Bullseye with Jesse Thorn is a production of MaximumFun.org and is distributed by NPR.

It's Bullseye, I'm Jesse Thorn.

Gwentern is a brilliant actor who's lived an extraordinary life.

His first big role was at the age of 12, who was in the original Broadway production

of a race in the Sun.

He performed alongside Sidney Quattier, Ruby D, and Louis Gossett Jr.

In 1975, he starred in the hugely influential film Cooley High, a classic, if you haven't

seen it.

In 1978, he married Aritha Franklin.

Aritha Franklin.

Look, I could go on.

He played Mayor Clarence Royce on the wire, Dr. Senator on the most recent season of

Fargo.

Just the other week, he portrayed Moe's right, the great uncle of Emmett Till in the ABC

mini-series, Women of the Movement.

When I talked with him last year, he just finished performing in the Academy Award-nominated

film, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

It's a film adaptation of the August Wilson play of the same name.

It focuses on the blues singer Ma Rainey, played by Viola Davis, her piano player Toledo,

played by Termin and Levy Green, her saxophone player, played by the late Chadwick Boseman

in his final role.

The story is about the faithful recording session for Mother of the Blues by Ma Rainey in

...