Gregory Oliver Hines (February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was an American dancer, actor, choreographer, and singer. He is one of the most celebrated

tap dance Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perf ...

rs of all time. As an actor, he is best known for '' Wolfen'' (1981), '' The Cotton Club'' (1984), ''

White Nights White night, White Night, or White Nights may refer to: * White night (astronomy), a night in which it never gets completely dark, at high latitudes outside the Arctic and Antarctic Circles * White Night festivals, all-night arts festivals held ...

'' (1985), '' Running Scared'' (1986), ''

The Gregory Hines Show ''The Gregory Hines Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS. The series premiered on Monday, September 15, 1997, before airing on September 19, 1997, as a part of the network's Block Party Friday night lineup. It ended its run o ...

'' (1997–1998), playing Ben on ''

Will & Grace ''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman ( Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler ( Debra Messi ...

'' (1999–2000), and for voicing Big Bill on the

Nick Jr. Nick Jr. (known on-air as the Nick Jr. Channel) is an American pay television channel spun off from Nickelodeon's long-running programming block of the same name. It is run by Paramount Global through its networks division's Kids and Family Gr ...

animated children's television program ''

Little Bill ''Little Bill'' is an American animated educational television series created by Bill Cosby. It is based on the ''Little Bill'' book series, written by Cosby with illustrations by Varnette P. Honeywood. Cosby also composed some of the theme mu ...

'' (1999–2004). Hines starred in more than 40 films and also appeared on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

. He received many accolades, including a

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

, a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...

, and a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

, as well as nominations for a

Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...

and four

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

Early life

Hines was born in New York City on February 14, 1946 to Alma Iola (Lawless) and Maurice Robert Hines, a dancer, musician, and actor, and grew up in the Sugar Hill neighborhood of

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...

. He began

tap dancing Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely perfo ...

when he was two years old, and began dancing semi-professionally at age five. After that, he and his older brother

Maurice Maurice may refer to: People * Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr * Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and ...

performed together, studying with choreographer Henry LeTang. Gregory and Maurice also studied with veteran tap dancers such as Howard Sims and The

Nicholas Brothers The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of biological brothers, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s and 1950s. Best known for their ...

when they performed at the same venues. The brothers were known as The Hines Kids, making nightclub appearances at venues in Miami, Florida, with

Cab Calloway Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalis ...

. They were later known as The Hines Brothers. When their father joined the act as a drummer, their name changed again in 1963 to ''Hines, Hines, and Dad''.

Career

Tap dance

Hines was an avid improviser of tap steps, tap sounds, and tap rhythms alike. His improvisation was like that of a drummer, doing a solo and coming up with rhythms. He also improvised the phrasing of a number of tap steps, mainly based on sound produced. A laid-back dancer, he usually wore loose fitting pants and a tighter shirt. Although he inherited the roots and tradition of the black rhythmic tap, he also promoted the new black rhythmic tap. "He purposely obliterated the tempos," wrote tap historian Sally Sommer, "throwing down a cascade of taps like pebbles tossed across the floor. In that moment, he aligned tap with the latest free form experiments in jazz and new music and postmodern dance." Throughout his career, Hines wanted and continued to be an advocate for tap in America. He successfully petitioned the creation of

National Tap Dance Day National Tap Dance Day falls on May 25 every year, and is a celebration of tap dance as an American art form. The idea of National Tap Dance Day was first presented to U.S. Congress on February 7, 1989, and was signed into US American Law by Pr ...

in May 1989, which is now celebrated in forty cities in the United States, as well as eight other nations. He was on the board of directors of Manhattan Tap, a member of the Jazz Tap Ensemble, and a member of the

American Tap Dance Foundation The American Tap Dance Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose primary goal is the presentation and teaching of tap dance. Its original stated purpose was to provide an "international home for tap dance, perpetuate tap as a contemporary art ...

