Bernie Casey

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Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox NFL biography

Bernard Terry Casey (June 8, 1939 – September 19, 2017)[1] was an American professional football player and actor. He was a football player and All-American hurdler at Bowling Green State University, before playing professionally as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL), first for the San Francisco 49ers and then the Los Angeles Rams. He made his acting debut in the Western film Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969). After retiring from football, he became a leading man and action hero in the burgeoning blaxploitation film genre of the 1970s.

Casey played prominent roles in films like Brian's Song (1971), Boxcar Bertha (1972), Cleopatra Jones (1973), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), Sharky's Machine (1981), Revenge of the Nerds (1984) and its sequels, and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1987). He won an NAACP Image Award for his portrayal of basketball player Maurice Stokes in the biographical film Maurie (1973). He also played Felix Leiter in the non-EON James Bond film Never Say Never Again (1983) and starred in the miniseries Roots: The Next Generations.

In addition to acting and athletics, Casey was also a published poet and a painter.[2]

Early life and amateur athletics

Casey was born in Wyco, West Virginia, the son of Flossie (Coleman) and Frank Leslie Casey.[3] He graduated from East High School in Columbus, Ohio.[1] He then attended Bowling Green State University.

Casey was a record-breaking hurdler for Bowling Green State University[4] and helped the 1959 football team win a small college national championship.[5] Casey earned All-America recognition and a trip to the finals at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1960. In addition to national honors, he won three consecutive Mid-American Conference titles in the high-hurdles, 1958–60.[6]

Professional football career

Casey was the ninth overall selection of the 1961 NFL draft, taken by the San Francisco 49ers. He played eight NFL seasons (several positions, first five seasons mainly a halfback, last three seasons a flanker (setback wide receiver)): six with the 49ers and two with the Los Angeles Rams.[1]

His best-known play came in 1967 for the Rams in the penultimate game of the regular season against the Green Bay Packers. The Rams needed to win to keep their division title hopes alive, but trailed 24–20 with under a minute to play. Facing fourth down, the Packers lined up to punt, but Tony Guillory blocked the Donny Anderson punt and Claude Crabb returned it to the Packer five-yard line. After an incomplete pass, Casey caught the winning touchdown pass from Roman Gabriel with under thirty seconds to play to give the Rams a 27–24 victory.[7][8] The Rams defeated the Baltimore Colts the following week to win the Coastal Division title at 11–1–2.[9][10][11][12]

Acting career

Casey began his acting career in the film Guns of the Magnificent Seven, a sequel to The Magnificent Seven. Then he played opposite fellow former NFL star Jim Brown in the crime dramas ...tick...tick...tick... and Black Gunn. He played a leading role in the 1972 science fiction TV film Gargoyles. He also played Tamara Dobson's love interest in 1973's Cleopatra Jones.

File:Bernie Casey.jpg
Casey in 2014

From there he moved between performances on television and the big screen such as playing team captain for the Chicago Bears in the TV film Brian's Song. In 1979, he starred as widower Mike Harris in the NBC television series Harris and Company, the first weekly American TV drama series centered on a black family. In 1980, he played Major Jeff Spender in the television mini-series The Martian Chronicles, based on the novel by Ray Bradbury.

In 1981, Casey played a detective opposite Burt Reynolds in the feature film Sharky's Machine, directed by Reynolds. The two reunited a few years later for the crime story Rent-a-Cop.

In 1983, he played the role of CIA agent Felix Leiter in the non-Eon Productions James Bond film Never Say Never Again. He appeared in Revenge of the Nerds and had a comedic role as Colonel Rhombus in the John Landis film Spies Like Us. Casey also appeared in the film Hit Man.

Also during his career, he worked with such well-known directors as Martin Scorsese in his 1972 film Boxcar Bertha and appeared on such television series as The Streets of San Francisco.

He played a version of himself, and other football players turned actors, in Keenen Ivory Wayans's 1988 comedic film I'm Gonna Git You Sucka.[13] He played high school history teacher Mr. Ryan, in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, released in 1989. Casey appeared as a very influential prisoner with outside connections in Walter Hill's Another 48 Hrs.. In 1992, he appeared as a Naval officer on the battleship USS Missouri in Under Siege.

In 1994, Casey guest-starred in a two-episode story arc in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as the Maquis leader Lieutenant Commander Cal Hudson, and in 1995 as a guest-star on both SeaQuest 2032 as Admiral VanAlden and Babylon 5 as Derek Cranston. In 2006, he co-starred in the film When I Find the Ocean alongside such actors as Lee Majors. His lasting acting role was in the low-budget horror film Vegas Vampires, directed by fellow football player-turned-blaxploitation icon Fred Williamson.

