---
name: "Ji-Tu Cumbuka"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ji-tu-cumbuka"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "4 March 1942"
died: "4 July 2017"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
updated: "2026-09-16T16:49:11.333597+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ji-Tu Cumbuka

Actor. Born 4 March 1942 in Montgomery County, Alabama, USA. Died 4 July 2017.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 4 March 1942, Montgomery County, Alabama, USA
- **Died:** 4 July 2017
- **Also known as:** Jitu Cumbuka

## Biography

Ji-Tu Cumbuka was an American actor. He appeared as the Wrestler in the 1977 miniseries *Roots*. He attended Texas Southern University and later studied at Columbia College in New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in theatre and a master's degree in cinematography.

Cumbuka made his screen debut in *Uptight* (1968). He had a recurring role as Torque in the 1979 series *A Man Called Sloane* and appeared in films including *Bound for Glory* (1976), *Brewster's Millions* (1985) and *Harlem Nights* (1989). He published the autobiography *A Giant to Remember: The Black Actor in Hollywood* in 2011.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, hollywoodreporter.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Roots* (1977), Fi1m 83, as Wrestler — [page](https://film.one/tv/roots.md)

## Also known for

- *Knight Rider* (1982), Trucker
- *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation* (2000), Hot Dog Vendor
- *The A-Team* (1983), Bubba, Gravedigger
- *MacGyver* (1985), Moorish Warrior / Rider
- *Bachelor Party* (1984), Alley Pimp
- *Brewster's Millions* (1985), Melvin
- *Walker, Texas Ranger* (1993), Dexter
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), Calder Williams

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ji-tu-cumbuka