Nipsey Russell

Nipsey Russell ( born September 15, 1918 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, † October 2, 2005 in New York City, New York ) was an American actor and entertainer.

Nipsey Russell began his career in the mid -1950s rock and roll revues. He became known in the United States in the early 1960s, when he was in the popular television comedy series Car 54, please contact me ( Car 54, Where Are You? ) Played the Officer Anderson. After a year he left the series and appeared in various series and shows like The Jacky Gleason Show, The Dean Martin Show or Toast of the Town / The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and made it a name as a great comedian.

In the 1970s, Russell was moderator of several game shows such as To Tell the Truth. He was known for here now and funny poems put forward, which also led to his nickname The Poet Laureate of Television. In movies he appeared only very rarely, but it is above all for his role as the Tin Man in The Wiz - The Wizard of Oz ( remake of The Wizard of Oz) known.

An important pillar of his career was over decades of Broadway, where he appeared in several shows.

On October 2, 2005 Nipsey Russell died at Lennox Hill Hospital in New York City of cancer.