Errol John

Errol John was a notable Trinidadian actor and playwright, born on 20 December 1924 in Port of Spain, Trinidad. He was the son of professional cricketer George John, a renowned player on the West Indies cricket team. Errol spent his early years as a home-schooled student and launched his career as an artist and journalist, eventually joining the Whitehall Theatre Group in Trinidad to pursue an acting career. Following World War II, he moved to Britain in 1951 and continued to work in theatre, with notable performances in productions such as 'Salome' (1954), 'The Member of the Wedding' at the Royal Court Theatre (1957), among other works. John also had small roles in various films such as 'The African Queen' (1951), 'The Heart of the Matter' (1953), and more films that were set in Africa. John became a major actor in the BBC's 'A Man from the Sun' (1956) and played a significant role in the TV series 'No Hiding Place' (ITV, 1961). He also had an important part in the BBC series 'Rainbow City' which was exclusively written for him. After little success in obtaining roles for black actors, Errol turned to playwriting, producing his first play 'The Tout' (1949), and later 'Moon on a Rainbow Shawl' which won The Observer's Play of the Year award in 1957. Errol's other works included his notable screenplays 'Force Majeure', 'The Dispossessed' and 'Hasta Luego: Three Screenplays' (1967). His attempts to work within the American film industry were met with minor roles until his death in Camden, North London, on 10 July 1988, at the age of 63.