Stan Shaw

Stan Shaw (born July 14, 1952) is an American actor. He began his career performing on Broadway musicals Hair and Via Galactica, before making his feature film debut appearing in Truck Turner (1974). Shaw later appeared in films such as The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976), Rocky (1976), The Boys in Company C (1978), The Great Santini (1979), Runaway (1984), The Monster Squad (1987), Harlem Nights (1989), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Rising Sun (1993), Cutthroat Island (1995), Daylight (1996) and Snake Eyes (1998).

Early life
Born in Chicago, Illinois, he is the son of Bertha Shaw and saxophonist Eddie Shaw, and cousin of the late soul singers Sam Cooke and Tyrone Davis. His brother is Vaan Shaw, a guitarist also known as Eddie Shaw Jr. Stan Shaw is married to Dr. Zoe Shaw, who is an author and psychotherapist.

Career
Shaw started his acting career in the Chicago production of the musical Hair as well as the Broadway production of The Me Nobody Knows. He starred in the Broadway rock musical Via Galactica directed by Peter Hall in 1972. Before becoming an actor, Shaw was a karate, judo, and jujutsu instructor in Chicago. He holds first dan black belt in judo and jujutsu and a second dan in karate. He made his big screen debut appearing in the blaxploitation films Truck Turner and TNT Jackson, both released in 1974. The following year he appeared in the musical film Darktown Strutters.

In 1976, Shaw starred in the sports comedy film The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings as Joseph Vanderbilt "Esquire Joe" Calloway alongside Billy Dee Williams, James Earl Jones and Richard Pryor. Later that year, Shaw appeared in the sports drama Rocky (1976) as "Big Dipper" Brown, a rival boxer who taunts Rocky after being given his locker. In 1978 he went to star in the war drama film, The Boys in Company C about United States Marine Corps recruits preparing for duty and their subsequent combat in the Vietnam War. In 1979 he had supporting role in the drama film The Great Santini. Later in 1979, Shaw starred as Alex Haley's maternal grandfather Will Palmer in the television miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. In his 1979 interview to The New York Times, Shaw said : “I've turned the sitcom down. I think I'm worthy of better things. People have choices, and careers are made up of what you choose and turn down. It's a career for me, and I'm looking for something that's going to make me last."

Shaw starred in a number of television pilots, notable 1979 NBC Western Buffalo Soldiers about black cavalry corps known as the Buffalo Soldiers, who protected the Western territories after the end of the Civil War. From 1983 to 1984 he starred in the CBS legal drama series, The Mississippi. In 1984 he starred in the HBO prison drama series, Maximum Security. The following year he starred in Displaced Person, the episode of anthology series, American Playhouse. In 1986 he co-starred opposite Cicely Tyson and Martin Sheen in the made-for-television movie Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story and in 1987 starred in the controversial miniseries Billionaire Boys Club. He also made appearances in television series Hill Street Blues, Fame, The Young Riders, Wiseguy and Murder, She Wrote. He also appeared as Isaac in the 1994 miniseries North and South. He received NAACP Theatre Awards for performance in Samm-Art Williams' play Home.

Shaw played a professional fighters in films Tough Enough (1983), Busted Up (1986), Harlem Nights (1989), and Snake Eyes (1998). He also appeared in films Runaway (1984), The Monster Squad (1987), Body of Evidence (1993) and Rising Sun (1993). In 1991, Shaw appeared in the comedy-drama film Fried Green Tomatoes. He had a role in the 1995 comedy film Houseguest, alongside Sinbad, and appeared as a pirate in Cutthroat Island (1995) with Geena Davis. He appeared as George Tyrell in the 1996 disaster film Daylight and as Archie Mullen in the television film Freedom Song (2000).

In 2000s and early 2010s, Shaw left the screen, making only selected appearances in television series The X Files and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. In 2017 he made his big screen return starring in the horror film Jeepers Creepers 3. In 2019 he guest-starred in the Kristoff St. John's funeral episode of CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless. In 2020 he appeared in the horror film The Pale Door. In 2022 he joined the cast of BET+ drama series, The Family Business playing Larry Duncan. In 2024 he was cast in its spin-off series, The Family Business: New Orleans. In 2023 he had recurring role in the NBC medical drama series, Chicago Med.

Partial filmography
• 1974 Truck Turner as Fontana

• 1974 TNT Jackson as Charlie

• 1975 Darktown Strutters as "Raunchy"

• 1976 The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings as Joseph Vanderbilt "Esquire Joe" Callaway, An All-Star (CF)

• 1976 Rocky as Dipper "Big Dipper" Brown

• 1978 The Boys in Company C as Tyrone Washington

• 1979 The Great Santini as Toomer Smalls

• 1979 Roots: The Next Generations as Will Palmer

• 1983 Tough Enough as P.T. Coolidge

• 1984 Runaway as Sergeant Marvin James

• 1986 The Gladiator as Joe Barker

• 1986 Busted Up as Angie

• 1987 The Monster Squad as Detective Rich Sapir

• 1987 Billionaire Boys Club as Frank Booker

• 1988 Red River as Jack Byrd

• 1989 Harlem Nights as Jack Jenkins

• 1990 Fear as Detective Webber

• 1991 Fried Green Tomatoes as George "Big George"

• 1993 Body of Evidence as Charles Biggs

• 1993 Rising Sun as Phillips

• 1993 Lifepod as Parker

• 1995 Houseguest as Larry, The Tattoo Artist

• 1995 Cutthroat Island as Mr. Glasspoole

• 1996 Daylight as George Tyrell

• 1998 Snake Eyes as Lincoln "The Atlantic City Executioner" Tyler

• 2000 Freedom Song as Archie Mullen

• 2003 Detonator as Robert Brickland

• 2016 Cassidy Way as Mr. Kane

• 2017 Jeepers Creepers 3 as Sheriff Dan Tashtego

• 2019 A Christmas Winter Song as Fred (main character)

• 2020 The Pale Door as Lester

• 2021 Greyson Family Christmas as Dr. Greyson

• 2022 A Christmas Prayer as Deacon Williams

• 2022 The Family Business as Larry Duncan

• 2023 Chicago Med as Dr. George Thomas

• 2024 The Family Business: New Orleans as Larry Duncan