Willie Best

Actor, Film actor

1916 – 1962

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Who was Willie Best?

William "Willie" Best, sometimes known as Sleep n' Eat, was an American television and film actor.

Best was one of the first well-known African American film actors and comedians, although his work, like that of Stepin Fetchit, is today 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 of them, an unusual feat for a bit player.

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Born
May 27, 1916
Sunflower
Also known as
  • Sleep 'n' Eat
  • William Best
  • William "Willie" Best
  • Best
  • sleep n'eat
Ethnicity
  • African American
Nationality
  • United States of America
Profession
Lived in
  • Mississippi
Died
Feb 27, 1962
Woodland Hills
Resting place
Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

Citation

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"Willie Best." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/willie_best>.

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