Biography
Larry Riley (1952–1992) was an American actor and musician. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, he began acting in high school and studied drama at Memphis State University. He made his professional stage debut in 1971 and appeared in numerous Broadway and off-Broadway productions, including A Broadway Musical, I Love My Wife and Big River.
Riley originated the role of C.J. Memphis in the off-Broadway play A Soldier's Play (1981), winning a Clarence Derwent Award and an Obie Award; he reprised it in the 1984 film A Soldier's Story. He is also known for playing Frank Williams on the television series Knots Landing (1988–1992), the show's first regular African American cast member. Other credits include episodes of Miami Vice (1984), The Twilight Zone (1985) and Hill Street Blues (1982), and the series Stir Crazy (1985).
