Broadway actor Lawrence Clayton has died aged 64.
The star, who made his stage debut in converted show Dreamgirls and starred in the 2015 revival of The Color Purple, passed away on 2 November.
His death comes after a two-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain or spinal cord.
The news was confirmed by the Buchwald talent agency.
Clayton had a successful career stage career for almost 35 years.
He was described by some as a “walking masterclass”.
The actor’s first big break came after he was cast as part of the replacement cast for the hit Dreamgirls in 1981.
Broadway actor Lawrence Clayton has died at the age of 64 (Image: GETTY IMAGES)
He took over the role of Effie’s songwriting brother C.C. White.
Clayton also performed in several other Broadway productions, including 2001’s Bells Are Ringing, It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues (1999), The Civil War (1999), a revival of Once Upon a Mattress (1996) and The High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club (1992).
Off-Broadway shows that he appeared in over the years included Romance in Hard Times (1989), Tapestry: The Music of Carole King (1993), Saturn Returns (1998), Crowns (2002), and Damn Yankees in 2017.
His death comes after a two-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of cancer (Image: FilmMagic)
As well as these, he toured with critically-acclaimed shows including Les Misérables and Jesus Christ Superstar.
Lawrence’s most recent Broadway role was 2015’s revival of The Color Purple, where he played Ol’ Mister for the entire run.
Along with his stage roles, he appeared in many TV series too. He starred as Pray Tell’s (Billy Porter) stepfather in a 2019 episode of the FX series Pose, and had guest spots on programmes such as Elementary, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Homeland and The Big C.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
