With his trademark lyrical bass laugh that seemed as deep as he was tall (6 feet, 6 inches), Trinidadian actor, dancer, choreographer, painter, costume designer and vocal artist Geoffrey Holder made his mark during nearly six decades in the entertainment industry.
The New York-based performer died Oct. 5 at age 84, from complications connected with pneumonia.
Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Holder was one of six children, and he began dancing at age seven in a company run by his brother, Boscoe Holder.
In 1952, choreographer Agnes de Mille saw him dance on Saint Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands and invited him to New York. That invitation would be the launch of a multifaceted career that took him in many directions, including teaching at the Katherine Dunham School of Dance for two years, and serving as a principal dancer with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in the Big Apple from 1955 to 1956.
The next year, Holder put his choreographer skills to work for the Dance Theater of Harlem, when he created the piece “Bele.”
In 1954, Holder headed for Broadway debuting in the chorus of the Peter Brook production of “House of Flowers” described as a “steamy, West Indies musical” with a book by Truman Capote and Harold Arlen. The show also starred Diahnn Carroll, Pearl Bailey and Los Angeles native and Jefferson High grad Carmen De Lavallade; the two would marry a year later.
From acting in theater, Holder moved to the movies in a 1962 British film “All Night Long.” This was a modern remake of Shakespeare’s “Othello.”
He followed with roles in “Doctor Dolittle” as Willie Shakespeare, leader of the natives of Sea-Star Island; and in 1972 as the Sorcerer in “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex.”
The 1970s also found him playing in the Bond movie “Live and Let Die; he also contributed to the film’s choreography.
The 1970s would be a stand-out decade for Holder. In addition to his work with the “Bond” franchise, he also became a spokesman for the 7 Up “uncola” advertising campaign which featured his distinctive laugh so prominently.
In 1975, he won two Tony Awards for directing and costume design in connection with “The Wiz,” the all-Black musical version of “Wizard of Oz,” which ran for 1,672 performances over a four-year period. Holder became the first Black man nominated in either category, when he won his Tony awards. He also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design for his work with “The Wiz.”
Holder’s choreography career included creating pieces for noted companies such as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (“Prodigal Prince” in 1967); providing choreography, music and costumes for “Dougla” (1974) for the Dance Theater of Harlem as well as designing costumes for the company’s seminal work “Firebird” (1982).
In his later years, Holder appeared in the film version of the musical “Annie” in the role of Punjab. He also was the voice of Ray in “Bear in the Big Blue House,” and provided narration in Tim Burton’s version of Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
And during the season finale of “The Celebrity Apprentice,” he played himself in a commercial for “7 Up Retro.”
Locally, the California African American Museum in 2014 honored Holder along with his wife during its eighth annual “An Artful Evening at CAAM” with a lifetime achievement award in dance/choreography and acting.
The evening also featured an exhibition of the couple’s accomplishments including Holder’s paintings, costume designs as well as photos and books.
Holder is survived by his wife Carmen and their son Leo.
