Duane Jones

Duane L. Jones (February 2, 1936 – July 22, 1988) was an American actor, best known for his leading role as Ben in the 1968 horror film Night of the Living Dead. He was director of the Maguire Theater at the State University of New York at Old Westbury. He was the artistic director of the Richard Allen Center for Culture and Art in Manhattan. He was born on February 2, 1936, and he had a sister, Marva Jones Brooks. A graduate of the Sorbonne, Jones studied acting in New York City. His role in 1968 movie Night of the Living Dead marked the first time an African American actor was cast as the star of a horror film. He was executive director of the Black Theater Alliance, a federation of theater companies, from 1976 to 1981. He taught...