Horror Extreme Movie Catalog

'Nathan Cook' (April 9, 1950, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – June 11, 1988, in Santa Monica, California) was an African-American actor. His eldest brother, Edward Cook (born December 22, 1947, died 1995) was a ballet dancer and choreographer in Europe. He is survived by one sister and a younger brother. After graduation from Penn State University, he was hired as a member of the repertory company at Actors Theatre of Louisville, in Kentucky. After moving to Los Angeles in 1975, he was known for roles on two television series. He played Milton Reese, one of the high school basketball players, on The White Shadow (1978-1980). He also played security head Billy Griffin on Hotel (1983-1988). Between these two he had a shorter role (1981-1982) as Detective Virgil Brooks in Hill Street Blues. He was involved for a time with the actress Alfre Woodard before marrying and having two children in 1984 and 1986. He also made frequent appearances as a celebrity guest on the game shows Body Language, Super Password, and The $100,000 Pyramid. Cook, an accomplished jazz flute player, died in 1988 from a severe allergic reaction to penicillin. His favorite saying was: "It's okay to fool the people, as long as you don't fool yourself."