Monday, January 16, 2012

Thalmus Rasulala

You might not recognize the name of Thalmus Rasulala, but his face is very familiar to fans of the Blaxploitation films of the 1970's. From Cool Breeze to Blacula and from Bucktown to Willie Dynamite, and many, many more, he usually played the good-looking hero, often paired with Pam Grier.

When the Blaxploitation era ended, many of the careers of those stars ended as well, but Thalmus Rasulala managed to keep steady work within the Hollywood system. I believe part of this was because of his excellent portrayal of Kunta Kinte's father in the popular mini-series Roots.


Although the movie parts and television guest staring roles that followed weren't always as large or memorable as the characters he portrayed in the 1970's, Thalmus Rasulala was a working actor with a powerful screen presence that one couldn't help but notice.

Sadly, he is no longer with us. On October 9, 1991, Thalmus Rasulala suffered a heart attack shortly after filming his last scenes in Mom and Dad Save the World and passed away at the young age of 51.

3 comments:

  1. Billed as Jack Crowder...http://www.masterworksbroadway.com/music/hello-dolly-1967-broadway-cast

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  2. He was a legend in my eyes. I never will forget his fabulous movies!

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