Acting Career
Nick Stewart was born Horace Winfred Stewart in New York City, to Joseph (March 2, 1888 – July 1976) and Albertha Stewart, who were recent immigrants from the Caribbean. He began his show business career as a dancer at the Cotton Club and Hoofers Club. Stewart also was a veteran of Broadway shows, having created a comedic character he called "Nicodemus" and playing that role in Swingin' the Dream and Louisiana Purchase, as well as in the film Go West, Young Man. Stewart also performed comedy as a cast member of the Rudy Vallée radio show in 1941. Other acting credits include the 1936 movie Go West Young Man, the voice of Br'er Bear in the 1946 Disney movie Song of the South, (as well as in the spin-off Disney attraction Splash Mountain (Coincidentally, he is the only voice actor in that attraction to reprise his role from the film, as James Baskett and Johnny Lee, the original voices of Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox had died, and were replaced by Jess Harnell), and Willy-Willy on the television series Ramar of the Jungle. Also in 1954, Stewart had a important role in The Reign of Amelika Joe presented by Fireside Theatre. He also won a comedy role in White Christmas.
He was originally offered the role of Calhoun the lawyer, which he turned down. (After his refusal, it went to Johnny Lee, who had the role on radio since 1949.) Soon Gosden and Correll were back on the telephone, this time offering Stewart the role of Lightnin' on the television show. Nick Stewart accepted the role with one idea in mind: to make enough money to be able to open his own theater where African Americans would not be typecast as maids and porters. In 1987, Doris McMillon devoted an entire week of her nightly talk show, On the Line with, to a discussion of the documentary Amos 'n' Andy: Anatomy of a Controversy, and the issues surrounding the shows. Nick Stewart was one of the participants, discussing the show and his role in it.
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