Biography
Al Freeman, Jr. (March 21, 1934 – August 9, 2012) was an American actor and director. Freeman made appearances in many films, such as My Sweet Charlie, Finian's Rainbow, and Malcolm X, and television series such as The Cosby Show, Law & Order, Homicide: Life on the Street and The Edge of Night. He is mostly recognized for his portrayal of Police Captain Ed Hall on the ABC soap opera, One Life to Live, a role he played from 1972 through 1985, with recurring roles in 1988 and 2000. He won a Dayti...
Known For
Complete Filmography
Down in the Delta
1998
as Earl Sinclair
A single mother plagued by alcohol and drug addictions is sent with her children from Chicago to her ancestral home in the Mississippi Delta, to live ...
Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored
1996
as Poppa
A narrator tells the story of his childhood years in a tightly knit Afro-American community in the deep south under racial segregation.
Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker
1994
as Old Johnson Whittaker
The story of Johnson Whittaker, one of the first African-American cadets admitted to West Point. Tied down and beaten by his fellow cadets
Boy Meets Girl
1993
An ex-ballplayer whose parents are divorcing meets a woman engaged to a guy she doesn't love.
Malcolm X
1992
as Elijah Muhammad
A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he b...
Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice
1989
as Narrator (voice)
Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice documents the dramatic life and turbulent times of the pioneering African American journalist, activist, suffragis...
Seven Hours to Judgment
1988
as Danny Larwin
A distraught husband kidnaps the judge who freed his wife's killers on insufficient evidence. He gives him seven hours to find evidence that will put ...
Perry Mason Returns
1985
as Lt. Cooper
When his former secretary is accused of a murder, Perry Mason gives up a judgeship to defend her.
Countdown at Kusini
1976
Screenplay
An American musician working in Nigeria becomes involved with a patriot hunted by a mercenary in Africa.
To Be Young, Gifted and Black
1972
A mosaic biopic on Lorraine Hansberry, based on the stage play combining her unpublished writings, letters, and diaries.
A Fable
1971
as The Leader
A black radical's ex-wife and children establish a new family unit with a Caucasian man, but he eventually returns to violently besiege them inside th...
A Fable
1971
Director
A black radical's ex-wife and children establish a new family unit with a Caucasian man, but he eventually returns to violently besiege them inside th...
The Chicago Conspiracy Trial
1970
A BBC-produced docudrama based on trial transcripts and aired in the United Kingdom in October 1970
My Sweet Charlie
1970
as Charles Roberts
A pregnant white Southern girl and a black New York lawyer, both on the run in rural Texas, meet up in a boarded-up, abandoned house and realize they ...
Castle Keep
1969
as Pvt. Allistair Piersall Benjamin
During the Battle of the Bulge, an anachronistic count shelters a ragtag squad of Americans in his isolated castle hoping they will defend it against ...
The Lost Man
1969
as Dennis Lawrence
A gang of black militants plots to rob a factory to finance their "revolutionary struggle."
Finian's Rainbow
1968
as Howard
An Irish immigrant and his daughter arrive in Kentucky with a magical piece of gold that alters the course of several lives, including those of a stru...
The Detective
1968
as Robbie Loughlin
Police detective Joe Leland investigates the murder of a gay man.
The World Premiere of 'Finian's Rainbow'
1968
as Self
This documentary has interviews with actors and the director as they arrive for the 1968 New York world premiere of "Finian's Rainbow."
Dutchman
1966
as Clay
A young conservative black man, minding his own business, rides a nearly empty subway car. The only other passenger, a blonde vixen looking for troubl...
For Pete's Sake
1966
as Harvey
"For Pete's Sake" is the heartfelt and inspiring story of a man (Robert Sampson) struggling to come to terms with his wife's (Pippa Scott) untimely de...
Ensign Pulver
1964
as Taru
1945, on an old cargo ship somewhere deep in the Pacific ocean: Captain Morton strives to become commander, so he demands the maximum quality of work ...
The Troublemaker
1964
as Intern
A naive chicken farmer from New Jersey moves to Greenwich Village to open a coffee house.
Black Like Me
1964
as Thomas Newcomb
Black Like Me is the true account of John Griffin's experiences when he passed as a black man.
Sniper's Ridge
1961
as Medic Gwathney
Korean War drama.
This Rebel Breed
1960
as Satchel
To combat the problem of drug-dealing juvenile delinquents operating in racial gangs, two recent police academy graduates are sent to a local high sch...
Torpedo Run
1958
as Sam Baker
A submarine commander is on a relentless pursuit of a Japanese aircraft carrier in the South Seas during World War II.
The Broken Mask
1958
as George
A young white collegian and a fellow black student struggling for understanding come to realize that living together harmoniously is a two-way street.