) and The Baron (1977). His career, however, grew lackluster by the end of the decade, resorting to guest parts in trivial TV shows such as "Good Times," "Get Christie Love" and "Dynasty." In 1974, Calvin married a woman also from the West Indies and had three children. Not seen much into the 90s.