Austin Stoker

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Austin Stoker October 7 1930 October 7 2022 was a TrinidadianAmerican actor known for his role as Lt Ethan Bishop the police officer in charge of the besieged Precinct 9 Division 13 in John Carpenters Howard Hawksinspired 1976 film Assault on Precinct 13 This was one of the few heroic starring roles for a black actor in an action film of the 1970s outside of the blaxploitation genre Stoker was born in Port of Spain Trinidad and Tobago on October 7 1930 He started his career on stage including the 1954 Broadway production of Truman Capotes House of Flowers where he met his future wife Enid Mosier acting name Vivian Bonnell Prior to his role as Lt Bishop Stoker appeared in several blaxploitation films often playing police detectives Among these films were Abby 1974 Combat Cops 1974 and Sheba Baby 1975 in which he played Pam Griers love interest Some of Stokers other notable acting roles were in Battle for the Planet of the Apes 1973 Horror High 1974 Airport 1975 1974 Victory at Entebbe 1976 and the 1977 television miniseries Roots Stoker is known to Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans for his role as Dr Ken Melrose in the 1982 Bmovie Time Walker in which he appeared with Darwin Joston his costar from Assault on Precinct 13 Stoker died of renal failure at the CedarsSinai Medical Center in Los Angeles California on October 7 2022 his 92nd birthday Description above from the Wikipedia article Austin Stoker licensed under CCBYSA full list of contributors on Wikipedia