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== Career ==
  
== Career ==
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EVERYONE LOVES HIM
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=== Stage ===
  
=== Stage ===
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THIS GUY IS A BEAUTY
  
THIS GUY IS A BEAUTY
   
 
=== Television ===
  
=== Television ===
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[[File:Picard and Sisko.jpg|thumb|left|...with [[Patrick Stewart]]]]
  
[[File:Picard and Sisko.jpg|thumb|left|...with [[Patrick Stewart]]]]
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EVEN HITLER LOVES HIM
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While best known for playing Ben Sisko, Brooks had his first episodic television starring role in ''{{w|Spenser: For Hire}}'' as the lead character's partner, Hawk. Brooks went on to reprise the role of Hawk in the short-lived spinoff, ''A Man Called Hawk''. Prior to this, he made his television acting debut playing the title role in the 1984 TV adaptation of ''Solomon Northup's Odyssey''. In 1987, he again played the title role in a TV adaptation of a famous novel, this time ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'', which co-starred fellow ''[[Star Trek]]'' performers [[Bill Bolender]] and [[Albert Hall]]. Aside from these, he made an appearance in 1985's ''Finnegan Begin Again'' (starring [[Bob Gunton]] and [[David Huddleston]]) and played the role of Cletus Moyer in 1988's ''Roots: The Gift''. The latter also starred ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' actor [[LeVar Burton]] in his famous role of Kunte Kinte and also featured future ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'' stars [[Kate Mulgrew]] and [[Tim Russ]].
  
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Brooks was cast as Benjamin Sisko, [[CO|commander]] of [[space station]] [[Deep Space 9]], in {{y|1992}}. For his performance in this role, Brooks received two Image Award nominations as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, one in 1996 and another in 1997. Also in 1997, he received a Saturn Award nomination from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films for his portrayal of Sisko. Brooks remained with the series through all seven seasons, appearing in every single episode, while at the same time continuing his professorship in theater arts at Rutgers University – occasionally instructing classes in his character's costume via prerecorded VHS tapes made on the set.
  
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Several costumes and uniforms worn by Brooks were sold off on the [[It's A Wrap! sale and auction]] on eBay, including a command uniform lot from the episode {{e|Rocks and Shoals}}. {{stala|9687}}
  
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In {{y|2002}}, Brooks revealed that he had initially planned to leave ''Deep Space Nine'' during the early seasons, due to the strain of television production. However, while having a conversation with his son about the importance of giving and keeping his word, he decided to stay and endured the entire seven year run of the series. ([[DS9 Season 7 DVD]])
  
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While ''Deep Space Nine'' was still in production, Brooks continued to star in a number of ''Spencer'' telefilms. He also become one of '''many''' ''Star Trek'' performers to voice in the animated series ''Gargoyles''; others who have done so include LeVar Burton, [[Michael Dorn]], [[Jonathan Frakes]], Kate Mulgrew, [[Nichelle Nichols]], [[John Rhys-Davies]], [[Salli Elise Richardson]], [[W. Morgan Sheppard]], [[Marina Sirtis]], [[Brent Spiner]], [[David Warner]], [[Frank Welker]], and [[Paul Winfield]].
  
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In 2000, Brooks was briefly the spokesperson for IBM e-business software. He filmed a few television commercials for the company, in which he stated ''"It's a different kind of world. You need a different kind of software."''
  
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=== Films and documentaries ===
  
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Brooks made his feature film debut in 1998, playing a mafia kingpin in the action thriller ''The Big Hit''. This was followed that same year with the critically-acclaimed drama ''{{w|American History X}}'', which also starred ''Star Trek: Voyager''{{'}}s [[Jennifer Lien]]. Also in 1998, Brooks' deep, commanding voice was employed to narrate various documentary programs, including ''Africans in America: America's Journey Through Slavery'', ''Africa's Elephant Kingdom'' and ''The Greatest Places''.
  
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After ''Deep Space Nine'' ended its run in {{y|1999}}, Brooks continued to act on stage and continued narrating documentaries such as ''Jesus: The Complete Story'', ''The Ballad of Big Al'', ''Land of the Mammoth'', and ''Walking with Dinosaurs''. He also hosted the Discovery Channel show ''Unsolved History'' for a few years. In 2001, he had a supporting role as a police detective in the film ''15 Minutes'', which also featured [[Kim Cattrall]], [[Kelsey Grammer]], and future {{film|11}} star [[Anton Yelchin]]. In 2006, it was announced that Brooks was cast in the fourth ''{{w|Rambo}}'' film, set for release in 2008; Brooks, however, shot down the rumor at a ''Star Trek'' convention [http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/27695.html?page=1].
  
