---
name: "Leonard Jackson"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/leonard-jackson"
roles: []
born: "7 February 1928"
died: "22 December 2013"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-20T06:45:07.027119+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."
---

# Leonard Jackson

Actor. Born 7 February 1928 in Jacksonville, Florida, USA. Died 22 December 2013.

## Details

- **Born:** 7 February 1928, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
- **Died:** 22 December 2013
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Jackson_(actor), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6525425, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0413778/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13315

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*The Color Purple*](https://film.one/film/the-color-purple.md) (64)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Leonard Jackson was an American stage, film and television actor. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, he attended Fisk University and made his professional stage debut in the New York Shakespeare Festival's 1965 off-Broadway production of *Troilus and Cressida*. He appeared on Broadway in productions including *The Great White Hope* (as L. Errol Jaye), *Lost in the Stars*, *Ma Rainey's Black Bottom* and *Mule Bone*.

His screen roles include Earl in *Car Wash* (1976), Smokey in *The Brother from Another Planet* (1984), Pa in *The Color Purple* (1985), Uncle Gus in *Eddie Murphy Raw* (1987), a part in *Boomerang* (1992), Jean Michel's Father in *Basquiat* (1996) and the Old Man in the Book Store in *Conspiracy Theory* (1997). On television he had recurring roles in the PBS children's series *Sesame Street*, *Shining Time Station* and *Square One TV* / *Mathnet*, and guest appearances in series such as *The Cosby Show*, *Law & Order* and *Homicide: Life on the Street*. He was married to Ada Edward from 1958 until his death in Manhattan on 22 December 2013.

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

## On Fi1m (1)

- *The Color Purple* (1985), Fi1m 64, as Pa — [page](https://film.one/film/the-color-purple.md)

## Complete filmography (28)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Conspiracy Theory* (1997), as Old Man in Book Store
- *Palookaville* (1996), as Bus Driver
- *Basquiat* (1996), as Jean Michel's Father
- *Shining Time Station: One of the Family* (1995), as Harry Cupper
- *Homicide: Life on the Street* (1993), series, as Cemetery Manager — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/tv/homicide-life-on-the-street.md)
- *Boomerang* (1992), as Lloyd
- *A Rage in Harlem* (1991), as Mr. Clay
- *Separate but Equal* (1991), as Harold Boulware
- *Separate but Equal* (1991), series, as Harold Boulware
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Marty — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Basket Case 2* (1990), as Police Commissioner
- *Murder in Black and White* (1990), as Contrary Man
- *Second Sight* (1989), as Doorman
- *Shining Time Station* (1989), series, as Harry Cupper
- *Eddie Murphy Raw* (1987), as Uncle Gus
- *The Color Purple* (1985), as Pa — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-color-purple.md)
- *The Cosby Show* (1984), series, as Exterminator
- *The Brother from Another Planet* (1984), as Smokey
- *Rage of Angels* (1983), series, as Judge North
- *King of the Gypsies* (1978), Actor
- *The Baron* (1977), as Junebug
- *Car Wash* (1976), as Earl
- *Super Spook* (1975), as Super Spook
- *Five on the Black Hand Side* (1973), as Mr. Brooks
- *Kojak* (1973), series, as Dr. Logan — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/kojak.md)
- *Ganja & Hess* (1973), as Archie
- *Together for Days* (1972), as Phil
- *Uptight* (1968), as Mr. Oakley (uncredited)

---
© 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/leonard-jackson