Gerald Early

Acting

Gerald Early

Born

1952-04-21 (74)

Place of birth

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Known for

Acting

Credits

9 titles

Gerald Lyn Early is an American essayist and American culture critic, appearing and serving as a consultant on Ken Burns' documentary films Baseball, Jazz, Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, The War, and Muhammad Ali. Currently, Early is the Merle Kling Professor of Modern letters, of English, African studies, African-American studies, American culture studies, and Director, Center for Joint Projects in the Humanities and Social Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He is a regular commentator on National Public Radio's Fresh Air, and his essays have appeared in numerous editions of Best American Essays series. He writes on topics as diverse as Am…

Known for

Baseball poster
7.5

The history of the sport of baseball in America, told through archival photos, film footage, and the words of those who contributed to the game in each era. Writers, historians, players, baseball personnel, and fans review key events and the significance of the game in America's history.

Baseball

1994

Jackie Robinson poster
7.0

Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to cross baseball’s color line and become one of the most beloved men in America. A fierce integrationist, Robinson used his immense fame to speak out against the discrimination he saw on and off the field, angering fans, the press, and even teammates who had once celebrated him for “turning the other cheek.” After baseball, he was a widely-read newspaper columnist, divisive political activist and tireless advocate for civil rights, who later struggled to remain relevant as diabetes crippled his body and a new generation of leaders set a more militant course for the civil rights movement.

Jackie Robinson

2016

Baseball: The Tenth Inning poster
10.0

This two-part sequel to the 1994 series Baseball continues the story of America's national pastime from the early 1990s to 2010. This transformational period leads off with the 1994 players' strike. Other key developments and milestones include the increasing dominance of Latino and Asian players who truly turn the game international; skyrocketing profits; the Red Sox' historic World Series victory; the astonishing feats of Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds; and the revelations about performance-enhancing drugs that cast a shadow over many athletic accomplishments.

Baseball: The Tenth Inning

2010

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson poster
NR

The story of Jack Johnson, the first African-American boxer to win a title and his struggle to live as a free man.

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

2005

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool poster
7.1

An immersive look at the eventful life and brilliant artistic career of visionary American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis (1926-1991).

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

2019

Dean Martin: King of Cool poster
7.4

Dean Martin had a laid-back charm that made him successful in everything from big-screen comedies to television variety shows to live acts in Las Vegas. Filmmaker Tom Donahue explores Martin’s varied career, including his complicated relationships with Jerry Lewis, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, and others. We hear from admirers such as critic Gerald Early, actor Jon Hamm, and Hip-Hop artist RZA who testify to Martin’s enduring mystique.

Dean Martin: King of Cool

2021

Film credits

2000s · 2 titles

Series credits

Baseball poster
7.5

The history of the sport of baseball in America, told through archival photos, film footage, and the words of those who contributed to the game in each era. Writers, historians, players, baseball personnel, and fans review key events and the significance of the game in America's history.

Baseball

1994

Jackie Robinson poster
7.0

Jack Roosevelt Robinson rose from humble origins to cross baseball’s color line and become one of the most beloved men in America. A fierce integrationist, Robinson used his immense fame to speak out against the discrimination he saw on and off the field, angering fans, the press, and even teammates who had once celebrated him for “turning the other cheek.” After baseball, he was a widely-read newspaper columnist, divisive political activist and tireless advocate for civil rights, who later struggled to remain relevant as diabetes crippled his body and a new generation of leaders set a more militant course for the civil rights movement.

Jackie Robinson

2016

Baseball: The Tenth Inning poster
10.0

This two-part sequel to the 1994 series Baseball continues the story of America's national pastime from the early 1990s to 2010. This transformational period leads off with the 1994 players' strike. Other key developments and milestones include the increasing dominance of Latino and Asian players who truly turn the game international; skyrocketing profits; the Red Sox' historic World Series victory; the astonishing feats of Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds; and the revelations about performance-enhancing drugs that cast a shadow over many athletic accomplishments.

Baseball: The Tenth Inning

2010

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson poster
NR

The story of Jack Johnson, the first African-American boxer to win a title and his struggle to live as a free man.

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

2005