Badja Djola

Summary

Badja Medu Djola (born Bernard Bradley; April 9, 1948 – January 8, 2005) was an American actor from Brooklyn, [citation needed] New York who worked primarily within black film.[1][2] He is best known for Mississippi Burning,[1] Penitentiary,[3] A Rage in Harlem,[1] and Who's the Man?.[4]

Badja Djola
Born
Bernard Bradley

(1948-04-09)April 9, 1948
New York City, U.S.
DiedJanuary 8, 2005(2005-01-08) (aged 56)
OccupationActor
Years active1979–2005
Notable workMississippi Burning, Who's the Man?, Penitentiary, A Rage in Harlem

Career edit

Djola's breakout role was as Leon Isaac Kennedy’s cellmate, the villainous "Half Dead" Johnson, in the 1979 movie Penitentiary, which led to many more feature films, including a supporting role in Wes Craven’s 1988 movie The Serpent and the Rainbow.[3][1] He starred alongside Danny Glover in the 1991 film A Rage in Harlem and Doctor Dré in Who's the Man? (1993).[1][4] In addition to movies, Djola appeared in several television shows, including The X-Files, Nash Bridges, and NYPD Blue.[5][6][7] He also starred in theatre performances, with shows including Once in a Wife Time (1981),"[8] Edmond (1984),[9] 227,[10] Southern Rapture (1993),[11] and Dancing on Moonlight (1995),[12]

Personal life edit

Djola died of a heart attack on January 8, 2005, in Los Angeles, California.[2]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Year Title Role Ref
1979 The Main Event Heavyweight in Gym [13]
Penitentiary "Half Dead" Johnson [14]
1982 Night Shift Cleon [15]
1984 The Lonely Guy Native [16]
1985 The Lightship Nate [17]
1988 The Serpent and the Rainbow Lieutenant Gaston [18]
Mississippi Burning FBI Agent Monk [19]
1989 An Innocent Man IA Detective John Fitzgerald [20]
1991 A Rage in Harlem Slim [21]
The Last Boy Scout Alley Thug [22]
Christmas on Division Street Scorpio [23]
1992 The Waterdance Decton [24]
Eddie Presley The Drycleaner (uncredited) [citation needed]
1993 Who's the Man? Lionel Douglas [4]
Marked for Murder [25]
1994 Knight Rider 2010 Zeke [25]
1996 Heaven's Prisoners Batist [26]
1997 Rosewood John Bradley [27]
The Brave Rider [citation needed]
First Time Felon Disciple Leader [28]
1998 Gunshy Abel [29]
The Players Club The Doctor [30]
Butter Roscoe [25]
1999 Deterrence Harvey [31]
The Hurricane Mobutu [32]
2000 Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel "Fast Eddie" [citation needed]
The Price of Air Sugar [33]
2001 Night at the Golden Eagle Gabriel [34]
2005 Back in the Day Grant Brown [citation needed]
Slipdream Sahdu [citation needed]

