Tony Nominee Anthony Chisholm, Acclaimed for August Wilson Plays, Dies at 77

Anthony Chisholm, who received a 2007 Tony Award nomination for his performance in August Wilson's Radio Golf and had a longtime collaboration with the prolific playwright, died on October 16 at the age of 77.

Chisholm appeared on Broadway four times, every appearance as a cast member in one of Wilson's plays. In 1992, he made his Broadway debut as Wolf in Two Trains Running, before playing Solly Two Kings in Gem of the Ocean (2004), Elder Joseph Barlow in Radio Golf (2007) and Fielding in Jitney (2017), a role he first played off-Broadway run at Second Stage Theatre in 2000 and took on the road in the show's national tour after the Broadway run. His other off-Broadway credits include King Lear at the Public Theater's New York Shakespeare Festival at the Delacorte Theatre, Ice Bridge and Tracers at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre and The Happiest Song Plays Last at Second Stage Theatre.

Born on April 9, 1943 in Cleveland, Ohio to Edith Amilia and Victor Chisholm, Chisholm was drafted by the United Sates Army, serving as platoon leader for the fourth Armored Calvary, first Infantry Division in the Vietnam War. Upon returning from the war, Chisholm performed in The Boys from Syracuse and The Threepenny Opera at Karamu House in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1968, he made his film debut in Uptight, directed by Jules Dassin. That same year, he began studying with Lloyd Richards in the Negro Ensemble Company’s master class. Chisholm appeared in a number of films in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including Putney Swope in 1969 and Cotton Comes to Harlem in 1970. His numerous screen credits throughout his illustrious career included Premium Rush, Coalition, Dream Street, Law and Order: SVU, High Maintenance and Spike Lee's Chi-Raq.

He is survived by his son Alexander Chisholm, his daughter Che Chisholm, his son-in law Peter Vietro-Hannum and grandchildren, Ravi and Avani Vietro.