Avon Long
Biography
Avon Long was an American actor and singer. Born in Baltimore in 1910, he moved from Boston to New York late in the 1920s and found work at Harlem's Lafayette Theatre. In 1933 he took part in Hot Chocolates, and at the Cotton Club in Harlem he sang Brown Boy. His Broadway work included a 1942 revival of Porgy and Bess, in which he played Sportin' Life, and Beggar's Holiday in 1946. He recorded Sportin' Life again for a 1951 Columbia Porgy and Bess album and joined a 1952 revival of Shuffle Along. Later Broadway roles came in Don't Play Us Cheap, which he also filmed in 1973, and Bubbling Brown Sugar, where he originated John and which ran from 1976 to 1977. His screen credits included Centennial Summer, The Sting (1973), Harry and Tonto (1974), the Roots: The Next Generations miniseries, and Trading Places (1983). He died in 1984.
73years old at death
- Born Baltimore
- Died New York City
- Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
Movie Career
- Films
- 4
- Career span
- 30 years1948 to 1978
Every film, newest first
- 1978Bye Bye MonkeyIMDb rating 6.3
- 1974Harry and TontoIMDb rating 7.3
- 1973The StingIMDb rating 8.2
- 1948Romance on the High SeasIMDb rating 7.1
Genres
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A role that slipped away
Avon Long was originally cast as George Jefferson on All in the Family but was replaced after negative feedback from Carroll O'Connor.
A first
Avon Long took the part of Sportin' Life again for the 1951 Columbia recording of Porgy and Bess. Up to that time, it was the most complete recording of the opera ever issued.
Avon Long movies on Netflix
Worked with
Avon Long shares two films with Geraldine Fitzgerald, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Geraldine Fitzgerald's page
Gérard Depardieu's page
Ellen Burstyn's page
Charles Durning's page
Paul Newman's page
Robert Redford's page
All films by George Roy Hill
All films by Paul Mazursky
All films by Busby Berkeley
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.