MovieChat Forums > Roots: The Next Generations (1979) Discussion > The Roots Connection Game--Come on, Let'...

The Roots Connection Game--Come on, Let's Play!!

posted 17 years ago by sherreward
40 replies | jump to latest

as i watched and loved this mini series over the years, i can't help but notice the very large and talented cast all had connections either before or after roots. i can recall some but not all, so i need you guys to help and play along. come on, it'll be fun!!

george stanford brown and james daly were father-in-law and son-in law.

henry fonda and olivia dehavilland starred in "the swarm" together.

dorian harewood, philip michael thomas and irene cara starred in "sparkle".

ruby dee and diahann carroll played sisters in "having our say".

diahann carroll and irene cara played sisters in maya angelou's "sister, sister". which also starred kristoff st. john and e. lamont johnson.

irene cara and debbie allen played student and teacher in "fame".

paul winfield, bernie casey, and rosie grier were all in "sophisticated gents".

tamu played diahann carroll's oldest daughter in "claudine".

ossie davis and ruby dee were married in real life.

john rubenstein and james broderick played father-in-law and son-in-law in "family".

howard e. rollins and irene cara played mr.& mrs. medgar evers in "for us the living".

debbi morgan and bianca ferguson were both in "general hospital".

dorian harewood and debbi morgan played mr. and mrs. jesse owens in "the jesse owens story".

brian stokes mitchell and debbi morgan were in "trapper john, md".

ja'net dubois and bever-leigh banfield were on "good times" together for 1 episode.

come guys, help me out! got any other connections????

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] dawnm5 17 years ago

Richard Thomas (Jim Warner)
and Lynn Hamilton (Cousin Georgia) played John Boy and Verdie in The Waltons.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] chalik360-1 17 years ago

you stole my idea! lol... great thread.

al freeman jr, albert hall, and earnest thomas were in Malcolm X.

todd bridges and kim fields were on the Facts of Life together at times.

john amos, madge sinclair, james earl jones were all in Coming to America (james earl jones played an African, madge played his wife)

john hancock (scotty), and howard rollins were in Soldiers Story.

roxie roker and damon evans were in The Jeffersons.

[–] oleskoolgyrl1970 17 years ago

I couldn't keep count of all the young ladies who had appeared on either Good Times or What's Happening at one time or another.

1. The lady who played Cynthia played TC on Good Times.
2. Kim Fields was a kid on Florida's bus.
3. Debbie Morgan played a character on Good Times.
4. I believe the lady who played the teacher w/the white husband played on both at one time or another.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] sherreward 17 years ago

paul winfield and cicely tyson played martin and corretta king in "king".

rosie grier and pam grier are real life first cousins.

james earl jones and lynne moody starred in "the reading room" directed by george stanford brown.

any more?

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] sherreward 17 years ago

that's right, she was married to him before charles dutton.

by the way doxey is the younger brother of the slave woman who gives her daughter to the overseer in the first roots. the one who saw kunta pick up that piece of steel to cut his chains.

[–] sherreward 17 years ago

the young actor (10 or 11 yrs old) that played jim and carrie's son is george stanford brown and tyne daly's oldest child.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] sherreward 17 years ago

oh! i didn't no that. i remember in the credits some time ago, that the person playing frank as child had the last name of brown and resembled tyne daly. maybe it was one of their daughters playing a boy? with all of that curly hair, it's kinda hard to tell. the name used to be in the credits but i don't see it their anymore.

if i'm wrong, sorry for the mix-up

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] oleskoolgyrl1970 17 years ago

Paul Winfield and the guy who played Alec Haley (Simon's dad) were on "227".

[–] Minorda920 17 years ago

Paul Winfield and the guy who played Alec Haley (Simon's dad) were on "227".

That's Hal Williams you're referring to.

[–] dee-153 17 years ago

That woman that played the older Alex Haley's girlfriend was in What's Happening with the man that played Kunta's dad.

[–] chalik360-1 17 years ago

What is the daughters REAL name? She looked famliar to me, but I couldnt place her in anything.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] sherreward 17 years ago

lee chamberlain and irene cara were both on "the electric company", the same year bill cosby and morgan freeman were on that show.

madge sinclair and james earl jones not only were eddie murphy's parents in "coming to america" but also were in "the lion king" and "gabriel's fire" as well.

madge also starred in "trapper john,md" with brian mitchell.

[–] dee-153 17 years ago

Paul Winfield, Olivia Cole, Charles Weldon, Moses Gunn, were all in the movie The Women of Brewster's Place. Paul was Oprah dad in the movie. Olivia was the gossipy & busy body old woman, Moses Gunn was the landlord, & Charles Weldon had a very brief part as a smart-mouth tennant at one of the housing meetings.
Paul Winfield, Madge Sinclaire, and Ossie Davis were all in the movie Queen.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] splash77 17 years ago

Paul Winfield and Cicely Tyson played husband and wife in "Sounder."

[–] jermaine550 17 years ago

Richard Thomas (jim warner) Roots: TNG, Ralph Waite ( captain on the slave ship) in Roots. They were Son and Father on the Waltons.