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Brooks has also participated in a number of ''Star Trek'' documentaries and specials, including ''[[The Science of Star Trek]]'', ''[[Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond]]'', and ''[[Star Trek: Beyond the Final Frontier]]''. Footage of his performances on ''Deep Space Nine'' have been used in such documentaries as ''[[Ultimate Trek: Star Trek's Greatest Moments]]'' and ''[[How William Shatner Changed the World]]''.
  
   
 
=== Recordings ===
  
=== Recordings ===
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Brooks can be heard on the soundtrack for Anthony Davis's opera ''Tania'', released in 2001. He sings the role of Cinque in this production.
  
   
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HE'S TOO AWESOME, HIS VOICE WOULD KILL YOU
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Brooks recently completed work on a CD containing ''"a selection of ballads and love songs''", in which he praises his father and artists he admires. Brooks is currently working on an audio recording of Alex Haley's ''Roots''. [http://www.trekbbs.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=7597884&Main=7597884#Post7597884]
  
   
 
== Additional roles ==
  
== Additional roles ==

Revision as of 12:07, 17 December 2010

Template:Realworld

Avery Franklin Brooks (born 2 October 1948; age 75) is an accomplished stage, television, and film actor best known for his role as Benjamin Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is the only actor to appear in all 173 episodes of the series, and has also directed several episodes. In addition, he played Benny Russell in the episodes "Far Beyond the Stars" and "Shadows and Symbols". He also voiced Sisko in the games Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Harbinger and Star Trek: Legacy.

Background

HE'S FREAKIN' GORGEOUS

Career

EVERYONE LOVES HIM

Stage

THIS GUY IS A BEAUTY

Television

Picard and Sisko

...with Patrick Stewart

EVEN HITLER LOVES HIM

Recordings

HE'S TOO AWESOME, HIS VOICE WOULD KILL YOU

Additional roles

Acting Credits

Star Trek

Other notable works

Stage

  • Are You Now or Have You Ever Been (1978-1979) as Paul Robeson
  • Paul Robeson (1982-) as Paul Robeson
  • X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (1985-1986) as Malcolm X
  • Othello (1985, Folger Shakespeare Festival) as Othello
  • The Cherry Orchard (2000, McCarter Theatre Center) as Lopahin
  • The Oedipus Plays (2001, Shakespeare Theatre) as Oedipus
  • King Lear (2004, Yale Repertory Theatre) as King Lear
  • Tamburlaine (October 28, 2007 to January 6, 2008) as Tamburlaine

Television

  • Solomon Northrup's Odyssey (TV movie, 1984) as Solomon Northrup
  • Spenser: For Hire (TV series, 1985-1988) as Hawk
  • Uncle Tom's Cabin (TV movie, 1987) as Uncle Tom
  • Roots: The Gift (TV movie, 1988) as Cletus Moyer
  • A Man Called Hawk (TV series, 1989) as Hawk
  • Spencer: Ceremony (TV movie, 1993) as Hawk
  • Spencer: Pale Kings and Princes (TV movie, 1994) as Hawk
  • Spencer: The Judas Ghost (TV movie, 1994) as Hawk
  • Spencer: A Savage Place (TV movie, 1995) as Hawk
  • Gargoyles (episode: "Sentinel", 1996) as Nokkar (voice only)

Film

Directorial Credits

File:Brooks directs Robinson, Biggs and Armstrong.jpg

Brooks directs

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine regular cast
René Auberjonois • Avery Brooks • Nicole de Boer • Michael Dorn • Terry Farrell • Cirroc Lofton • Colm Meaney • Armin Shimerman • Alexander Siddig • Nana Visitor

Star Trek interviews

  • DS9 Season 1 DVD special feature "Deep Space Nine: A Bold Beginning" (interview from 4 November 1992)
  • DS9 Season 1 DVD special feature "Section 31-Hidden File 01" (interview from 4 November 1992)
  • DS9 Season 1 DVD special feature "Deep Space Nine Scrapbook Year One" (interview from 4 November 1992)

External links

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