One of the benefits of being a geek is the habit of stumbling on countless hidden gems of art, both popular and obscure, on a regular basis throughout your life, as well as the people who produce them, often against all odds. One of the detriments, however, is spending most of your life watching these masters and their works go unappreciated often until its too late to correct the error. And unfortunately, another has succumbed all too soon.
Reynaldo Rey, a comic actor known for his flamboyantly crotchety black man roles and sporting a head of bright red hair, has died at the age of 75, following complications of a stroke he suffered last year.
Born of African-and-Native American descent on January 27th, 1940, Rey (born Harry Reynolds) originally started out as a teaching major from Kansas State Teacher's College, and taught in Cleveland, Ohio for seven years before turning to comedy courtesy of Karamu House Theatre, going on tour with the O'Jays. He went on to work as a potent standup comedian under the tutelage of Redd Foxx, which parlayed into a wonderfully eclectic career as random characters in films and television who often torpedoed the energy of the plot with his own belligerent energy, often one of confusion at the idiocy of the characters in question.
He's most well-known as Red's dad in Friday (1995), the uncooperative store owner in White Men Can't Jump (1991), and, my personal favorite, the unapproving father of Kid's girlfriend in the otherwise useless House Party 3, where his great shouting voice and Bernie Mack make a family dinner the best part of the entire film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OemlBQqG380
After the 90s, when Hollywood's love affair with low-to-mid-budget African-American film dropped off, Rey was relegated back to one-off appearances in indie comedies, guest appearances on TV shows, and standup specials, thanks to his long history with BET's Comic View, where he often killed alongside staples such as Cedric the Entertainer and Luenell.
I feel that Rey, like Mack and Robin Harris, never got his due in his lifetime. Here's hoping that his legacy will invigorate new life into his career and legacy.
Reynaldo Rey, a comic actor known for his flamboyantly crotchety black man roles and sporting a head of bright red hair, has died at the age of 75, following complications of a stroke he suffered last year.
Born of African-and-Native American descent on January 27th, 1940, Rey (born Harry Reynolds) originally started out as a teaching major from Kansas State Teacher's College, and taught in Cleveland, Ohio for seven years before turning to comedy courtesy of Karamu House Theatre, going on tour with the O'Jays. He went on to work as a potent standup comedian under the tutelage of Redd Foxx, which parlayed into a wonderfully eclectic career as random characters in films and television who often torpedoed the energy of the plot with his own belligerent energy, often one of confusion at the idiocy of the characters in question.
He's most well-known as Red's dad in Friday (1995), the uncooperative store owner in White Men Can't Jump (1991), and, my personal favorite, the unapproving father of Kid's girlfriend in the otherwise useless House Party 3, where his great shouting voice and Bernie Mack make a family dinner the best part of the entire film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OemlBQqG380
After the 90s, when Hollywood's love affair with low-to-mid-budget African-American film dropped off, Rey was relegated back to one-off appearances in indie comedies, guest appearances on TV shows, and standup specials, thanks to his long history with BET's Comic View, where he often killed alongside staples such as Cedric the Entertainer and Luenell.
I feel that Rey, like Mack and Robin Harris, never got his due in his lifetime. Here's hoping that his legacy will invigorate new life into his career and legacy.
