John Wesley, Stage and TV Veteran From Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Dies at 72 | Playbill

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Obituaries John Wesley, Stage and TV Veteran From Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Dies at 72 The performer was known for his roles on TV and in regional productions.

Stage and screen performer John Wesley, known for his roles on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and The Jamie Foxx Show, died September 8. He was 72.

In addition to his work on the small screen, Mr. Wesley was a frequent performer on the stage. He earned an Atlas Award for Lillian Hellman's Toys in the Attic in San Diego, as well as a Dramalogue Award for his performance in Oyamo's I Am A Man in Los Angeles.

He frequently performed at Denver Theatre Center, appearing in such shows as Seven Guitars, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Jitney, and A Streetcar Named Desire.

Mr. Wesley also served as the artistic and producing director of the Southern California Black Repertory Company, where he produced Athol Fugard's Sizwe Banzi is Dead and The Island.

Earlier this year, Mr. Wesley won Best Actor in A Dramatic Short from the Hollywood Women's Film Festival earlier this year for the final role of his career in Second Acts.

The U.S. Army veteran served during the Vietnam War and graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelors of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts.

He is survived by his wife Jenny Houston; mother Hazel Baskin; daughters Kimiko Kamiel Houston and Kinshasha Lynett Houston; stepson Kyler Richie; brothers Larry Houston, Kamara Baskin, Leon Baskin, Steven Baskin, and Shalamon Baskin; sisters Deborah Martino, Monica Houston, Evelyn Houston, and Kimber Houston; and seven grandchildren.

 
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