Biography
Like many African-American actors of the '60s, Ji-Tu Cumbuka unfortunately found the demand for his services limited until black performers became "fashionable." Active in films since 1967, Cumbuka appeared in such productions as
Uptight (1968),
Mandingo (1975),
Bound for Glory (1976),
Fun with Dick and Jane (1977) and
Brewster's Millions (1985). The actor also did plenty of TV, including the 1977 miniseries
Roots (as "The Wrestler") and the unsold 1979 pilot for
Mandrake the Magician, wherein he played Mandrake's muscular assistant Lothar. Among the "sold" TV series featuring Ji-Tu Cumbuka were Young Dan'l Boone (1977) and
Robert Conrad's A Man Called Sloane (1979). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide