Biography
Actor Bruce A. Young defied the typecast of street-smart working-class roles commonly handed to African-American performers, courageously and dramatically expanding the boundaries of "urban" parts on his resumé to encompass a surprisingly varied spectrum of assignments. He made one of his earliest appearances as a mechanic in
Michael Mann's gritty 1981 thriller
Thief, then shifted gears altogether with a small but memorable turn as a kinky transvestite in the
Paul Brickman-directed satire
Risky Business (1983) and ushered in a performance as a colorful pool shark with an affinity for cowboy garb in
Martin Scorsese's
Hustler update
The Color of Money (1986). Beginning with his portrayal of a hitman in the 1989
Lethal Weapon 2, Young placed a particularly heavy emphasis on action and thriller roles; projects included
Basic Instinct (1992),
Trespass (1992),
Jurassic Park III (2001), and
Enough (2002). Young also worked steadily on television in everything from one-episode guest-acting work to a regular role as Capt. Simon Banks on the UPN sci-fi adventure series
The Sentinel (1996-1999). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide