
Frederick O'Neal was an
American actor, theater producer and
television director. He founded the
American Negro Theater and was the 1st
African-American President of the
Actors' Equity Association. He was also known for his work behind the scenes as a revolutionary
trade unionist. Born in
Brooksville, Mississippi, O'Neal made his New York debut in 1936 with the
Civic Repertory Theatre. In 1944, he won the
Clarence Derwent award for his Broadway performance as the greedy brother-in-law in
Anna Lucasta. He also earned acclaim for his stage portrayal of Lem Scott in
Take a Giant Step in 1953. He was frequently on
Kraft Suspense and
Hallmark Hall of Fame productions. He also portrayed Officer Wallace on
Car 54, Where Are You? from 1961 to 1963.
Among theater companies which he helped organize were Harlem's
American Negro Theatre in 1940, which started the careers of
Harry Belafonte,
Ruby Dee,
Sidney Poitier, among others. O'Neal also co-founded the
British Negro Theatre. In 1964 he became President of the
Actors' Equity Association and
Associated Actors and Artistes of America. He was the 1st African-American president of Equity (1964–73). His work landed him on the
master list of Nixon political opponents.






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