Dynamic African American leading man and characters actor William
Marshall trained in Grand Opera, Broadway and Shakespeare. In films
from the 50s and 60s including:
Lydia Bailey (1952),
Something of Value (1957),
To Trap a Spy (1964) and finally
known for being in
The Boston Strangler (1968)
with
Tony Curtis. Marshall really
didn't hit it big until the "blaxplotation" era of the 70s. He starred
in the contemporary vampire melodrama,
Blacula (1972), and its sequel,
Scream Blacula Scream (1973),
and the Exorcist-type film,
Abby (1974).
From the 80s, Marshall was seen as the "King of Cartoons" on the
Saturday morning TV kiddie show,
Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986),
a job that he accepted on behalf of his grandchildren. Marshall has
also appeared in
Maverick (1994) and
Dinosaur Valley Girls (1996).
Marshall retired from acting afterwards and died of Alzheimer's disease
in June, 2003.
Dinosaur Valley Girls(1996)as Dr. Benjamin Michaels
Sorceress(1995)as John Geiger
Maverick(1994)as Riverboat Poker Player
Running the Halls(1993)as Sherman Renfield
Pee-wee's Playhouse(1986)as King of Cartoons
Macked, Hammered, Slaughtered and Shafted(2004)as Self
Vampires: Thirst for the Truth(1996)as Narrator, Self
The Lost Years(1977)as Narrator - Legend of St. Issa
The Mike Douglas Show(1961)as Self - Actor
Soul Train(1971)as Guest
American Masters(1985)as Self
Pee-wee as Himself(2025)as Self - King of Cartoons
Cinemassacre's Monster Madness(2007)as Blacula
The Very Very Best of the 70s(2019)as Blacula, Mamuwalde
Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror(2019)as Self - Actor, Blacula
