Anthony Chisholm, Tony-nominated Oz and Chi-Raq actor, dies at 77

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Anthony Chisholm, a veteran actor of stage, film, and television, has died. He was 77.

A frequent collaborator of playwright August Wilson, Chisholm originated the role of Wolf in Wilson's Two Trains Running in its premiere at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 1990 and on Broadway in 1992. He went on to perform in a production of Wilson's Jitney and the original productions of Gem of the Ocean and Radio Golf — the final two plays of Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle — the latter earning Chisholm a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Born April 9, 1943 in Cleveland, Ohio, Chisholm served as a platoon leader in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War before embarking on his acting career. He made his screen debut in Uptight in 1968, later appearing in such films as the cult classic Putney Swope, Jonathan Demme's Beloved, Spike Lee's Chi-Raq, and more. On TV, Chisholm appeared on Law & Order: SVU, High Maintenance, and last year's Wu-Tang: An American Saga, among other shows, and played Burr Redding on HBO's Oz for three seasons.

Chisholm returned to Broadway in a 2017 Broadway revival of Jitney, which went on to win the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. He continued to perform in the production's national tour, which ran from September 2019 through February 2020.

He is survived by his son, Alexander Chisholm, his daughter, Che Chisholm, his son-in-law, and two grandchildren.

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