[–] Born_Tomorrow 8 years ago

Good Times
Bever Leigh Banfield- Cynthia-TC
Debbie Morgan-Elizabeth- Ellen and Samantha the Human Pantha
Janet Dubois-Sally-Wilona
Debbi Allen-Nann-Diana
Fay Houser- Carrie/Barbara
John Amos- Kunta-James
Lou Gossett Jr- Fiddler-Uncle Wilbur
Albert Reed- Jw Boyd-Alderman Davis
Lynn Hamilton- cousin Georgia-Mrs Edwards (Mad Dog's mother)
Percy Rogers-Boyd Moffatt-Edgar
Hal Williams-Alec Haley-Frank Mitchel
Tina Andrews-Arailia-Henrietta
AJ Preston-President Harper-Walter
Phillip Micheal Thomas-Eddie Conroy-Eddie
Sonny Jim Gaines-ex slave-Mr Buchannen
Kim Fields-Alex Haley's daughter-Kim
Kathleen Doyle-Lucy Damson-Mrs.Carpenter
Johnny Sekka-Ibe-Ebou
Talmus Rasulala-Omora Kinte-Ernie Harris
Moses Gunn-Kintango-Carl Dixon
Hilly Hicks-Lewis-Paul
Tanya Boyd- Genelva-Valerie Johnson
Helen Marin -Aunt Sukkey-Wanda
Earl Billings-Preacher-Mr Parker
Tamu Blackwell-Bessie-Edna
Mel Stewart- Bertha's doctor-Officer Davis

I think that's just about all of the Roots and RTNG cast that also did Good Times. Feel free to add more.

I woke up this way...

[–] Seanpdineen 17 years ago

JEJ BEST PERFORMENCE OUTSIDE OF STAR WARS.
I love that line, about His brother the republican senator to malcom.
Diane Caroll, a great talent.

[–] bellaalma 17 years ago

Philip Michael Thomas and Pam Grier were together on Miami Vice.

[–] Minorda920 17 years ago

Ben Vereen and Madge Sinclair played the parents of LeVar Burton's character(Geordi LaForge) on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

[–] Minorda920 17 years ago

Georg Stanford Brown (Tom Harvey)starred in the 70's cop show "The Rookies" with Gerald S. O'Loughlin (Simon's racist commanding officer).

[–] oleskoolgyrl1970 17 years ago

Phillip Michael Thomas was on an episode of Good Times with John Amos.

[–] Briangus8 17 years ago

Several of the actors in Roots and TNG were also in Alex Haley's Queen- Ossie Davis and Paul Winfield come to mind immediately. Also, several of the actors were also in David L. Wolper's North and South, including Oliva Cole and Georg Stanford Brown.

[–] rrticulate1 17 years ago

Olivia Cole, who starred as Leslie Uggams' daughter-in-law Matilda in Roots, played Uggams' mother in another miniseries, "Backstairs at the White House".

I know this is a stretch, but Kristoff St. John starred in the all-black soap 'Generations' with Jonelle Allen, who also starred in the CBS short-lived series based on Alex Haley's childhood, called "Palmerstown, USA".

[–] RCeditor 15 years ago

Has anyone mentioned The Lion King? James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair voiced Simba's parents, Mufasa and Sarabi.

Speaking of "Good Times"... Ja'net Dubois and Tamu were in an episode together. Shirley Hemphill played Tamu's younger sister on that particular episode, she was funny!

-From the desk of Ms Slim

"I make him an offer he no refuse"

[–] bradford-1 14 years ago

The Fonda-DeHavilland connection goes back WAY before THE SWARM. Try them co-starring in THE MALE ANIMAL (1942).
Ossie Davis directed BLACK GIRL (1972), which featured Leslie Uggams, Brock Peters, Ruby Dee and Claudia McNeil.
Ossie Davis, Cicely Tyson, Gerald S. O'Laughlin and Janette DuBois appeared in A MAN CALLED ADAM (1966), which starred Sammy Davis, Jr. and Louis Armstrong.

[–] christisulli 13 years ago

Andy Griffith and Kene Holliday both starred in Matlock.

LeVar Burton Madge Sinclair Brock Peters and John Schuck have all appeared in the Star Trek movies.

[–] luig29 11 years ago

John Amos and Marc Singer were in The Beastmaster

[–] Arimas01 11 years ago

Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield- a hero ain't noting but a sandwich/

Sounder

Cicely Tyson, Olivia Cole, Paul Winfield, Moses Gunn -Women of Brewster Place

Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee - Do the right thing, Jungle fever

John Amos, Thalmus Rasulala, Debbi Morgan, Louis Gossett Jr, Hilly Hicks,Moses Gunn, Tina Andrews, Faye Hauser, Lynn Hamilton, Beaver-LeighBanfield, Lucy Damson,Debbi Morgan, Debbi Allen, Helen Martin, Janet Du bois, Hal Williams, Tamu, Phillip Micheal Thomas, J.A Preston, Albert Reed- Good times

Roxie Roker, Tamu, Ernest Thomas, Lynne Moody, Renn Woods, Louis Gossett Jr, Lillian Randolph, Damon Evans, Hal Williams, J.A. Preston -The Jeffersons

Helen Martin, Hal Williams/ 227

Paul Winfield, Ossie Davis, Madge Sinclair- Queen

John Amos, Madge Sinclair, James Earl Jones- Comming to America

Tamu, Diahann Carol, James Earl Jones- Claudine

I'm too old to be politically correct, I'm gone be real. Take it or leave it.

[–] csteve67 11 years ago

Rossy Grier was a minister to OJ while in prison.

"Vive la mort, vive la guerre, vive le sacre mercenaire."

[–] shani-3 11 years ago

Levar Burton and Tina Andrews played a teenaged couple in "Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid";

Madge Sinclair and Levar Burton played mother and son in PBS' "American Short Story: 'Almos' A Man'";

Irene Cara, Levar Burton, Madge Sinclair, and James Earl Jones all appeared in "Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones";

Henry Fonda and Harry Morgan starred in "The Ox-Bow Incident".

Yeah, they're dead; they're--all messed up!