Godfrey Cambridge was a renowned American actor and stand-up comedian who rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s. He was known for his witty and satirical humor, as well as his versatile roles in films and television. He was hailed by Time magazine as one of the country’s foremost celebrated Negro comedians, along with Bill Cosby, Dick Gregory, and Nipsey Russell. However, his brilliant career was cut short by a sudden and tragic death at the age of 43. How did Godfrey Cambridge die of a heart attack? Here is the story of his life and death.
Early Life and Career
Godfrey MacArthur Cambridge was born on February 26, 1933, in New York City, to Alexander and Sarah Cambridge, who were immigrants from British Guiana. His parents, dissatisfied with the New York Public School System, sent him to live with his grandparents in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, during his primary school years. When he was 13, Cambridge moved back to New York and attended Flushing High School in Flushing, Queens.
In 1949, Cambridge studied medicine at Hofstra College, which he attended for three years before dropping out to pursue a career in acting. While pursuing an acting career, Cambridge supported himself with a variety of jobs, including “cab driver, bead-sorter, ambulance driver, gardener, judo instructor, and clerk for the New York City Housing Authority,” as well as cleaning airplanes and making popcorn bunnies.
His first role was as a bartender in the Off-Broadway play Take a Giant Step. In 1961, he received an Obie award for distinguished performance for his role in Jean Genet’s The Blacks, in a cast that also included James Earl Jones, Louis Gossett, Cicely Tyson, Maya Angelou and Raymond St. Jacques. He made his Broadway debut in the original production of Herman Wouk’s 1957 play Nature’s Way.
Cambridge received a 1962 Tony Award nomination as part of the original cast of Purlie Victorious, a play written by and starring Ossie Davis; he was featured in an opening-night cast that also included Ruby Dee, Alan Alda, Sorrell Booke, Roger C. Carmel, Helen Martin, and Beah Richards.
Rise to Fame and Stardom
Cambridge joined the Greenwich Village integrated comedy revue Living Premise and continued to perform comedy gigs there. His appearance on the The Jack Paar Show earned him national fame and invitations to perform at top-tier comedy clubs. He then signed a contract with Epic Records and started presenting The Godfrey Cambridge Show: Recorded Live at The Aladdin, Las Vegas, from 1960 to 1965. His other popular comedy albums are Ready or Not, Here’s Godfrey Cambridge, Them Cotton Pickin’ Days is Over and Godfrey Cambridge Toys With the World.
In the late 1960s, Cambridge played a variety of roles on stage and screen. His notable films included The President’s Analyst, where he plays a depressed government agent, and Watermelon Man, in which he played the lead character, a white bigot who one day wakes up and discovers his skin color has turned black. (On one of his comedy LPs, Cambridge ruefully noted he did not get the lead role in King of Kings, calling it “a marketing problem”.)
He also starred in Cotton Comes to Harlem and its sequel Come Back, Charleston Blue, based on the novels by Chester Himes, where he played the detective Gravedigger Jones. He appeared in several television shows, such as Bewitched, The Name of the Game, The Partners, and The Mod Squad. He also hosted his own talk show, The Godfrey Cambridge Show, in 1970.
Death and Legacy
On November 29, 1976, Cambridge was on the set of the TV movie Victory at Entebbe, where he was set to play Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. He collapsed and died of a massive heart attack, shocking his co-stars and crew. He was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival. He was 43 years old.
His death was mourned by his fans and colleagues, who remembered him as a talented and charismatic performer. His widow, Audriano Meyers, said that he had been suffering from high blood pressure and had been warned by his doctor to lose weight and quit smoking. She also said that he had been under a lot of stress due to his busy schedule and the racial tensions in the country.
Cambridge was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles. He left behind two daughters, Gillian and Stephanie, from his previous marriage to Barbara Ann Teer, a theater director and activist.
Cambridge is regarded as one of the pioneers of black comedy, who broke racial barriers and stereotypes with his humor and intelligence. He influenced many comedians who came after him, such as Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, and Dave Chappelle. He is also remembered for his diverse and memorable roles in films and television, which showcased his range and versatility as an actor. He was a trailblazer and a legend, who left a lasting legacy in the entertainment industry.
