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Earle Hyman was a renowned African American actor with a Broadway career spanning 46 years, during which he received a Tony Award nomination. He also earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series for his role as Russell Huxtable, Bill Cosby's father, on The Cosby Show (1984).
Born on October 11, 1926, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Hyman moved with his family to Brooklyn, where he was raised. For his 13th birthday, his parents took him to see Henrik Ibsen's "Ghosts" starring Alla Nazimova in Brighton Beach, sparking his desire to become an actor. Fascinated by Ibsen, he learned Norwegian fluently, which allowed him to perform in Norway, where he maintained a second home.
Hyman's Broadway debut came in 1944 with Philip Yordan's Anna Lucasta (1949), which ran for 957 performances. He returned to Broadway in 1952 in Moss Hart's "The Climate of Eden," which was unsuccessful, followed by a 1953 role as the Prince of Morocco in The Merchant of Venice (1973), starring Luther Adler as Shylock. In 1955, he appeared in No Time for Sergeants (1958), a hit that launched Andy Griffith's career. Over the next 37 years, Hyman appeared in eleven more Broadway productions, concluding with the title role in Ibsen's The Master Builder (1960) in 1992, completing a circle that began in 1939.
Beyond Broadway, Hyman was a founding member of the American Shakespeare Theatre, established in 1955, where he played Othello in 1957. He had previously portrayed The Moor in a 1954 Camera Three production. In 1959, he performed in the London production of A Raisin in the Sun (1961). For his theatrical contributions in Norway, Hyman was awarded the St. Olav's medal by the Norwegian sovereign for his exceptional efforts in promoting Norway internationally.
Hyman's film debut was as an uncredited extra in the Oscar-winning The Lost Weekend (1945), but he found greater success on television. From 1954 to 2001, he appeared in numerous TV shows, most notably The Cosby Show.
Hyman shared a 50-year relationship with Norwegian seaman Rolf Sirnes (1926-2004), from whom he learned Norwegian. In the 1990s, the couple lived together in New York City.
