| Reb Brown | |
| Birth Date: | 29 April 1948 |
| Birth Place: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Birthname: | Robert Edward Brown |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1973–present |
Reb Brown (born Robert Edward Brown; April 29, 1948) is an American former football player and actor. Born in the Los Angeles area, Brown played football in high school and college. He first appeared on film and television in the early 1970s, playing minor or supporting roles up until 1979, where he played Captain America in two made-for-tv films.
Following this, Brown played supporting roles in major Hollywood productions his most notable being Ted Kotcheff's Uncommon Valor which was a box-office success. Also during this time Brown played many lead in genre films this includes Yor, the Hunter from the Future (1983), (1985), Strike Commando (1987), Space Mutiny (1988), Robowar (1988), among others. Brown's most significant role of that area was in Philippe Mora's Australian film Death of a Soldier. Based on a true story, he plays Private Edward Leonski. His performance is critically acclaimed, and was nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Dramatic Role by the Australian Film Institute.
In the 1990s, Brown went on a hiatus and started to act again in 2012.
Brown's father was a policeman who had also been a singer. He grew up in the Los Angeles area and played football at Temple City High School. After graduating in 1966, he received a scholarship to play fullback at the University of Southern California during the 1967 season.[1] He ended up losing the starting running back position to another student, O. J. Simpson, and Brown decided to transfer to another college in the Los Angeles area.[2]
When he began acting, there was already a Robert Brown in the Screen Actor's Guild, so he took his initials, Reb, as his first name for acting.[3]
In 1973, Brown acted in Bernard L. Kowalski's film Sssssss.[4]
Also that year, he acted in the made for television film The Girl Most Likely to...
He later appeared in guest starring roles in several Universal Studios-produced television series, including Emergency!, Marcus Welby, M.D., Kojak, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, and The Rockford Files. He also appeared as Rebel, a southern boy who has a fight with Ralph Malph in Happy Days, and played Jim Bridger in the all-star miniseries Centennial. He also appeared in Three's Company as Elmo, a date for Chrissy Snow.
In 1978, in John Milius's Big Wednesday, Brown played the role of "Enforcer."[5]
In 1979, he also played Captain America in two made-for-TV films, Captain America and . It was part of the same development deal that yielded the Lou Ferrigno vehicle, The Incredible Hulk.
Also that year, he had a supporting role as an intimidating football player who joins a basketball team in Jack Smight's sport comedy Fast Break.[6] Furthermore he played a role in Paul Schrader's film Hardcore.[7]
In 1982, Brown acted in Albert Pyun's The Sword and the Sorcerer.[8]
In 1983, Brown played the lead role in Antonio Margheriti's Science fiction film, Yor, the Hunter from the Future. The film was poorly reviewed.[9] [10] [11] [12] However, the film was a financial success. The director stated that Columbia distributed 1400 prints of the film and that it was "one of the most successful pictures of my life."[13] The film grossed $2,810,199 at the US box office and ranked 121 as one of the top earners of that year.[14]
Also that year he was in the supporting cast of Ted Kotcheff's Uncommon Valor. He played Blaster, a Viet Nam veteran character who trains with other vets in a P.O.W. rescue operation.[15] The film was a box-office hit, one of the top-earning films of 1983. This was considered a surprise at the time because of the film's lack of stars and the fact it had a lot of competition.[16] The film grossed $30,503,151 at the US box office and ranked 69 as one of the top earners of that year.
In 1985, Brown starred in Philippe Mora's .
In 1986, Brown re-united with director Mora for the Australian film Death of a Soldier. Based on a true story, it tells the story of serial killer, Private Edward Leonski, who committed his crimes and went to court in Melbourne, during World War II. The film received many good reviews, and Brown's performance was acclaimed.[17] [18] [19] Kevin Thomas of The Los Angeles Times said his performance had "an impressive complexity and range of emotions."[20] Brown received a nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Dramatic Role by the Australian Film Institute.
In 1987, Brown co-lead with Christopher Connelly in Bruno Mattei's action film Strike Commando.
In 1988, Brown starred in David Winters's space opera science fiction film Space Mutiny. Winters said he hired Brown for the lead was due to the positive reviews he received for a previous Australian film and that he hired his wife Cisse Cameron because Brown asked if he had a part for her.[21] The film has the reputation of being an amusing, unintentionally funny, and campy B-movie.[22] [23] [24]
Also that year, he acted in Rick Rosenthal's Distant Thunder,[25] and reunited with director Mattei for to play the lead in Robowar.
In 1989, Brown co-lead with Lou Ferrigno in the action film Cage playing Vietnam War veterans buddies.[26] They would later reunite for Cage II (1994).
In 1990, Brown acted in Street Hunter.[27]
In 1991, he acted in John Milius's Flight of the Intruder.[28]
He appeared in the third-season Miami Vice episode, "Viking Bikers from Hell," in which he played a sociopathic biker, avenging his buddy's recent death.
After not appearing on screen in eighteen years, Brown co-starred in the 2012 film, Night Claws.
Brown married actress Cisse Cameron in 1979.[29]