Julius Harris


Julius Harris

About

Died
October 10, 2004
Cause of Death
Died Of Heart Failure

Biography

A late bloomer, Julius Harris came to acting at the improbable age of 41. His first part, as Will Anderson in Michael Roemer's romantic drama "Nothing but a Man," marked him as an actor to watch, particularly within the small community of African American film makers. His career started slowly; his next part came in 1969 with "Slaves," about a revolt on a Kentucky plantation, starring Di...

Biography

A late bloomer, Julius Harris came to acting at the improbable age of 41. His first part, as Will Anderson in Michael Roemer's romantic drama "Nothing but a Man," marked him as an actor to watch, particularly within the small community of African American film makers. His career started slowly; his next part came in 1969 with "Slaves," about a revolt on a Kentucky plantation, starring Dionne Warwick and Ossie Davis. In the '70s, Harris became a familiar face in blaxploitation films. Taking life in the urban ghetto as their theme, featuring gun-wielding black men in positions of power, these heavily stylized films usually had prominent funk and soul soundtracks. In 1972 Harris played Captain Bollin in "Shaft's Big Score!," starring Richard Roundtree as the most famous character of the genre, Shaft. Harris made two other famous films in 1972, "Super Fly," in which he played Scatter, and "Trouble Man," starring Robert Hooks. In 1973 he was cast in the James Bond film "Live and Let Die" in the memorable role of Tee Hee Johnson. Outside the genre he was cast in the crime thriller "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" and the remake of the classic giant-gorilla adventure "King Kong." With the decline of blaxploitation, Harris began appearing in guest performances on various TV series in the late '70s and '80s, accepting fewer and fewer roles until the end of his career in 1997. At age 81, after a 40 year career, Harris passed away from heart failure.

Life Events

Videos

Movie Clip

Superfly (1972) -- (Movie Clip) Pusherman Cruising Harlem in star Ron O’Neal’s famous customized Cadillac Eldorado, with partner Eddie (Carl Lee) entering a restaurant where composer Curtis Mayfield, whose soundtrack made even more money than the movie, probably wouldn’t have played, is performing, in director Gordon Parks Jr.’s Superfly, 1972.
Live And Let Die (1973) -- (Movie Clip) Nothing About My Future? Entering a Harlem restaurant (called “Fillet Of Soul”) gently pursuing possible cohorts of a suspicious Caribbean dictator, James Bond (Roger Moore) is snatched, meeting soothsayer Solitare (Jane Seymour), goon Tee Hee (Julius Harris), and the gangster “Mr. Big,” early in Live And Let Die, 1973.
Live And Let Die (1973) -- (Movie Clip) Did You Mess With That? SPOILER here in Yaphet Kotto’s Bond-villain performance, captured Bond (Roger Moore) is interrogated by Mr. Big, who wants to know whether he’s despoiled Solitare (Jane Seymour) and thereby destroyed her psychic powers, meanwhile discussing his own links to the mysterious dictator Kananga, in Live And Let Die, 1973.
Live And Let Die (1973) -- (Movie Clip) She Had The Power And Lost It Yaphet Kotto as still largely mysterious Caribbean dictator Dr. Kananga is pressing his resplendent tarot card reader Solitare (Jane Seymour) about recent failures in her prognostications about Bond (Roger Moore, in his first performance, in the 8th 007 feature), who is on an aerial stake-out with colleague Quarrel (Roy Stewart), in Live And Let Die, 1973.
Superfly (1972) -- (Movie Clip) Little Child Runnin' Wild The opening shot minus one from director Gordon Parks Jr., with one of the better-known songs from the smash Curtis Mayfield soundtrack, tracking two users through Harlem before we meet Ron O’Neal as dealer Priest, the nickname derived from his gold coke spoon, in Superfly, 1972.

Bibliography