Earle Hyman is a renowned African American actor who enjoyed a remarkable 46-year-long career on Broadway, earning a Tony Award nomination along the way. He also received an Emmy Award nomination for his outstanding guest performance in a comedy series on The Cosby Show in 1984, playing the role of Russell Huxtable, Bill Cosby's father.
Born on October 11, 1926, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Hyman and his family relocated to Brooklyn, where he grew up. His parents treated him to a production of Henrik Ibsen's "Ghosts" starring Alla Nazimova at Brighton Beach when he was 13 years old, sparking his passion for acting. So impressed was he with Ibsen's work that he went on to become fluent in Norwegian, a language he learned from his family friend, enabling him to act in Norway, where he maintains a second home.
Hyman made his Broadway debut in 1944 in Philip Yordan's Anna Lucasta, a hit that ran for 957 performances. He next appeared on Broadway in 1952 in Moss Hart's "The Climate of Eden," which unfortunately did not fare as well. However, he bounced back with a strong performance as the Prince of Morocco in a production of The Merchant of Venice in 1953, starring Luther Adler as Shylock. In 1955, he had a role in No Time for Sergeants, a hit that catapulted Andy Griffith to stardom. Over the next 37 years, Hyman would go on to appear on Broadway 11 more times, concluding with his turn in the title role of Ibsen's The Master Builder in 1992.
In addition to his work on Broadway, Hyman was a charter member of the American Shakespeare Theatre, founded in 1955, and played the role of Othello in 1957. He had previously appeared as The Moor in a 1954 production of Camera Three. Hyman also appeared in the London production of A Raisin in the Sun in 1959. For his contributions to Norwegian theatre, he was awarded the St. Olav's medal in recognition of his "outstanding services rendered in connection with the spreading of information about Norway abroad."
Hyman made his film debut as an uncredited extra in the Oscar-winning The Lost Weekend in 1945. However, it was television that proved more welcoming to his talent, and he appeared in numerous TV programs from 1954 to 2001, most notably on "The Cosby Show."
Hyman was in a long-term relationship with Rolf Sirnes, a Norwegian seaman, for 50 years until Sirnes' passing in 2004. Through Sirnes, Hyman learned Norwegian and developed a deep appreciation for the culture. In the 1990s, they resided together in New York City.