, which was formerly called the American Tap Dance Orchestra. In 1989, he created and hosted a PBS special called "Gregory Hines' Tap Dance in America," which featured various tap dancers such as

Savion Glover Savion Glover (born November 19, 1973) is an American tap dancer, actor, and choreographer. Early life The youngest of three sons, Glover was born to a white father, who left the family before he was born, and a black mother. Glover's great grand ...

and Bunny Briggs. In 1990, Hines visited his idol (and ''Tap'' co-star) Sammy Davis Jr., who was dying of

throat cancer Head and neck cancer develops from tissues in the lip and oral cavity (mouth), larynx (throat), salivary glands, nose, sinuses or the skin of the face. The most common types of head and neck cancers occur in the lip, mouth, and larynx. Symptoms ...

and was unable to speak. After Davis died, an emotional Hines spoke at Davis's funeral of how Sammy made a gesture to him, "as if passing a basketball ... and I caught it." Hines spoke of the honor that Sammy thought that Hines could carry on from where he left off. Through his teaching, he influenced tap dancers such as

Dianne Walker Dianne Walker (born March 8, 1951), also known as Lady Di, is an American tap dancer. Her thirty-year career spans Broadway, television, film, and international dance concerts. Walker is the Artistic Director of TapDancin, Inc. in Boston, Massa ...

Ted Levy Edward 'Ted' Levy was a professional rugby league footballer in the Australian competition the New South Wales Rugby League The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and the Australia ...

, and Jane Goldberg. In an interview with ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' in 1988, Hines said that everything he did was influenced by his dancing: "my singing, my acting, my lovemaking, my being a parent."

Stage acting

Hines made his

debut with his brother in ''

The Girl in Pink Tights ''The Girl in Pink Tights'' is a musical comedy with music by Sigmund Romberg; lyrics by Leo Robin; and a musical book by Jerome Chodorov and Joseph Fields. The musical opened on Broadway on March 5, 1954 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre where it ...

'' in 1954. He earned

nominations for '' Eubie!'' (1979), ''Comin' Uptown'' (1980), and ''

Sophisticated Ladies ''Sophisticated Ladies'' is a musical revue based on the music of Duke Ellington. The musical ran on Broadway in 1981–83, earning 2 awards and 8 nominations at the 35th Tony Awards. Production ''Sophisticated Ladies'' opened on Broadway at th ...

'' (1981), and won the Tony Award and

for ''

Jelly's Last Jam ''Jelly's Last Jam'' is a musical with a book by George C. Wolfe, lyrics by Susan Birkenhead, and music by Jelly Roll Morton and Luther Henderson. Based on the life and career of Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe, known as Jelly Roll Morton and generally ...

'' (1992) and the

Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945–1946 theatre se ...

for ''Eubie!''.

Music

Hines performed as the lead singer and musician in a rock band called Severance based in

Venice, Los Angeles Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California. Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed by ...

in 1975 and 1976. Severance was one of the house bands at an original music club called Honky Hoagies Handy Hangout, otherwise known as the 4H Club. Severance released their self-titled debut album on Largo Records (a subsidiary of GNP Crescendo) in 1976. In 1986, he sang a duet with

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

called "

There's Nothing Better Than Love "There's Nothing Better Than Love" is a 1986 song by American recording artist Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soul ...

", which reached the No. 1 position on the ''Billboard'' R&B charts. Encouraged by his first success on the chart, Hines subsequently released his self-titled debut album on Epic in 1988 with much support of Vandross. This album produced a Vandross-penned single "That Girl Wants to Dance with Me", which peaked at #8 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in May 1988.

Film and television

In 1981, Hines made his movie debut in

Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began ...

's ''

History of the World, Part I ''History of the World, Part I'' is a 1981 American comedy film written, produced, and directed by Mel Brooks. Brooks also stars in the film, playing five roles: Moses, Comicus the stand-up philosopher, Tomás de Torquemada, King Louis XVI, an ...

'', replacing

Richard Pryor Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, and is widely regarded as on ...

, who was originally cast in the role but suffered severe burns in a house fire just days before he was due to begin shooting.

Madeline Kahn Madeline Gail Kahn (''née'' Wolfson; September 29, 1942 – December 3, 1999) was an American actress, comedian and singer, known for comedic roles in films directed by Peter Bogdanovich and Mel Brooks, including '' What's Up, Doc?'' (1972), ' ...

