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Jophery Brown

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jophery Brown
Pitcher
Born: (1945-01-22)January 22, 1945
Grambling, Louisiana, U.S.
Died: January 11, 2014(2014-01-11) (aged 68)
Inglewood, California, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 21, 1968, for the Chicago Cubs
Last MLB appearance
September 21, 1968, for the Chicago Cubs
MLB statistics
Win–loss record0–0
Earned run average4.50
Strikeouts0
Teams

Jophery Clifford Brown (January 22, 1945 – January 11, 2014) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who made one relief appearance for the Chicago Cubs.[1] He became an award-winning stunt man and actor.

Early life and family

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Brown was born in Grambling, Louisiana, the seventh of eight children of Sylvester and Ida Mae (née Washington) Brown. His older brother, Calvin Brown,[2] was a pioneering Black stuntman, a founding member of the Black Stuntmen's Association, and Bill Cosby's stunt double in the television series I Spy.[3][4]

Brown attended Grambling High School and Grambling College (1964–1966). He did not graduate from Grambling, but he had a 12–2 win–loss record, with a 0.88 earned run average (ERA) and a shutout for the Grambling Tigers.[1]

Baseball career

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Brown was drafted three times by major league teams, first by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1965, then by the Boston Red Sox in 1966, before finally signing with the Cubs on June 20, 1966. He spent the next couple of years in the minor leagues.[1] He made his only major league appearance on September 21, 1968, against Pittsburgh at Forbes Field. Brown relieved Bobby Tiefenauer, who had in turn relieved the Cubs' starter that day, Joe Niekro. He gave up two hits, including a single by Maury Wills, and issued an intentional walk to Roberto Clemente.[1] He allowed one run in two innings of work, retiring opposing pitcher Dock Ellis on a line drive back to the mound for the final out of his debut. Brown was removed for pinch-hitter Clarence Jones in the next inning. He would never pitch in the majors again. The following season, he played in Double-A with San Antonio, going 9–10, and suffered a rotator cuff injury.[1] He had played baseball only because his father loved the sport.[3] His brother Calvin advised him to come out to Hollywood.[3]

Acting and stuntman career

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Brown's first television role was uncredited as a police officer on a 1964 episode of Arrest and Trial titled "The Black Flower", courtesy of his brother Calvin.[1] He first worked as a stunt man the next year on episodes of I Spy. Brown also played an uncredited role as a reporter on the 1965 I Spy episode "So Long, Patrick Henry".

His next work in Hollywood did not come until 1973 in Coffy, when Brown played uncredited roles as both a party guest and a stunt man. That began a 35-year career during which he acted in 35 films and performed stunts in 115. Brown worked in as many as seven movies in a year. Perhaps his best-known stunt is doubling for Sandra Bullock in the action film Speed and driving the bus over a freeway "gap"; in fact, he drove up a ramp and went airborne on an intact freeway, wearing a special harness to protect his vertebrae.[5] Other career highlights included working as a stunt double for Morgan Freeman in three films: Along Came a Spider (2001), The Sum of All Fears (2002) and Dreamcatcher (2003). Brown was the stunt coordinator on seven motion pictures: The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1975), Scarface (1983), Action Jackson and Miracle at Beekman's Place (1988), Graffiti Bridge (1990), House Party 3 (1994), Sudden Death (1995), Sometimes They Come Back... Again (1996) and The Relic (1997). He also played the gatekeeper in Jurassic Park. His baseball background was helpful for Bingo Long, in which he worked both as stunt coordinator and as All-Stars third baseman Emory "Champ" Chambers;[1] according to his wife Lois, it was one of his favorite films.[3] Brown's last acting role was an uncredited part as a chef in Spider-Man (2002).

Recognition came in the form of a World Stunt Award for Best Work with a Vehicle, sharing the award with nine others for a car-chase scene in Bad Boys II (2003).[3] Brown also was nominated with six others for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture in Wanted (2008).[3] That was the last film in which he worked. In 2010, he was awarded the Taurus Lifetime Achievement Award for his stuntwork.[3]

Death

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Jophery Brown died on January 11, 2014, at the age of 68 from complications related to a cancer treatment.

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1974 Uptown Saturday Night Geechie Dan's Henchman Uncredited
1974 Mixed Company Basketball Player
1975 Let's Do It Again Bootney Farnsworth's Trainer Uncredited
1976 The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings Emory 'Champ' Chambers, All-Star (3B)
1978 Foul Play Cop
1980 The Hunter Train Passenger Uncredited
1982 Rocky III Challenger #10
1982 Annie Punjab Double
1983 Sudden Impact Young Guy #3
1985 Moving Violations Baggage-van Uncredited
1987 The Squeeze Poker Player #2
1987 Real Men Clown Uncredited
1988 The Presidio Workman #1
1989 Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects Duke's Thug #1
1989 Cyborg Saloon Owner / Pirate / Bandit
1991 Stone Cold Driver Uncredited
1992 Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot Thug #4
1992 Article 99 Admitting Guard
1992 Universal Soldier Thug
1993 Nowhere to Run Prisoner #2
1993 Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence Degrazia
1993 Joshua Tree Snoozing Cop
1993 Boiling Point Edmund
1993 Jurassic Park Jophery Brown Credited as Worker in Raptor Pen
1993 Extreme Justice Vince
1994 Speed Bus Jump Driver
1995 The Expert Joe Himes
1995 Sudden Death Wootton
1997 The Relic Guard Frederick Ford
2002 Spider-Man Chef Uncredited final film role

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Costello, Rory. "Jophery Brown". Society for American Baseball Research.
  2. ^ Jophery Brown at IMDb
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Monagan, Matt (April 15, 2023). "The pitcher who became a legendary Hollywood stuntman". mlb.com.
  4. ^ Saunders, Cherie (February 12, 2017). "A People's History. A Nation's Story. A Battle Station". Los Angeles Review of Books.
  5. ^ Purdom, Clayton (June 22, 2017). "Here's how they made Speed's immortal bus-jump scene". The A.V. Club.
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