dooley wilson

Legacy Award

Arthur Wilson, called Dooley for an Irish song he performed literally in whiteface, is best remembered for his performance as Sam, Humphrey Bogart's piano playing friend and confidante in CASABLANCA (1942). Such roles were rare for black actors in the Forties but Wilson gamely accepted the parts of porters (MY FAVORITE BLONDE,1942), chauffeurs (HIGHER AND HIGHER, 1943), waiters (NO MAN OF HER OWN, 1950), and the occasional piano player (KNOCK ON ANY DOOR, 1949) to keep working. When Hollywood wasn't starring him in roles like 1943's STORMY WEATHER with Lena Horne and Cab Calloway, he was doing stints on Broadway in CABIN IN THE SKY (1941) and BLOOMER GIRL (1944). His final role was as the boyfriend of television's BEULAH but, as time goes by, Dooley Wilson will be remembered as a man who brought dignity to every role he played.

Anna Deavere Smith

Anna Deavere Smith has appeared in several films, including PHILADELPHIA, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, and RACHEL GETTING MARRIED. She had recurring roles on The West Wing (National Security Advisor Dr. Nancy McNally) and The Practice. Smith appears as hospital administrator Mrs. Akalitus in the Showtime dark comedy series Nurse Jackie, which premiered in June 2009