Roscoe Hunter Orman (born June 11, 1944) is an American actor, writer, artist, and child advocate, best known for playing Gordon Robinson, one of the central human characters on Sesame Street.
Early life and career While a student at New York City's High School of Art and Design, Orman made his theatrical debut in the 1962 topical revue If We Grow Up. He was an early member of the Free Southern Theater in New Orleans for two years in the mid-1960s and a founding member of Robert Macbeth's New Lafayette Theatre in Harlem, NY, where he both acted in and directed several plays by NLT's playwright-in-residence, Ed Bullins. His many other stage appearances have included roles in "Julius Caesar" and "Coriolanus" at Joseph Papp's Public Theater, the Broadway production of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Fences", Manhattan Theatre Club's stagings of Richard Wesley's "The Sirens", "The Last Street Play", and "The Talented Tenth", and Matt Robinson's one-man play The Confessions of Stepin Fetchit at the American Place Theatre. Orman is the recipient of two Audelco Theatre Awards and a five-time nominee.
He made his feature film debut in the title role of Universal Studios' 1973 drama Willie Dynamite and has since appeared in F/X, Striking Distance, New Jersey Drive, Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird, Twilight's Last Gleaming, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, Holiday Rush, and You Can't Take My Daughter. His television credits include work on All My Children, Kojak, Sanford and Son, Cosby, Sex and the City, The Wire, Law & Order, and Law & Order: SVU. He appeared in the Garry Trudeau/Amazon streaming production Alpha House and the HBO mini-series The Night Of.
Orman joined the Sesame Street cast in 1974, becoming the third actor to play Gordon (after Matt Robinson, 1969–72, and Hal Miller, 1972–74).
In June 2006, Orman's memoir, Sesame Street Dad: Evolution of An Actor, was released. In September 2007, his children's book Ricky and Mobo was released.
On October 8, 2008, he became the Chief Storyteller of AudibleKids.com (a service of Audible.com), a website for parents, teachers, and children to connect with one another and download and listen to audiobooks on iPods, MP3 players, and computers. In this role, Orman narrates audiobooks and communicates with children, parents and teachers online and at events. His new role was announced at a community event at The Educational Alliance Boys & Girls Club in New York City, where Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office commended Orman's life work and willingness to embrace new technology to help encourage children to read books, by naming October 8, 2008, AudibleKids Day in New York City.
In 2016, his contract with Sesame Street was not renewed, as part of Sesame Workshop's retooling of the series, but the organization said that Orman would continue to represent it at public events. He returned to play Gordon in Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration along with a couple of YouTube videos released in 2018, a 2019 CNN town hall, Coming Together: Standing Up To Racism alongside former Sesame Street cast member Sonia Manzano, and a TV special released the same year, "The Power of We", also about racism. Roscoe Orman also returned as Gordon in a Season 54 and a Season 55 episode, thus becoming the first original human cast member to rejoin Sesame Street since Season 46.
Personal life Orman has four children with his former partner Sharon Orman, and is the grandfather of eight. His son Miles Orman played Gordon and Susan's adopted son Miles Robinson on Sesame Street from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. He and his wife, Kimberley LaMarque Orman, reside in New Jersey.
Filmography Film Film credits Year Title Role Notes1973Willie DynamiteWillie1976All My ChildrenTyrone1979Julius CaesarMarcus BrutusDirect-to-videoCoriolanusAdrian1985Sesame Street Presents: Follow That BirdGordon Robinson1986F/XCaptain Wallenger1993Striking DistanceSid, Eddie Eiler's Partner1995New Jersey DriveJudge1996Elmo Saves ChristmasGordon RobinsonDirect-to-video1997Drive by: A Love StoryPopsShort film1999The Adventures of Elmo in GrouchlandGordon Robinson2007Coney IslandBossShort film2008Compliments of the SerpentMike StantonShort2011Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of LifeDr. Grady2018All These Small MomentsDr. Rogers2019Holiday Rush Reginald Miller
Television Television credits Year Title Role Notes1974–2016; 2023–presentSesame StreetGordon Robinson1977KojakLieutenant ConnorsEpisode: "The Condemned"InsightBody GuardEpisode: "Leroy"1978Christmas Eve on Sesame StreetGordon RobinsonTelevision film1983Don't Eat the Pictures: Sesame Street at the Metropolitan Museum of ArtGordon RobinsonTelevision film1989A Man Called HawkMalcolmEpisode: "Hear No Evil"Hard Time on Planet EarthCaptain RalstonEpisode: "Stranger in a Strange Land"1991Big Bird's Birthday or Let Me Eat CakeGordon RobinsonTelevision film1993Sesame Street Stays Up Late!Gordon RobinsonTelevision film1998Elmopalooza! Gordon RobinsonTelevision film1999CosbyMr. MasonEpisode: "Book 'Em, Griff O"2000LifelineNarrator (voice)Episode: "D.C. Children's Hospital"2001–2004Law & OrderMr. Cameron, Trial Judge Alan Kiley2 episodes2002Sex and the CityTrain WaiterEpisode: "The Big Journey"200630 DaysJo Jo1 episode2008The WireOfficer Oscar Requer2 episodes2008–2013Law & Order: Special Victims UnitJerome Howard, Bryant Davis2 episodes2012–2013Little Children, Big Challenges Gordon Robinson2 episodes2013Alpha HouseRandallEpisode: "Hippo Issues"2016The Night Of Jury ForemanEpisode: "The Call of the Wild"2018Blue BloodsEthan GoodwinEpisode: "Second Chances"New AmsterdamRodger ConwayEpisode: "Three Dots"2020You Can't Take My DaughterMcDevittTelevision film
Stage credits Year Title Role(s) Venue(s) Notes Ref. 1962 If We Grow Up 2010 The Last Fall Neville Crossroads Theatre Driving Miss Daisy Hoke Fulton Theatre (PA) 2012 Jitney Jim Theatre Morgan 2014 Fetch Clay, Make Man Stepin Fetchit Round House Theatre The Fabulous Miss Marie Bill New Federal Theatre 2017 Bud, Not Buddy Jimmy, etc. Kennedy Center
References
External links Interview from Wisconsin Public Television with Roscoe Orman — the actor talks about his career and experiences playing Gordon Robinson on Sesame Street.
Roscoe Orman Interview in the Archive of American Television Interview 'Sesame Street' star is an accidental role model - Associated Press