Avery Brooks

This tenured faculty member of Rutgers University's drama department enjoyed a varied performing career singing jazz, acting in Shakespeare and appearing in occasional regional and off-Broadway ventures when wide popular success on TV in the 1980s arrived as he approached middle age. With his booming voice, piercing gaze and forthright manner, Brooks made a galvanizing sidekick of sorts for Robert Urich as the bald-pated, rather mysterious Hawk on the popular ABC detective drama, "Spenser: For Hire" (1985-88). When that show went off the air Brooks continued for a season with his own spinoff series, "A Man Called Hawk" (1989).

Brooks's stage career augmented his appearances on the small screen. His proud, imposing presence made him an excellent choice to play controversial actor-singer Paul Robeson in several biographical dramas, as well as a role Robeson himself was famous for, Othello. When he agreed to play Commander Benjamin Sisko on the third "Star Trek" series, "Deep Space Nine", Brooks knew that he would be subject to careful scrutiny from scores of Trekkers who, for varying reasons, had idolized William Shatner and Patrick Stewart as other, earlier Trek commanders. Brooks, though, deftly brought to bear his own brand of quiet authority to Sisko, in charge of a remote outer space outpost.

• Born:
  October 2, 1948 in Evansville, Indiana
• Job Titles:
  Actor, Singer, Director, College professor

Family

• Child: Asante Brooks.
• Daughter: Ayana Brooks.
• Son: Cabral Brooks.

Education

• Oberlin College

Milestones

• 1979 Played actor-singer Paul Robeson in an off-Broadway production dealing with blacklisting in the 1950s, "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?"
• 1982 Premiered on-man show "Paul Robeson"
• 1984 Played the title role in "Solomon Northrup's Odyssey", a PBS drama based on the writings of a mid-19th century American slave
• 1985 Played Hawk on the ABC detective series, "Spenser: For Hire"
• 1987 Played Uncle Tom in a made-for-Showtime TV adaptation, "Uncle Tom's Cabin"
• 1988 Again played Paul Robeson when he starred Off-Broadway in the biographical drama, "Paul Robeson"
• 1989 Recreated the role of Hawk on the ABC spinoff series, "A Man Called Hawk", co-produced by Avery Brooks Productions
• Hosted three installments of "Trackdown", reality-based TV specials
• Played Commander Benjamin Sisko on the syndicated sci-fi series, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"; also helmed episodes
• Starred in the title role of "Othello" in a production of the Shakespeare Festival at the Folger Theater in Washington DC