, also starring in the film, suggested to director Mel Brooks that he look into Hines for the role after they learned of Pryor's hospitalization. He appeared in the

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, ap ...

'' Wolfen'' later that year. Hines's peak as an actor came in the mid-1980s. He had a large role in '' The Cotton Club'' (1984), where he and his brother Maurice (in Maurice's sole film credit) played a 1930s tap-dancing duo reminiscent of the

. Hines co-starred with

Mikhail Baryshnikov Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; lv, Mihails Barišņikovs; born January 28, 1948) is a Soviet Latvian-born Russian-American dancer, choreograp ...

in the 1985 film ''

'', and co-starred with

Billy Crystal William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. ...

in the 1986

buddy cop film Buddy cop is a film and television genre with plots involving two people of very different and conflicting personalities who are forced to work together to solve a crime and/or defeat criminals, sometimes learning from each other in the process. ...

'' Running Scared''. He starred in the 1989 film '' Tap'' opposite Sammy Davis Jr. (in Davis's last screen performance). He appeared alongside

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...

and

Loretta Devine Loretta Devine (born August 21, 1949) is an American actress, singer and voice actor. She is known for numerous roles across stage and screen. Her most high profile roles include Lorrell Robinson in the original Broadway production of '' Dreamg ...

in the highly successful 1995 film '' Waiting to Exhale'' and opposite Houston,

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington ha ...

and

Courtney B. Vance Courtney Bernard Vance (born March 12, 1960) is an American actor. Known for his commanding presence Vance started his career on stage before transitioning his career into film and television. He's received various accolades including a Tony Awa ...

the following year in '' The Preacher's Wife''. On television, he starred in his own

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

in 1997, ''

'', which ran for one season on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

, and had a recurring role of Ben Doucette on ''

''. In an interview in 1987, Hines said that he often looked for roles written for white actors, "preferring their greater scope and dynamics." Of his role in ''Running Scared'', for example, he said that he enjoyed that his character had sex scenes, because "usually, the black guy has no sexuality at all." Hines starred in the 1998 film '' The Tic Code''. He voiced Big Bill in the

animated children series ''

'', which ran from 1999 to 2004. He won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for the role in 2003.

Other

Hines co-hosted the Tony Awards ceremony in 1995 and 2002.

Personal life

Hines's marriages to Patricia Panella and Pamela Koslow ended in divorce. He had two children and a stepdaughter.

Death

Hines died of

liver cancer Liver cancer (also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy) is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary (starts in liver) or secondary (meaning cancer which has spread from elsewhere to th ...

on August 9, 2003 en route to the hospital from his home in Los Angeles. He was diagnosed with the disease more than one year earlier, but informed only his closest friends. At the time of his death, production of the television show ''

'' was ending, and he was engaged to bodybuilder Negrita Jayde, who was based in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

. His funeral was held at St. Monica Catholic Church in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...

. He was interred at St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery in

Oakville, Ontario Oakville is a town in Halton Region, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Lake Ontario between Toronto and Hamilton. At its 2021 census population of 213,759, it is Ontario's largest town. Oakville is part of the Greater Toronto Area, one of the ...

Legacy

On January 28, 2019, the

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the ...

honored Hines with a postage stamp as part of its Black Heritage Series. It was issued with a ceremony at the

Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts The Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts (BAVPA) is a magnet performing arts high school and part of Buffalo, New York's public school system. It serves grades 5-12 and requires students to apply in the field of their desired major conc ...

Awards and nominations

Awards *1979

– '' Eubie!'' *1988

Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture – '' Running Scared'' *1992

for Best Actor in a Musical – ''

'' *1992 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Musical – ''Jelly's Last Jam'' *1998 Flo-Bert Award – Lifetime Achievement in Tap Dance by the New York Committee to Celebrate National Tap Dance Day *2002 Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini Series or Dramatic Special – '' Bojangles'' *

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A ...

