Ben Vereen

Ben Vereen (born October 10, 1946 in Miami, Florida) is an American actor, dancer, and singer who has appeared in numerous Broadway theatre shows. Vereen graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts.

Stage
He was nominated for a Tony Award for Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972 and won a Tony for his appearance in Pippin in 1973. Vereen appeared in the Broadway musical Wicked as the Wizard of Oz in 2005. Vereen has also performed in one-man shows and actively lectures on black history and inspirational topics.

Screen
He has also starred in numerous television programs and films. Notable film roles include song-and-dance men in Funny Lady and All That Jazz. He appeared on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episode, “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse", in which he played Will Smith's biological father. He starred in the television series Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, but is probably best known for his role as "Chicken George" Moore in Roots. He also appeared as Mayor Ben (a leopard) on Zoobilee Zoo. He also appeared on the television series The Nanny episode, "Pishke Business". In 2010 he appeared on the television series "How I Met Your Mother" episode, "Cleaning House".

Personal life
According to the Fayetteville Observer of April 29, 2006, Vereen learned while applying for a passport in the late 1960s that he was adopted. His birth certificate revealed that his birth name was Benjamin Augustus Middleton, that he was the son of Essie Middleton, and that he was born in Laurinburg, NC. In April 2006, Vereen visited Laurinburg with a genealogist and learned that his mother's name was Essie May Pearson, who had died 24 years before. According to her acquaintances, Essie had gone on a trip when Ben was a child, and had left her baby in someone's care. When she returned, the child was gone. In May 2006, he met his mother's daughter, his sister, Gloria Walker, of New Haven, Connecticut. He also has a brother, James Middleton, who lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Vereen is the godfather of R&B superstar Usher. Vereen was the keynote speaker for the Boys & Girls Clubs in St. Petersburg, Florida annual alumni tribute gala held in October 2007.

In 1992 he crashed his car on the Pacific Coast Highway and while walking around in a daze he was struck by a car driven by producer David Foster. Despite being thrown 90 feet, Vereen survived. He went on record to say that the accident had probably saved his life: he had a serious drinking problem caused by the death of his daughter. After the accident, Vereen required special rehabilitation to regain his ability to speak.

In 2007 he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and has a website in which he shares his personal story along with advice from medical experts.

Filmography
Upcoming:
 * Sweet Charity (1969)
 * Gas-s-s-s (1971)
 * Funny Lady (1975)
 * All That Jazz (1979)
 * Cycling Through China (1982) (documentary)
 * Sabine (1982)
 * The Zoo Gang (1985)
 * Buy & Cell (1987)
 * Once Upon a Forest (1993) (voice)
 * Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998)
 * I'll Take You There (1999)
 * The Painting (2001)
 * Idlewild (2006)
 * And Then Came Love (2007)
 * Tapioca (2007)
 * An Accidental Friendship (2008)
 * Mama, I Want to Sing! (2010)
 * Broadway: The Next Generation (2011) (documentary)

Television work

 * Ben Vereen... Comin' at Ya (1975) (summer replacement series - only 4 episodes produced)
 * Louis Armstrong - Chicago Style (1976)
 * The Muppet Show (1976)
 * Roots (1977) (miniseries)
 * The Carol Burnett Show (1977)
 * The Sentry Collection Presents Ben Vereen: His Roots (1978)
 * Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980) (canceled after 12 episodes)
 * Pippin: His Life and Times (1981)
 * Charmkins (1983) (voice)
 * The Jesse Owens Story (1984)
 * Ellis Island (1984) (miniseries)
 * Webster (cast member from 1984–1985)
 * A.D. (1985) (miniseries)
 * The Magic of David Copperfield VIII: Walking Through the Great Wall of China (1986) (TV special)
 * Lost in London (1985) roots
 * ''Faerie Tale Theatre Puss in Boots (1985)
 * Zoobilee Zoo (1986–1987)
 * You Write the Songs (1986–1987)
 * Jenny's Song (1988)
 * J.J. Starbuck (cast member in 1988)
 * The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990)
 * Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme (1990)
 * Silk Stalkings (cast member from 1991–1993)
 * Intruders (1992)
 * Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse (Lou Smith 1994)
 * The Nanny guest appearance "Pinske Business" (1994)
 * Portraits of Courage (1996–1997)
 * Promised Land (1996 TV series) (3 episodes in 1999)
 * The Feast of All Saints (2001)
 * Grey's Anatomy (2007)
 * Senseless (Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode) 2007 (Rev. Jeremiah Morris)
 * "Your Mama Don't Dance" 2008 (Judge)
 * How I Met Your Mother Cleaning House (2010)

Stage Work

 * The Prodigal Son (1965) (Off-Broadway)
 * Sweet Charity (1967–1968) (Las Vegas and Canada)
 * Hair (April 29, 1968 - July 1, 1972) (Broadway, Los Angeles, and national tour) (alternated roles of Hud and Berger, 1968)
 * Golden Boy (1968) (Chicago)
 * Gurton's Apocalyptic Needle, The Holy Ghostly & Melodrama Play (1970) (The New Troupe, National & International Tour) (Alternated roles in each play each performance)
 * No Place to Be Somebody (1970–1971) (national tour)
 * Jesus Christ Superstar (October 12, 1971 - June 30, 1973) (replaced by Carl Anderson when he fell ill, and then both took turns) (Broadway)
 * Pippin (October 23, 1972 - June 12, 1974) (Broadway) (left show in 1973 for national tour, returned in early 1974)
 * Grind (April 16 - June 22, 1985) (replaced by Obba Babatunde) (Broadway)
 * I'm Not Rappaport (1989) (San Francisco)
 * Jelly's Last Jam (April 26, 1992 - September 5, 1993) (replacement for Keith David) (Broadway)
 * A Christmas Carol (1995–1996) (Madison Square Garden)
 * Chicago (1999) (U.S. and Canada national tour)
 * Fosse (January 14, 1999 - August 25, 2001) (Broadway) (joined cast in 2001)
 * I'm Not Rappaport (July 25 - September 8, 2002) (Broadway and national tour) (Revival)
 * The Exonerated (2003) (Off-Broadway)
 * Wicked (replacement for George Hearn from May 31, 2005 - January 18, 2006) (Broadway)