Willie Best
Acting
Born May 27, 1913 · Sunflower, Mississippi, USA
Biography
William “Willie” Best (May 27, 1916 - February 27, 1962), sometimes known as “Sleep n' Eat,” was an American television and film actor. Best was one of the first African-American film actors and comedians to become well known. In the 21st century, his work, like that of Stepin Fetchit, is sometimes reviled because he was often called upon to play stereotypically lazy, illiterate, and/or simple-minded characters in films. Of the 124 films he appeared in, he received screen credit in at least 77, an unusual feat for an African-American bit player. Willie Best appeared in more than one hundred f…
Known For · 40 titles
Racket Squad
Waterfront
My Little Margie
The Stu Erwin Show
High Sierra
The Ghost Breakers
Virtuous Husband
Vivacious Lady
Blondie
Breakdowns of 1941
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Ladies of Leisure
Everybody's Doing It
Way Down South
Dixie
Hot Tip
Bob Hope's World of Comedy
Merrily We Live
Racing Lady
Super-Sleuth
Up Pops the Devil
Hold That Blonde!
Gold Is Where You Find It
Cabin in the Sky
Ellis in Freedomland
The Lady from Cheyenne
A-Haunting We Will Go
Mr. Moto in Danger Island
Nothing but the Truth
Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel
The Adventures of Mark Twain
Flight from Destiny
Night Waitress
The Red Stallion
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Juke Girl
Little Miss Marker
At the Circus
The Girl Who Dared
Thank Your Lucky Stars