Sesame Street Dad: Evolution of an Actor

Certainly, my three decades as Gordon on Sesame Street have provided one of the most enriching and edifying stories of my life. If I could boast of no other major career accomplishment, having played a central role as I have in the development and continuation of this landmark series would alone have made my life sufficiently meaningful. The historical significance of Sesame Street and its surprising longevity have made my association with the show, in many regards, my life's crowning achievement.

Reviewing the entirety of my career, however, has given me an opportunity to examine the political, moral, social, cultural, and artistic connections and influences that have defined all its aspects. Within the realm of theater, for instance, it is clear that my early affiliations with The Free Southern Theater of New Orleans and The New Lafayette Theatre of Harlem between the mid-1960s and the early 1970s have been, arguably, even more influential in defining the content of my personal character and my life's work than have my many years as Gordon.

Given that each new age must follow a course suited to its own current demands, I offer my story in a spirit of generosity, joy, hope, and compassion as a voice from the recent past and present to the open ears of the future.

The face is instantly recognizable to millions of Sesame Street viewers who have grown up with Gordon, the on air personality who has offered comfort and friendly guidance to two generations of children. Roscoe Orman, who has portrayed this beloved character for thirty-two years, is now the author of Sesame Street Dad: Evolution of an Actor.

As important as his presence on this classic children’s television program are Mr. Orman’s ongoing contributions to theater during his forty-year professional career. His acting credentials are impressive and he, along with Ossie Davis, Morgan Freeman and untold numbers of other black actors helped define Black Theater as we now know it.

A strong element of Sesame Street Dad is Orman’s belief in honing the onstage and film personification of the black male, reestablishing the concepts of honor and integrity. His appearance on Sesame Street as a trustworthy friend to children places him at the forefront of this “movement,” his image being emblematic for trust, honesty and friendship for millions of Americans.

The actor continues to appear on Sesame Street and because of its favorable filming schedule is able to continue his acting career at the same time. He remains very involved with the Black Theater scene and is currently appearing in a one-man play, The Confessions of Stepin Fetchit. He has appeared in countless other plays, films, and Sesame Street outreach programs all over the United States and has just completed a short feature film entitled, Twilight’s Last Gleaming.

Sesame Street Dad features a number of photographs that profile some of the highlights from Orman’s career, many from his early years on the stage. There are also photos with a wide variety of guests from Sesame Street that include Hillary Rodham Clinton, Denzel Washington, Gregory Hines, Lily Tomlin, B.B. King, Julianne Moore, Yolanda King, Gordon Parks — the list goes on.

A multi-faceted performer with over forty years of experience as an actor and entertainer in theater, film and television, Roscoe Orman s career, particularly as the beloved Gordon Robinson on TV s most highly acclaimed children s program Sesame Street, has touched literally millions of people the world over. Orman studied acting at Circle In The Square Theatre School and singing at the Manhattan School of Music. An early member of the Free Southern Theater in the mid-1960s, he toured throughout the South for two years and was also a founding member of Harlem, New York s famed New Lafayette Theatre from 1967 to 1972. As an award-winning theater actor, he has performed in over 50 productions on the stages of Broadway, off-Broadway, regional, and repertory theaters across the country.

Orman made his film debut in the title role of Universal Pictures Willie Dynamite in 1973 and has also appeared in Follow That Bird, FX, Striking Distance, New Jersey Drive, Full Court Press, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, and Twilight s Last Gleaming, his most recent film project. In addition to the multiple Emmy Award-winning Sesame Street, television audiences have seen him on such programs as Sanford and Son, Kojak, All My Children, Hard Time on Planet Earth, A Man Called Hawk, Law and Order, Cosby, and Sex and the City. A busy voice-over artist, Orman has narrated and/or hosted such documentaries as Langston Hughes: The Dreamkeeper for PBS, Heritage of the Black West for National Geographic, Lifeline for the Discovery Channel, and Images in Black and White for ESPN.

Mr. Orman has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean with his Gordon of Sesame Street concerts and with Matt Robinson s one-character play, The Confessions of Stepin Fetchit. He is a board member at Luna Stage where he also teaches acting.