Biography
While attending New York's High School of Art and Design, Orman made his theatrical debut in the 1962 topical revue "If We Grow Up." In the mid-1960s, he was an early member of the Free Southern Theater for two years and a founding member of Harlem's New Lafayette Theatre, where he acted in and directed numerous plays. His extensive stage work includes roles in "Julius Caesar" and "Coriolanus" at Joseph Papp's Public Theater, the Broadway production of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Fences," and Matt Robison's one-man play "The Confessions of Stepin Fetchit" at the American Place Theatre. Orman has received an Audelco Theatre Award and has been nominated five times.
He debuted in feature films starring in the title role of Universal Studios' 1974 drama Willie Dynamite and has appeared in films such as F/X, Striking Distance, New Jersey Drive, Follow That Bird, Twilight's Last Gleaming, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, and Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life. His television credits include appearances on All My Children, Kojak, Sanford and Son, Cosby, Sex and the City, The Wire, and Law & Order. Most recently, he appeared in episode 5 of Garry Trudeau's Amazon streaming series Alpha House.
In June 2006, Orman published his memoir Sesame Street Dad: Evolution of An Actor. In September 2007, his children's book Ricky and Mobo was released. On October 8, 2008, he became the Chief Storyteller for AudibleKids.com, a service of Audible.com designed to connect parents, teachers, and children and provide audiobooks for iPods, MP3 players, and computers. As Chief Storyteller, Orman narrates audiobooks and engages with children, parents, and educators online and at community events, literacy programs, libraries, lectures, and conferences, promoting audiobooks as tools to foster reading interest and literacy development. Reflecting on his role, Orman stated on October 8, 2008: “When Sesame Street began, television was a new and even controversial medium. But we showed how that technology, if used correctly, could become a powerful learning tool... I see the same kind of opportunity emerging today as parents and educators increasingly view iPods with skepticism. With AudibleKids.com, I believe we can help turn these players into magnificent storytellers, tools for learning, and a way to promote a lifelong love of stories and language.”
His appointment was announced at a community event at The Educational Alliance Boys & Girls Club in New York City, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office honored Orman’s career and his embrace of new technology to encourage children to read by declaring October 8, 2008, AudibleKids Day in New York City. Orman resides in New Jersey and has four children: Rasheda, Solana, Miles, and Cheyenne. His son, Miles Orman, portrayed Gordon and Susan's adopted son Miles Robinson on Sesame Street from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s.
