Was He Even Legal? Here's How Old Glynn Turman Was in Cooley High

Summary

• Although Glynn Turman played a teenager in Cooley High, he was much older than his character.
• However, the actor actually made his screen debut as a minor.
• Turman's acting career now spans 65 years.

Cooley High is undoubtedly one of the most influential works in the history of African-American cinema. Released during the heyday of blaxploitation films, the coming-of-age comedy-drama written by Eric Monte and directed by Michael Schultz proved to be not only a celebration of black culture in the 1960s and 1970s, but also a candid portrayal of the struggles of ordinary black teenagers who dream big. Overall, the contribution of Cooley High, a film that began as a lighthearted teen comedy and ended as a heartbreaking tragedy, is hard to overstate.

And, of course, Cooley High's brightest stars were Glynn Turman and Lawrence Hilton Jacobs, young actors whose careers took off after the film's June 1975 release. Today, we'll talk specifically about Turman, who created many memorable characters and established himself as one of the most talented black actors. But how old was he when Cooley High was produced?

How Old Was Glynn Turman When He Starred in Cooley High?

Cooley High was released in June 1975, but the filming, which took place in Chicago, Illinois, lasted only about a month, from October to November 1974. Glynn Turman, who plays the lead role of Preach, a teenager who dreams of making it in Hollywood as a screenwriter, was born on January 31, 1947.

He was 27 at the time of filming. But you could be forgiven for thinking the actor was the same age as his character, a high school graduate. This fact only speaks to Truman's unparalleled talent and how much the actor put into the role.

A Living Legend of Black Acting

However, Glynn Turman got his first acting role when he was still a minor. In 1959, at the age of 12, he appeared in the original Broadway production of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun alongside black theater, film and television legends Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, Ivan Dixon, Louis Gossett Jr. and Lonne Elder III.

Just two years later, he appeared on television in a cameo on The Play of the Week. Beginning in 1968, however, Turman established himself as a performer, not only working with black actors, but also appearing in 45 episodes of the series Peyton Place.

What Plans Does Turman Have for the Future?

Glynn Turman is best known today for his roles in the sitcom A Different World, the drama House of Lies, and as Mayor Clarence Royce in The Wire. In addition, the career of the actor continues to acquire an increasingly impressive portfolio.

In 2020, the fourth season of FX's Fargo was released, where the actor played Doctor Senator, as well as Netflix's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, an adaptation of the 1982 cult black play written by August Wilson.

In 2022, he appeared in the ABC historical drama Women of the Movement, and in 2023, he played A. Philip Randolph in Rustin and Chiron in Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The same year also saw the release of The Big Cigar, in which Thurman portrayed the father of Black Panther Party founder Huey P. Newton.

Furthermore, the actor will also appear in the epic Western film series Horizon: The American Saga, created by Kevin Costner. Turman's role in the movies is still unknown, but he will definitely appear in the second and third installments. Despite all the drama between Costner and the team behind Yellowstone, Chapter 1 premiered on June 28, 2024. As for Chapter 2, it was supposed to be released on August 16, but due to the poor performance of the first movie, the release date was postponed indefinitely.

We wish Glynn Turman all the best and many more years of success in his acting career!