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program – ''

'' Nominations * 1979 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical—''Eubie!'' * 1980 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical—''Comin' Uptown'' * 1981 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical—''Sophisticated Ladies'' *

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C ...

for Outstanding Individual Achievement—Special Class—''I Love Liberty'' *

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program—''Motown Returns to the Apollo'' *

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program—''

Great Performances ''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise theatrical performances such as plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is p ...

: Tap Dance in America '' * 1992 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Choreography—''Jelly's Last Jam'' * 1992 Tony Award for Best Choreography—''Jelly's Last Jam'' * 1995 Image Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Motion Picture—''Waiting to Exhale'' * 1998 American Comedy Awards Funniest Male Guest Appearance in a TV Series—''

'' * 1998 Image Awards Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series—''

'' * 2001 Black Reel Awards Network/Cable Best Actor—''Bojangles'' *

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...

Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie—'' Bojangles'' * 2001 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries—''Bojangles'' *

Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special—''

The Red Sneakers ''The Red Sneakers'' is a 2002 American fantasy comedy-drama television film produced and directed by Gregory Hines. The film stars Vanessa Bell Calloway, Dempsey Pappion, and Ruben Santiago-Hudson. It premiered on Showtime on February 10, 200 ...

'' *2003 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special—''The Red Sneakers''

Filmography

*''

Finian's Rainbow ''Finian's Rainbow'' is a musical with a book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane, produced by Lee Sabinson. The original 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances, while a film version was r ...

'' (1968) – Child Extra *''

'' (1981) – Josephus *'' Wolfen'' (1981) – Coroner Whittington *''

Deal of the Century ''Deal of the Century'' is a 1983 American comedy film directed by William Friedkin and starring Chevy Chase, Gregory Hines, and Sigourney Weaver. The film follows the adventures of several arms dealers that compete to sell weapons to a South ...

'' (1983) – Ray Kasternak *''

The Muppets Take Manhattan ''The Muppets Take Manhattan'' is a 1984 American musical comedy drama film directed by Frank Oz. It is the third theatrical film in ''The Muppets'' franchise. In addition to the Muppet performance, the film features special appearances by Ar ...

'' (1984) – Roller Skater *'' The Cotton Club'' (1984) – 'Sandman' Williams *''

'' (1985) – Raymond Greenwood *''

Faerie Tale Theatre Faerie Tale Theatre (also known as Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre) is an American live-action fairytale fantasy drama anthology television series of 27 episodes, that originally aired on Showtime from September 11, 1982 until November 14, ...

:'' "

Puss in Boots "Puss in Boots" ( it, Il gatto con gli stivali) is an Italian fairy tale, later spread throughout the rest of Europe, about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess in marriage for ...

" (1985) – Edgar *''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...

'': (TV) "The Amazing Falsworth" (1985) – Falsworth *''About Tap'' (1985) – Himself *'' Running Scared'' (1986) – Detective Ray Hughes *'' Off Limits'' (1988) – Albaby Perkins *'' Tap'' (1989) – Max Washington *''Gregory Hines' Saigon'' (1987) – Himself *''Gregory Hines' Tap Dance in America'' (1989) – Himself *'' Eve of Destruction'' (1991) – Colonel Jim McQuade *''

A Rage in Harlem ''A Rage in Harlem'' is a 1991 American crime film directed by Bill Duke and loosely based on Chester Himes' novel ''A Rage in Harlem''. The film stars Forest Whitaker, Danny Glover, Badja Djola, Robin Givens and Gregory Hines. Producer Stephen W ...

'' (1991) – 'Goldy' *''White Lie'' (1991) – Len Madison Jr. *'' T Bone N Weasel'' (1992) – 'T-Bone' *''Dead Air'' (1994) – Mark Jannek / Jim Sheppard *''

Renaissance Man A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...

'' (1994) – Sergeant Cass *''Kangaroo Court'' (1994) *'' Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child'' (1995, Episode "Beauty and the Beast") – The Beast / Prince Koro (voice) *''A Stranger in Town'' (1995) – Barnes *'' Waiting to Exhale'' (1995) – Marvin King *''

Good Luck Luck is the phenomenon and belief that defines the experience of improbable events, especially improbably positive or negative ones. The naturalistic interpretation is that positive and negative events may happen at any time, both due to rand ...

