Terry Carter
Encyclopedia
Terry Carter is an American
actor and filmmaker who is known for his roles as "Sgt. Joe Broadhurst", on the seven year hit TV series McCloud and as "Colonel Tigh
" on the original Battlestar Galactica
.
, New York
as John E. DeCoste. His mother, Mercedes, was a native of the Dominican Republic
, and his father, William DeCoste, was of Argentinian and African-American descent and operated a radio repair business. Carter graduated from the elite Stuyvesant High School
in New York City
in 1946. He attended Hunter College
, St. John's University Law School, Boston University
, and U.C.L.A. and earned a Bachelor of Science
degree from Northeastern University
in 1983.
in the play Mrs. Patterson and performing the title role in the musical extravaganza Kwamina.
From 1965 to 1968, Carter worked as a newscaster for WBZ-TV
in Boston
becoming the world's first black TV news anchor-reporter. During his three-year stint, he also served as New England television's first opening-night movie and theatre critic.
Terry Carter also played roles in numerous TV series, specials, and theatrical films. He was featured as the only black actor to have a leading role opposite Vic Morrow in "Combat" (Episode: "The Long Wait"-1965.) He was a regular cast member in The Phil Silvers Show
(also known as The Sergeant Bilko Show). He played the part of Police Officer Tuttle in the 1974 children's film Benji
. He is best known internationally for his co-starring role as "Colonel Tigh
" in the popular science-fiction TV series Battlestar Galactica
. He was originally cast as "Lieutenant Boomer
", but was cut following a roller skating accident that fractured his ankle. After replacing Carter with Herb Jefferson, Jr.
, producer Glen A. Larson
instead offered Terry Carter the role of "Colonel Tigh
", second in command of the ragtag fleet of starships. Terry Carter also starred as Dennis Weaver
's partner, "Sergeant Joe Broadhurst" in the popular detective series McCloud for seven years. He played opposite Pam Grier in the motion picture Foxy Brown. He played the role of CIA chief "Texas Slim" in Hamilton, a multinational action-adventure Swedish film (1999). Most recently, Carter had a recurring role in Hotel Caesar
, Norway's most popular soap opera, as "Solomon Tefari", an Ethiopian businessman and father of one of the main characters.
Carter is president of Council for Positive Images, Inc., a non-profit organization he formed in 1979, dedicated to enhancing intercultural and interethnic understanding through audiovisual communication. Under the Council’s auspices, Carter has produced and directed award-winning dramatic and documentary programs for presentation on PBS and distribution worldwide.
He currently resides in both Oslo
, Norway
and New York City
.
A 2-½ hour presentation of the dance technique of anthropologist-choreographer Katherine Dunham. Funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, this video documentary is designed to serve as a study guide for dance teachers, scholars and dancers, as part of the Katherine Dunham Legacy Project of the Library of Congress.
A Duke Named Ellington - WNET-TV (PBS
), American Masters
Series (1988)
This two-hour musical documentary features "the Duke" himself, reminiscing and performing, as soloist and with his illustrious orchestra. A Duke Named Ellington offers a retrospective of Ellington's half-century career, focusing primarily on his music and method, his artistic accomplishments and his role as a trailblazer in the development of modern music. A Duke Named Ellington had its world premiere on the PBS
American Masters
series, to critical acclaim:
A Duke Named Ellington was selected as the official US entry in international television festivals in countries such as the People's Republic of China, France, Spain, Italy, Canada, Brazil, Poland, and Bulgaria. A Duke Named Ellington has been telecast in most countries of Europe, as well as in Japan, Australia, and South Africa. The program has been awarded the CINE Golden Eagle and the Golden Antenna. A Duke Named Ellington was nominated for an Emmy Award as "Outstanding Informational Special".
In 2007, Terry Carter released A Duke Named Ellington, the documentary he produced for PBS
American Masters
in 1988, as a DVD: A Duke Named Ellington DVD.
