Rudy Challenger

Rudolph Michael Challenger, born October 2, 1928, in New York City, was an African-American actor whose career spanned stage, film, and television across approximately three decades. He died on August 22, 2012, in Van Nuys, California, at the age of 83.

Challenger began his acting career on the stage in the early 1960s. Before establishing himself on Broadway, he performed in several off-Broadway productions, including The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, Along Came a Spider, and Scuba Duba, the last of which was directed by Jacques Levy and ran for 692 performances between October 10, 1967, and June 8, 1969. His castmates in Scuba Duba included Judd Hirsch, Conrad Bain, and Jerry Orbach.

His Broadway career ran from 1962 to 1971 and included five productions. He appeared in Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright in 1962, followed by Tambourines to Glory in 1963. In 1965 he took part in Do I Hear a Waltz? and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, the latter a Robert Lewis-directed production that won four Tony Awards and ran for 280 performances, from October 17, 1965, to June 11, 1966. He also appeared in Hello, Dolly! during his Broadway tenure.

Challenger subsequently built a career in Hollywood in film and television. His television appearances included roles on Sanford and Son, Kojak, Lou Grant, and The Fall Guy. On the film side, he appeared in the 1973 feature Detroit 9000 and the 1975 film Sheba Baby, which starred Pam Grier. He retired from acting in 1989.

Challenger was married to British actress Lisa Davis Waltz from December 31, 1973, to September 14, 1978. At the time of his death he was residing in Southern California with his wife, Charlotte.