George Wilson did not plan on an acting career. Growing up in Bastrop,
his first brush with fame came as drum major in the Morehouse High
School band.
Wilson graduated from MHS in 1965 and moved to Michigan, where he
worked in a General Motors plant. The work did not always agree with
him. He began spending time at Michigan State University in Lansing
while an acquaintance was taking classes there.
He met a faculty member
who helped him enroll in Lansing Community College, where he studied
theater and began acting in stage productions. From there, he moved on
to acting at Michigan State.
Wilson auditioned for a theater company in Detroit, where his first
reading with a fellow thespian did not seem to go well.
Five seasons later, Wilson decided to take his talents to Los Angeles,
where he enrolled in an acting workshop. Things did not go as planned
on the West Coast.
Wilson worked as a diesel driver in Shreveport for the next 10 years.
His acting career seemed to be over.
Auditions and acting workshops began to pop up around town, and Wilson
decided to get back in the game. He landed his first movie role as a
detective in the 2007 film "Cleaner."
He worked as an extra on "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," then
landed a more sizable role in the 2007 film "The Great Debaters."
The Golden Globe-nominated film tells the story of Professor Melvin
Tolson, who coached the Wiley College debate team in Marshall, Texas in
the 1930s. The film was produced by Oprah Winfrey and directed by
Academy Award winner Denzel Washington.
Wilson said his role as the character "Samuel" required him to spend 30
hours in the make-up chair while he was made to appear injured.
Watching Denzel Washington at work, as both director and actor, helped
enhance his own acting ability.
Wilson landed parts in the films "Longshot," "The Lazarus Heart," "W"
and most recently "Cool Dog," slated to be released in December 2011.
Wilson said at 62, with some gray hair, he has no trouble getting roles
that call for older men.
Harkey(2020)as Wilson
Body Cam(2020)as Pops
A Diminished Art(2019)
Stick-up(2019)as Mr. Jenkins
The Hammer(2017)as Butch