Raymond St. Jacques

Raymond St. Jacques (born James Arthur Johnson; March 1, 1930 – August 27, 1990) was an American actor, director and producer whose career spanned over thirty years on stage, film and television. St. Jacques is noted as the first Black actor to appear in a regular role on a Western series. He portrayed Simon Blake on the eighth season of Rawhide (1965–1966).

Early life and education St. Jacques was born James Arthur Johnson in Hartford, Connecticut. He had a sister, Barbara Ann. Shortly after his birth, his parents divorced; he moved with his mother and sister to New Haven, Connecticut. St. Jacques' mother Vivienne later worked as a medical technician at Yale University.

After graduating from Hillhouse High School, St. Jacques attended Yale, where he studied drama and psychology.

After moving to New York City, St. Jacques continued to pursue acting and studied at the Actors Studio. To support himself, he worked as a model, dishwasher, and busboy. He followed with a villianous role in The Pawnbroker later that year. He appeared in supporting roles in The Comedians (1967) and The Green Berets (1968).

During the 1960s, St. Jacques also guest starred on numerous television shows, including East Side/West Side, Daktari, The Virginian, and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. In 1965, he was cast as "Simon Blake" in the Western series Rawhide, the first African-American actor to be cast as a regular on a prime time Western series.

St. Jacques's best-known film roles were that of Coffin Ed in the blaxploitation classics Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) (adapted from crime novels by Chester Himes) and Come Back, Charleston Blue (1972). In the early 1970s, St. Jacques began teaching fencing and acting at the Mafundi Institute in Watts, Los Angeles. In 1973, he produced, directed, and starred in the crime film Book of Numbers.

From 1988 to 1989, St. Jacques had a two-year stint as Judge Clayton C. Thomas on the syndicated TV show Superior Court. In 1989, he played abolitionist Frederick Douglass in Edward Zwick's film Glory. In August 1969, St. Jacques granted an interview to columnist Earl Wilson and told Wilson of his plans to adopt two African-American boys who were six and seven years old.

By the early 1970s, St. Jacques said he had two older sons, Raymond, Jr and Sterling, the latter being adopted. In a 1973 interview, St. Jacques said that Raymond, Jr was living in Boston.

Sterling appeared in St. Jacques's 1973 film Book of Numbers. He also worked as a dancer and as a frequent figure in New York City nightclubs and society life. In her 2016 memoir Walking with Muses, Cleveland said that their engagement ended because Sterling was gay. According to Cleveland's memoir, Sterling St Jacques died of complications of AIDS in 1992. (His death has never been officially confirmed.)

In a 1988 interview with the Chicago Tribune, St. Jacques still said he had two sons and that Sterling was appearing on a television show in Düsseldorf.

Activism St. Jacques frequently spoke of the prejudices he and other black actors faced and difficulties in getting roles as non-stereotypical, thoughtful characters. He later worked to help African Americans find work behind the camera.

St. Jacques was an activist for African-American civil rights. In 1985, he and other protestors were arrested during an anti-apartheid demonstration outside of the South African embassy in Washington, D.C.

Death On August 27, 1990, St. Jacques died of lymphoma at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1964 Black Like Me Burial Insurance Salesman 1964 The Pawnbroker Tangee 1965 Mister Moses Ubi 1966 Mister Buddwing Hank 1967 The Comedians Captain Concasseur 1968 Madigan Dr. Taylor 1968 The Green Berets Sgt. Doc McGee 1968 If He Hollers, Let Him Go! James Lake 1968 Uptight B.G. 1969 Change of Mind David Rowe 1970 Cotton Comes to Harlem Coffin Ed Johnson 1972 Cool Breeze Bill Mercer 1972 The Final Comedown Imir 1972 Come Back, Charleston Blue Coffin Ed Johnson 1973 Book of Numbers Blueboy Harris 1974 Lost in the Stars John Kumalo 1975 The Rookies Hank Brooks Season 4, Episode 6 "Reign of Terror"1977 The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover Martin Luther King 1977 Roots The drummer TV Mini-Series, Episode: "Part IV"1977 The Baron 1978 Born Again Jimmy Newsom 1980 Cuba Crossing Mr. Bell 1984 The Evil That Men Do Randolph 1985 The Fall Guy Ed Simmions Episode Spring Break (S04Ep20)1987 The Wild Pair Ivory 1988 They Live Street Preacher 1989 Glory Frederick Douglass Uncredited1991 Voodoo Dawn Claude Released posthumously 1991 Timebomb Det. Sanchez Released posthumously