Personal life

Casey enjoyed painting and writing poetry. Look at the People, a book of his paintings and poems, was published by Doubleday in 1969.[2]

Death

Casey died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on September 19, 2017, after a stroke.[14][15]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1969 Guns of the Magnificent Seven Cassie [16]
1970 ...tick...tick...tick... George Harley [17]
1971 Black Chariot The Drifter [18][19]
1972 Boxcar Bertha Von Morton [20][21]
Black Gunn Seth [22]
Hit Man Tyrone Tackett [23][24]
1973 Cleopatra Jones Reuben Masters [25]
Maurie Maurice Stokes [26]
1975 Cornbread, Earl and Me Officer Larry Atkins [27][28][29]
1976 Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde Dr. Henry Pride [30][31]
The Man Who Fell to Earth Mr. Peters [32][33]
1977 Brothers David Thomas [34]
1981 Sharky's Machine Detective Arch Driscoll [35][36]
1983 Never Say Never Again Felix Leiter [37][38]
1984 Revenge of the Nerds U.N. Jefferson [39]
1985 Spies Like Us Colonel Rhombus
1987 Steele Justice Detective Tom Reese
Amazon Women on the Moon Major General Hadley Template:Plain list
Rent-A-Cop Lemar
1988 Backfire Clinton James
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka John Slade
1989 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Mr. Ryan
1990 Another 48 Hrs. Kirkland Smith
1991 Chains of Gold Sergeant Falco
1992 Under Siege Commander Harris
1993 The Cemetery Club John
Street Knight Raymond
1994 The Glass Shield James Locket
1995 In the Mouth of Madness Robinson
Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored Mr. Walter
1997 The Dinner Good Brother
2001 Tomcats Officer Hurley
2002 Jim Brown: All-American Himself
On the Edge Rex Stevens
2006 When I Find the Ocean Amos Jackson
2007 Vegas Vampires Bloodhound Bill Final film role

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1971 Brian's Song J.C. Caroline Television film [40][41]
1972 Cade's County Patrick Episode: "Slay Ride"
Longstreet Ray Eller Episode: "Field of Honor"
The Streets of San Francisco Richard Episode: "Timelock"
Gargoyles The Gargoyle Television film [42]
1974 The Snoop Sisters Willie Bates Episode: "Fear Is a Free-Throw"
Panic on the 5:22 Wendell Weaver Television film Template:Sfn[43]
1975 Police Story Duke Windsor Episode: "Company Man"
1976 Joe Forrester Cleveland Episode: "The Answers"
1977 Police Woman P.J. Johnson Episode: "Once a Snitch"
Police Story Hamilton Ward Episode: "The Six Foot Stretch"
Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night Dave Williams Television film [44][45]
It Happened at Lakewood Manor Vince [46]
1978 Ring of Passion Joe Louis [47]
Love Is Not Enough Mike Harris [48]
1979 Roots: The Next Generations Bubba Haywood Miniseries [49][50]
Harris and Company Mike Harris 4 episodes Template:Sfn[51]
1980 The Martian Chronicles Major Jeff Spender Miniseries [52][53][54]
1981 The Sophisticated Gents Shurley Walker [55][56]
1982 A House Divided: Denmark Vesey's Rebellion Slave Television film [57]
Trapper John, M.D. Thornie Thornberry Episode: "Love and Marriage"
Hear No Evil Inspector Monday Television film [58][59][60]
1983–84 Bay City Blues Ozzie Peoples 8 episodes Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
1992 Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation U.N. Jefferson Television film
1994 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Calvin Hudson Episode: "The Maquis"
Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love U.N. Jefferson Television film
1995 seaQuest 2032 Admiral Vanalden Episode: "Chains of Command"
1995 Babylon 5 Derek Cranston Episode: "Hunter, Prey"
2000 Just Shoot Me! Himself 1 episode
2005 Girlfriends Judge Edward Dent Episode: "Judging Edward"

Awards and nominations

Award Year Category Work Result
NAACP Image Award 1974 Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Maurie Template:Won

References

Citations

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Sources

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External links

Template:1961 NFL Draft Template:49ersFirstPick Template:49ers1961DraftPicks Template:Titans1961DraftPicks Template:NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Template:Authority control

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  13. ↑ Barnes, Harper (July 20, 1984). "Revenge of the Nerds Template:Webarchive". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 12C.
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