Once Upon A Vision - KET-TV (PBS) (1991)
This one-hour television documentary reveals the little-known history of Berea, Kentucky, a unique 19th Century inter-racial colony founded in the midst of the slave-holding South. Before the Civil War, a group of zealous abolitionists and former slaves began building a community based on unconditional racial and gender equality and participatory democracy. For more than half a century, withstanding intense persecution from slavers, pro-slavery politicians, and the Ku Klux Klan, these poor white and black settlers lived, and died for, their vision of multi-racial democracy. This program has become part of the secondary-school American History curriculum in Kentucky. Hosted and narrated by historian and author Alex Haley.
JazzMasters - TV2/Denmark (1988)
This series of 13 television portraits features some of the most outstanding musical artists in the world of jazz. An international co-production, JazzMasters was the first program series ever commissioned by TV2/Denmark. The JazzMasters series has been telecast in Scandinavia, France, Poland, Bulgaria and Japan. The series features programs about Chet Baker, Kenny Drew, Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, Bobby Hutcherson, Carmen McRae, Palle Mikkelborg, James Moody, Clark Terry, Randy Weston, Niels Henning Ørsted-Pedersen, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter.
K*I*D*S - KCET-TV (PBS), US Department of Education (1984)
This dramatic television miniseries was designed for public broadcasting to promote interracial and interethnic understanding among adolescents. K*I*D*S is the story of a multi-racial group of teenagers struggling to cope with some of the adult-sized conflicts confronting youth in America today. Endorsed by the National Education Association, K*I*D*S, accompanied by a teachers' guide, was also distributed on videocassette to secondary schools throughout the nation. K*I*D*S received an Emmy award in Los Angeles as "Best Series for Children and Youth".
Works In Progress:
Katherine Dunham: Dancing With Life - National Endowment for the Arts
This 90-minute documentary program designed for PBS is about the extraordinary life and work of the African-American anthropologist-choreographer-dancer, a pioneer internationally heralded as one of the most influential creative forces in American dance theatre.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor and filmmaker who is known for his roles as "Sgt. Joe Broadhurst", on the seven year hit TV series McCloud and as "Colonel Tigh
Colonel Tigh
Colonel Tigh is a fictional character in the original 1978 TV series Battlestar Galactica, played by Terry Carter. He is the Executive Officer of the titutlar ship. In his early years, he flew a Viper in the same squadron as Commander Adama. Tigh at first appears to be strictly by-the-book and a...
" on the original Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, created by Glen A. Larson. It starred Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict and ran for one season in 1978–79. After cancellation, its story was continued in 1980 as Galactica 1980 with Adama, Lieutenant Boomer and...
.
Early life
Carter was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
as John E. DeCoste. His mother, Mercedes, was a native of the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, and his father, William DeCoste, was of Argentinian and African-American descent and operated a radio repair business. Carter graduated from the elite Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School , commonly referred to as Stuy , is a New York City public high school that specializes in mathematics and science. The school opened in 1904 on Manhattan's East Side and moved to a new building in Battery Park City in 1992. Stuyvesant is noted for its strong academic...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1946. He attended Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
, St. John's University Law School, Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, and U.C.L.A. and earned a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from Northeastern University
Northeastern University, Boston
Northeastern University , is a private, secular, coeducational research university in Boston, Massachusetts. Northeastern has eight colleges and offers undergraduate majors in 65 departments...
in 1983.
Acting career
Carter gained theatre experience in several productions on the Broadway and off-Broadway stage. His Broadway credits include playing the male lead opposite Eartha KittEartha Kitt
Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
in the play Mrs. Patterson and performing the title role in the musical extravaganza Kwamina.
From 1965 to 1968, Carter worked as a newscaster for WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV
WBZ-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station, located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WBZ-TV's studios and office facilities, shared with sister station WSBK-TV , are located in the Allston-Brighton section of Boston, and its transmitter is located in Needham,...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
becoming the world's first black TV news anchor-reporter. During his three-year stint, he also served as New England television's first opening-night movie and theatre critic.
Terry Carter also played roles in numerous TV series, specials, and theatrical films. He was featured as the only black actor to have a leading role opposite Vic Morrow in "Combat" (Episode: "The Long Wait"-1965.) He was a regular cast member in The Phil Silvers Show
The Phil Silvers Show
The Phil Silvers Show is a comedy television series which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959 for 142 episodes, plus a 1959 special. The series starred Phil Silvers as Master Sergeant Ernest G...
