Frank Silvera

Biography

Frank Silvera was a Jamaican-born American character actor and theatrical director born in Kingston, Jamaica to a mixed-race mother and Spanish Jewish father. He dropped out of law school in 1934 after winning his first stage role and went on to appear in numerous stage productions, radio shows, and films throughout his 36-year career, often playing ethnic roles. Silvera was nominated for a Tony Award in 1963 and founded the Theatre of Being, a Los Angeles theatre for black actors, in 1965.