Television edit

Year Title Role Episode/s Ref
1981 Palmerstown, U.S.A. "The Threat" [35]
1982 Tales of the Gold Monkey Oomupwah "Legends Are Forever" [36]
1984 Maximum Security Prisoner Preacher "Pilot" [citation needed]
1987 Spenser: For Hire Tyrone Blackwell "Among Friends" [citation needed]
1990 B.L. Stryker "Grand Theft Hotel" [25]
Wiseguy Etoile de Joie "Black Gold" [37]
1991 The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage Francoise Benoir "The Not-So-Great Dictator" [38]
1993—1994 Roc William Long "Final Analysis" and "Citizen Roc: Part 2" [citation needed]
1995 The X-Files Napoleon "Neech" Manley "The List" [5]
1997 Nash Bridges Jack Archer "Inside Out" [7]
NYPD Blue Clyde Bell "Bad Rap" [6]
The Last Don Phil Sharkey "Part III" [25]
Millennium Lacuna "Sense and Antisense" [39]
1998 Brooklyn South Clude Miller "Skel in a Cell" [citation needed]
ER Mike Lembreaux "Shades of Gray" [40]
Chicago Hope Jean Baptiste Marche "Austin, We Have a Problem" [citation needed]
Born Free Motumbo "Celebration of Life" [citation needed]
2001 The Fugitive Dominick "Lagniappe" [citation needed]
The Lone Gunmen Spike "Maximum Byers" [41]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e Russell, Candice (1989-02-16). "OSCAR BOUND?: [SUN-SENTINEL Edition]". Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, FL. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b "Badja Djola". U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014. n.d. Retrieved 2021-12-26 – via ancestry.com.
  3. ^ a b Berry, S. Torriano; Berry, Venise T. (2007-01-26). Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema. Vol. 12. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810855458.
  4. ^ a b c Barone, Matt; Zirm, Jordan (2018-02-22). "The Best Bad Movies Of All Time". Complex. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  5. ^ a b "THE WEEK". Entertainment Weekly. 1995-10-20. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  6. ^ a b Vest, Jason P. The Wire, Deadwood, Homicide, and NYPD Blue: Violence is Power. p. 68.
  7. ^ a b "Inside Out: Nash Bridges Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. n.d. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  8. ^ Chamberlain, Carl (1981-02-19). ""Once in A Wife Time" Instant Hit". Los Angeles Sentinel. Los Angeles, CA. p. A8. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Article 6 -- No Title: Incomplete Source". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA. 1984-06-25. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Gertrude Gipson's CANDID COMMENTS: Stephanie Stars In "The Wiz"". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA. 1984-01-05. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Southern Rapture". Variety. 1993-04-05. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  12. ^ "Theater review: 'Moonlight' eclipsed by visuals". Daily News. New York, NY. 1995-04-24. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Film review: The Main Event". Variety. Vol. 295, no. 7. Los Angeles. 1979. p. 19. Retrieved 2021-12-26 – via ProQuest.
  14. ^ Harris, Will (2012-06-13). "Ernie Hudson talks Oz and losing out on the Ghostbusters cartoon". AV Club. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
  15. ^ Thomas, Don (1995-04-27). "Horsford and De Shields: 'Giving You Heavy Drama!, Hooray!'". New York Beacon. New York City, NY. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via ProQuest.
  16. ^ Hiller, Arthur (1984). "The Lonely Guy". Aspen Film Society. Retrieved 2021-12-26 – via ProQuest.
  17. ^ Kehr, Dave (1987-06-12). "Jerzy Skolimowski meshes details with emotions in 'The Lightship'". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, IL. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Campos, Leonardo (2019-08-31). "CRÍTICA - A MALDIÇÃO DOS MORTOS-VIVOS" (in Portuguese). Plano Critico. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  19. ^ Rosenbaum, Jonathan (1988-12-15). "A Perversion of the Past". Chicago Reader. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
  20. ^ "Cast of 'An Innocent Man'". The York Dispatch. York, PA. 1989-10-05. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Rice, Briana (2020-03-26). "20 best-ranked movies ever filmed in Greater Cincinnati". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 2021-12-25.
  22. ^ ANDRÁS, HUSZÁR (2016-03-07). "Hollywood megalázta, bosszúból megcsinálta a legjobb filmjét" (in Hungarian). Origo. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  23. ^ "Sunday Prime Time". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. 1995-12-24. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  24. ^ Douglas, John (1992-07-11). "Film is entertaining despite story line". The Grand Rapids Press. Grand Rapids, MI. p. A7. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  25. ^ a b c d e "Filmography". Turner Classic Movies. n.d. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  26. ^ Johnson, Malcolm (1996-05-17). "'Prisoners' a captivating film noir'". Hartford Courant. Hartford, CT. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Rosewood". Variety. 1997-02-08. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  28. ^ "First-Time Felon". Variety. 1997-09-05. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  29. ^ McCarthy, Todd (1998). "Gunshy". Variety. Los Angeles. Retrieved 2021-12-26 – via ProQuest.
  30. ^ Bunke, Joan (1998-05-14). "Clubbed into submission". The Des Moines Register. Des Moines, IA. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  31. ^ "Deterrence". Variety. 1999-05-24. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  32. ^ Leo, Carmelo (2019-08-24). "Hurricane – Il grido dell'innocenza: trama, cast e streaming del film di stasera su Rai 3" (in Italian). The Post Internazionale. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  33. ^ Foundas, Scott (2000). "Film Reviews: THE PRICE OF AIR". Variety. Los Angeles. Retrieved 2021-12-26 – via ProQuest.
  34. ^ "Night at the Golden Eagle". Variety. 2002-04-25. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  35. ^ "Tuesday on Radio". The Minneapolis Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. 1981-04-19. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  36. ^ "The series". The Kansas City Star. Kansas City, MO. 1982-10-20. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  37. ^ "Could Wiseguy's language get any more stupid and boorish?". The Miami Herald. Miami, FL. 1990-11-24. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "Sunday highlights". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Cincinnati, OH. 1991-05-19. Retrieved 2012-12-26 – via newspapers.com.
  39. ^ Bertola, Renata; Turdo, Giuseppe. Le Oscure Visioni di Frank Black - Guida non ufficiale alla serie televisiva Millennium. p. 100.
  40. ^ "Shades of Gray: ER Season 4". Rotten Tomatoes. n.d. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  41. ^ "Lone Gunmen Review – "Maximum Byers"". Bureau 42. 2001-04-14. Retrieved 2021-12-26.

External links edit