Kevin Hooks

Kevin Hooks (born September 19, 1958) is an American actor, and a television and film director; he is notable for his roles in Aaron Loves Angela and Sounder, but may be best known as Morris Thorpe from TV's The White Shadow.

Early life and acting career

Kevin Hooks was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Yvonne, a state employee, and Robert Hooks, a director and actor who starred in many films in the 1970s. Kevin's nickname amongst his friends is "King Royal".

When he was still 10, Kevin starred in the acclaimed "J.T.," a 1969 episode of the CBS Children's Hour about a thoughtful Harlem youth who befriends a sick cat. Written by Jane Wagner, it was a Peabody Award winner and remains widely available.

Hooks appeared in the hit 1972 movie (Sounder) as the pre-teen elder son of Paul Winfield's and Cicely Tyson's characters, providing the point of view of the film. He held the story together as a boy thrust into being "man of the family" on a sharecropping farm during the Depression. The adults were nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress Oscars respectively for their performances.