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United States Glynn Turman is an acclaimed actor, director, and producer whose career spans over six decades, showcasing remarkable versatility in film, television, and theater.
Glynn Turman was featured as the face of Beyoncé's new Ivy Park denim collection, appearing in a promotional video on horseback in a denim jumpsuit. Turman, an acclaimed cowboy and rodeo champion, played a significant role in introducing the collection. This collaboration leveraged his real-life cowboy persona, aligning with the brand's campaign.
Glynn Turman was born in New York City on January 31, 1947. His acting career began as a young teenager in 1959, originating the role of “Travis Younger” on Broadway in Lorraine Hansberry’s seminal play “A Raisin in the Sun.” In this production, he performed alongside notable figures such as Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, and Diana Sands. Following his graduation from Manhattan’s High School of Performing Arts in 1965, he further honed his craft by apprenticing in regional companies across the country, including Tyrone Guthrie’s Repertory Theatre, where he appeared in productions like “Good Boys,” “Harper’s Ferry,” “The Visit,” and “The House of Atreus” in the late 1960s.
Turman’s career progressed into film and television in the 1970s, with roles in “blaxploitation” films such as “Honky” (1971), “Five on the Black Hand Side” (1973), “Together Brothers” (1974), and “Thomasine & Bushrod” (1974). He gained further recognition in the cult film “Cooley High” (1975). On television, he appeared in “Daktari,” “Julia,” and “Room 222,” and had a regular role in the prime-time soap opera “Peyton Place.” His stage performance in “The Wine Sellers” in 1974 earned him a Los Angeles Critics Award nomination and a Dramalogue Award. Throughout his career, Turman has been recognized with multiple NAACP Image Awards, including one for his work in the play “Eyes of the American.”
Beyond acting, Turman also established himself as a director, earning his second NAACP Image Award for directing “Deadwood Dick” at the Inner City Cultural Center. He directed several episodes for television series including “The Parenthood,” “Hanging with Mr. Cooper,” and “The Wayans Bros.” He was a regular fixture on “A Different World” for five seasons (1988-1993), playing Colonel Taylor, and also directed episodes of the show. More recently, he earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role in “In Treatment” (2008), and has appeared in hit shows like “The Wire” (as Mayor Clarence Royce) and films like “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” (2020), which earned him a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2025, he will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, placed next to his mentor, Sidney Poitier.
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