'' (1996) – Bernard 'Bern' Lemley *''

Mad Dog Time ''Mad Dog Time'' (also known as ''Trigger Happy'') is a 1996 American ensemble crime comedy film written and directed by Larry Bishop and starring Ellen Barkin, Gabriel Byrne, Richard Dreyfuss, Jeff Goldblum and Diane Lane. The film is notable fo ...

'' (1996) – Jules Flamingo *'' The Preacher's Wife'' (1996) – Joe Hamilton *''

The Cherokee Kid ''The Cherokee Kid'' is a 1996 American Television film, made for television Western (genre), western film directed by Paris Barclay for HBO. The film's stars were Sinbad (entertainer), Sinbad, James Coburn, Burt Reynolds, Gregory Hines, A Mart ...

'' (1996) – Jedediah Turner / The Undertaker *'' Subway Stories: Tales From the Underground'' (1997) – Jack (segment "Manhattan Miracle") *''

'' (1997 to 1998) – Ben Stevenson *''

Blue's Clues ''Blue's Clues'' is an American live-action/animated children's television series, created by Angela C. Santomero, Todd Kessler, and Traci Paige Johnson, that premiered on Nickelodeon as part of its Nick Jr. block on September 8, 1996, and ...

'' (1999, Episode ''Blue's Big Treasure Hunt'') – Jack *'' The Tic Code'' (1999) – Tyrone Pike *''

'' (TV) (1999 to 2000) – Ben Doucette *''

Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her ''Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her'' is a 2000 American romantic drama film written and directed by Rodrigo García and starring an ensemble cast. The film consists of five stories, or vignettes, all centering on women and loosely t ...

'' (2000) – Robert (segment "Fantasies About Rebecca") *''

Who Killed Atlanta's Children? ''Who Killed Atlanta's Children?'' (also known as ''Echo of Murder'' and ''Unanswered Questions'') is a TV movie about the Atlanta child murders starring James Belushi and Gregory Hines. It was directed by Charles Robert Carner and first aired o ...

'' (TV) (2000) – Ron Larson *'' Once in the Life'' (2000) – Ruffhouse *'' Bojangles'' (2001) – Bojangles *''Venice: Lost and Found'' (2002) – Himself *''

'' (TV) (2002) – Zeke *''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering ...

'': (TV) "Suicide Box" (2003) – Carl Helpert *'' Lost at Home'': (TV) (2003) – Jordan King *''The Root'' (2003) *''

'' (TV) (1999 to 2004, until his death) – Bill 'Big Bill' (final television appearance) *''Keeping Time: The Life, Music & Photography of Milt Hinton'' (2004) – Himself *''Love That Girl, Sally'' (2004) – Fred (final film role; dedicated production)

References

External links

* * *
Blog of Death obituary

Tapping into history

Deborah Jowitt Deborah Jowitt is an American dance critic, author, and choreographer. Her career in dance began as a performer and choreographer. Jowitt has received several awards for her work, including a ''Bessie'' (New York Dance and Performance Award) for h ...

, ''Village Voice'', August 2003.
TonyAwards.com Interview with Gregory HinesArchival_footage_of_Gregory_Hines,_Dianne_Walker_and_Jimmy_Slyde
_in_1996_at_Jacob's_Pillow.html" ;"title="Jimmy Slyde">Archival footage of Gregory Hines, Dianne Walker and Jimmy Slyde
in 1996 at Jacob's Pillow">Jimmy Slyde">Archival footage of Gregory Hines, Dianne Walker and Jimmy Slyde
in 1996 at Jacob's Pillow {{DEFAULTSORT:Hines, Gregory 1946 births 2003 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American singers African-American choreographers African-American educators African-American male actors African-American male child actors African-American male dancers African-American male singers American choreographers American male child actors American male dancers American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male singers American male stage actors American male television actors American tap dancers Burials in Ontario Dance teachers Daytime Emmy Award winners Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from liver cancer Drama Desk Award winners Educators from New York City Male actors from New York (state) Male actors from New York City People from Harlem Singers from New York City Theatre World Award winners Tony Award winners