(also known as The Sergeant Bilko Show). He played the part of Police Officer Tuttle in the 1974 children's film Benji
Benji (film)
Benji is the first film in a series of nine about the golden mixed breed dog named Benji. It was written and directed by Joe Camp and was released in 1974. It received one Academy Award nomination for the Best Original Song.-Plot:...
. He is best known internationally for his co-starring role as "Colonel Tigh
Colonel Tigh
Colonel Tigh is a fictional character in the original 1978 TV series Battlestar Galactica, played by Terry Carter. He is the Executive Officer of the titutlar ship. In his early years, he flew a Viper in the same squadron as Commander Adama. Tigh at first appears to be strictly by-the-book and a...
" in the popular science-fiction TV series Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American science fiction television series, created by Glen A. Larson. It starred Lorne Greene, Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict and ran for one season in 1978–79. After cancellation, its story was continued in 1980 as Galactica 1980 with Adama, Lieutenant Boomer and...
. He was originally cast as "Lieutenant Boomer
Lieutenant Boomer
Lieutenant Boomer, later known as Colonel Boomer, was a character on the 1978-1979 television series Battlestar Galactica and its spin-off series Galactica 1980. He was portrayed on both series by Herbert Jefferson, Jr. Boomer was a lieutenant in the Colonial Service, an officer with a background...
", but was cut following a roller skating accident that fractured his ankle. After replacing Carter with Herb Jefferson, Jr.
Herb Jefferson, Jr.
Herbert Jefferson Jr. is an African-American actor. He graduated with honors from New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1969. He is probably best known for his role as Lieutenant Boomer on the original Battlestar Galactica television series...
, producer Glen A. Larson
Glen A. Larson
Glen Albert Larson is an American television producer and writer best known as the creator of Battlestar Galactica, The Fall Guy, Magnum, P.I. and Knight Rider.-Career:...
instead offered Terry Carter the role of "Colonel Tigh
Colonel Tigh
Colonel Tigh is a fictional character in the original 1978 TV series Battlestar Galactica, played by Terry Carter. He is the Executive Officer of the titutlar ship. In his early years, he flew a Viper in the same squadron as Commander Adama. Tigh at first appears to be strictly by-the-book and a...
", second in command of the ragtag fleet of starships. Terry Carter also starred as Dennis Weaver
Dennis Weaver
William Dennis Weaver was an American actor, best known for his work in television, including roles on Gunsmoke, as Marshal Sam McCloud on the NBC police drama McCloud, and the 1971 TV movie Duel....
's partner, "Sergeant Joe Broadhurst" in the popular detective series McCloud for seven years. He played opposite Pam Grier in the motion picture Foxy Brown. He played the role of CIA chief "Texas Slim" in Hamilton, a multinational action-adventure Swedish film (1999). Most recently, Carter had a recurring role in Hotel Caesar
Hotel Cæsar
Hotel Cæsar is a Norwegian soap opera that has been broadcast Monday to Friday on TV 2 since 1998 . It was created by Swedish duo Peter Emanuel Falck and Christian Wikander...
, Norway's most popular soap opera, as "Solomon Tefari", an Ethiopian businessman and father of one of the main characters.
Production career
In 1975, Carter started a small Los Angeles corporation for which he produced and directed more than 100 industrial and educational presentations on film and videotape for virtually every agency of the federal government.Carter is president of Council for Positive Images, Inc., a non-profit organization he formed in 1979, dedicated to enhancing intercultural and interethnic understanding through audiovisual communication. Under the Council’s auspices, Carter has produced and directed award-winning dramatic and documentary programs for presentation on PBS and distribution worldwide.
He currently resides in both Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Selected past projects
Katherine Dunham Technique – Library of CongressA 2-½ hour presentation of the dance technique of anthropologist-choreographer Katherine Dunham. Funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, this video documentary is designed to serve as a study guide for dance teachers, scholars and dancers, as part of the Katherine Dunham Legacy Project of the Library of Congress.
A Duke Named Ellington - WNET-TV (PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
), American Masters
American Masters
American Masters is a PBS television show which produces biographies on the artists, actors and writers of the United States who have left a profound impact on the nation's popular culture. It is produced by WNET in New York City...
