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Charles Eglerton Hyatt (14 February 1931 – 01 January 2007) was a Jamaican actor, playwright, director, author and broadcaster. Hyatt was best known as a character actor and comedian who appeared in numerous films and television shows, beginning in the 1960s.


Early life

Hyatt was born in Kingston, Jamaica, to Herbert Hyatt, a taxi-driver, and Ruth Burke, a homemaker. He attended St Aloysious Boys' School and St Simon’s College.


Career

After making his movie debut in the 1965 film '' A High Wind in Jamaica'', Hyatt had notable performances in the films '' The Bushbaby'' (1969), '' Crossplot'' (1969), '' Freelance'' (1971), ''
Love Thy Neighbour Love Thy Neighbor or Love Thy Neighbour refers to the Biblical phrase "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" from the Book of Leviticus 19:18 in the Old Testament about the ethic of reciprocity known as the Golden Rule or the Great Commandment. ...
'' (1973), '' Club Paradise'' (1986), '' Milk and Honey'' (1988), '' The Mighty Quinn'' (1989), '' Cool Runnings'' (1993) and '' Almost Heaven'' (2005). Hyatt was the recipient of Jamaica's national honour of
Order of Distinction The Order of Distinction is a national order in the Jamaican honours system. It is the sixth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament (''The National Honours and Awards Act'') ...
(OD), and was awarded the
Institute of Jamaica The Institute of Jamaica (IOJ), founded in 1879, is the country's most significant cultural, artistic and scientific organisation:Centenary Medal and the silver
Musgrave Medal The Musgrave Medal is an annual award by the Institute of Jamaica in recognition of achievement in art, science, and literature.Webster, Valerie J. (2000), ''Awards, Honors & Prizes, Volume 2'', Gale Group, , p. 447. Originally conceived in 1889 a ...
.


Personal life

Hyatt was married to Vera Hyatt, an art historian,
museologist Museology or museum studies is the study of museums. It explores the history of museums and their role in society, as well as the activities they engage in, including Curator, curating, Conservation-restoration of cultural heritage, preservation, ...
, and former Deputy Director of the
National Gallery of Jamaica The National Gallery of Jamaica, in Kingston, Jamaica, is Jamaica's public art museum. It was established in 1974 and is located in the Kingston Mall, a commercial and cultural center on Kingston harbour. The National Gallery of Jamaica also has ...
. They had three children together, including Charlene Hyatt, now known as the actress
Michael Hyatt Charlene "Michael" Hyatt is a British-born American actress. Before her work in film and television, she performed on stages throughout the United States, particularly in ''Ragtime'' on Broadway. She has played Brianna Barksdale on ''The Wire'' ...
. The marriage ended in divorce. Hyatt then married Marjorie Hyatt. Hyatt died in Florida, United States, of
lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, malign ...
on 1 January 2007.


Partial filmography

* '' A High Wind in Jamaica'' (1965) – Pirate * '' The Bushbaby'' (1969) – Gideon * '' Crossplot'' (1969) – President Maudula * '' Freelance'' (1971) – McNair * ''
Love Thy Neighbour Love Thy Neighbor or Love Thy Neighbour refers to the Biblical phrase "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" from the Book of Leviticus 19:18 in the Old Testament about the ethic of reciprocity known as the Golden Rule or the Great Commandment. ...
'' (1973) – Joe Reynolds * ''The Marijuana Affair'' (1975) * '' Club Paradise'' (1986) – Mr. Banks * '' Milk and Honey'' (1988) – Village Preacher * '' The Mighty Quinn'' (1989) – Security Guard * '' Cool Runnings'' (1993) – Whitby Bevil – Sr. * '' Almost Heaven'' (2005) – Doctor (final film role)


References


External links

*
Official website
— Charles Hyatt Foundation 1931 births 2007 deaths 20th-century Jamaican male actors People from Kingston, Jamaica Deaths from lung cancer 21st-century Jamaican male actors Jamaican male film actors Recipients of the Musgrave Medal Recipients of the Order of Distinction {{screen-actor-stub