- Born
- Died
- Height6′ 2″ (1.88 m)
- A Corsicana native, Rex (Clifford) Ingram was the son of Mack and Mamie Ingram. He graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in medicine before launching a brilliant acting career which spanned 50 years. Ingram made his screen debut during the silent era in Tarzan of the Apes (1918). He won widespread acclaim for his portrayal of De Lawd in The Green Pastures (1936), Ingram also appeared on the Broadway stage and in television productions, bringing skill and dignity to every performance. Actor probably best remembered for his portrayal of Jim, the fugitive slave, opposite Mickey Rooney in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939). He died September 19, 1969 and was buried in California.
- IMDb mini biography by: Bill Takacs <kinephile@aol.com>
- SpousesLauwaune Kennard (dancer)(March 8, 1941 - ?)Francine Everett(1936 - 1939) (divorced)Dena Guillory(? - September 19, 1969) (his death)
- Was a licensed physician.
- Although in ill health, the 73-year-old Ingram took on his last role, the Christmas episode of A Christmas Ballad (1969) because star/co-producer Cosby, a long-time fan, personally asked him to. Shortly after filming ended, Ingram passed away (September 19, 1969). The episode aired a little over two months later, on December 21, and earned the show one of its highest ratings.
- Played God in one movie (The Green Pastures (1936)) and the devil in another (Cabin in the Sky (1943)).
- The first black actor hired as a regular cast member on an American soap opera when he was cast in The Brighter Day (1954) in 1962. Unfortunately, the show was cancelled about a month after his first airdate.
- Not to be confused with the director Rex Ingram.
- My career as an actor was quite by chance. I was standing on a Hollywood corner waiting to cross the street when I was discovered by a movie talent scout. I was persuaded that I was just what was needed to play a native of the jungles in the first Tarzan pictures.
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