Series (1988)
This two-hour musical documentary features "the Duke" himself, reminiscing and performing, as soloist and with his illustrious orchestra. A Duke Named Ellington offers a retrospective of Ellington's half-century career, focusing primarily on his music and method, his artistic accomplishments and his role as a trailblazer in the development of modern music. A Duke Named Ellington had its world premiere on the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
American Masters
American Masters
American Masters is a PBS television show which produces biographies on the artists, actors and writers of the United States who have left a profound impact on the nation's popular culture. It is produced by WNET in New York City...
series, to critical acclaim:
- "A masterly portrait of a master." (Politiken, Denmark)
- "in a class by itself” … “a triumph of film and tape research… it is achingly good...(Los Angeles Times)
- "can't be beat... a superb two-parter... the perfect example of just how an in-depth profile of an artist should be done..." (New York Daily News)
- " ... much more than a documentary about the Duke... an essential testimony about the music of our century." (Jazz Magazine, France).
A Duke Named Ellington was selected as the official US entry in international television festivals in countries such as the People's Republic of China, France, Spain, Italy, Canada, Brazil, Poland, and Bulgaria. A Duke Named Ellington has been telecast in most countries of Europe, as well as in Japan, Australia, and South Africa. The program has been awarded the CINE Golden Eagle and the Golden Antenna. A Duke Named Ellington was nominated for an Emmy Award as "Outstanding Informational Special".
In 2007, Terry Carter released A Duke Named Ellington, the documentary he produced for PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
American Masters
American Masters
American Masters is a PBS television show which produces biographies on the artists, actors and writers of the United States who have left a profound impact on the nation's popular culture. It is produced by WNET in New York City...
in 1988, as a DVD: A Duke Named Ellington DVD.
Once Upon A Vision - KET-TV (PBS) (1991)
This one-hour television documentary reveals the little-known history of Berea, Kentucky, a unique 19th Century inter-racial colony founded in the midst of the slave-holding South. Before the Civil War, a group of zealous abolitionists and former slaves began building a community based on unconditional racial and gender equality and participatory democracy. For more than half a century, withstanding intense persecution from slavers, pro-slavery politicians, and the Ku Klux Klan, these poor white and black settlers lived, and died for, their vision of multi-racial democracy. This program has become part of the secondary-school American History curriculum in Kentucky. Hosted and narrated by historian and author Alex Haley.
JazzMasters - TV2/Denmark (1988)
This series of 13 television portraits features some of the most outstanding musical artists in the world of jazz. An international co-production, JazzMasters was the first program series ever commissioned by TV2/Denmark. The JazzMasters series has been telecast in Scandinavia, France, Poland, Bulgaria and Japan. The series features programs about Chet Baker, Kenny Drew, Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, Bobby Hutcherson, Carmen McRae, Palle Mikkelborg, James Moody, Clark Terry, Randy Weston, Niels Henning Ørsted-Pedersen, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter.
K*I*D*S - KCET-TV (PBS), US Department of Education (1984)
This dramatic television miniseries was designed for public broadcasting to promote interracial and interethnic understanding among adolescents. K*I*D*S is the story of a multi-racial group of teenagers struggling to cope with some of the adult-sized conflicts confronting youth in America today. Endorsed by the National Education Association, K*I*D*S, accompanied by a teachers' guide, was also distributed on videocassette to secondary schools throughout the nation. K*I*D*S received an Emmy award in Los Angeles as "Best Series for Children and Youth".
Works In Progress:
Katherine Dunham: Dancing With Life - National Endowment for the Arts
This 90-minute documentary program designed for PBS is about the extraordinary life and work of the African-American anthropologist-choreographer-dancer, a pioneer internationally heralded as one of the most influential creative forces in American dance theatre.
Awards
- Emmy Award, Los Angeles, Best Series for Children and Youth, 1985, for K*I*D*S
- Emmy Nomination, Best Informational Special, 1989, for A Duke Named Ellington
- CINE Golden Eagle, 1989, for A Duke Named Ellington
- Golden Antenna, 1989, for A Duke Named Ellington
- Award for Excellence, L. A. Film Review Board, 1977, for Child Abuse & Neglect Series