# Basil Wallace

Basil Wallace (born January 15, 1951) is a Jamaican-American actor, playwright, theatre director, and acting teacher.

## Early life

Wallace was born in Kingston and immigrated to the United States as a child with his four siblings. His family first settled in Brooklyn, New York City. He, his parents, and his siblings then moved to Long Island, where he attended Hempstead High School.

## Career

Wallace became interested in theater and, after graduating high school, entered New York University. He attended NYU for two years, during which time he performed in his first Off-Off-Broadway play. He went on to work for many years as a playwright, actor, and theatre director in New York.
Early in Wallace's career, he became involved with La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in Manhattan's East Village. He acted in a production, called "Short Bullins", of four Ed Bullins one-act plays at La MaMa in 1972. The Jarboro Company then took those one-acts (How Do You Do?, A Minor Scene, Dialect Determinism, and It Has No Choice, along with Bullins' Clara's Old Man and Richard Wesley's Black Terror) on tour to Italy. He also acted in Clifford Mason's Sister Sadie, directed by Allie Woods at La MaMa in 1972.
Wallace co-wrote (with Angela Marie Lee) and directed the play Sounds of a Silent Man at La MaMa in 1973, and directed Edgar Nkosi White's Lament for Rastafari at La MaMa in 1977. He returned to La MaMa in 1987 to direct a work-in-progress reading of White's Tres Cepas (The Love Songs for China).
Wallace taught at Lincoln Center Theater for a decade, was the drama director for School District 13 in the Bronx, and was the director of Mini-Mobile Theatre for two years. He was one of the founding members and served as artistic director for the first year of the Caribbean American Repertory Theatre.
In 1990, Wallace moved to Los Angeles and auditioned for the film Marked for Death. He was cast as the lead villain, Screwface. Wallace has continued to act in film and television throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1987 | Eddie Murphy Raw | Eddie's Father |
| 1990 | Marked for Death | 'Screwface' |
| 1991 | Wedlock | Emerald |
| 1991 | Grand Canyon | Insurance Salesman |
| 1992 | Rapid Fire | Agent Wesley |
| 1993 | Return of the Living Dead 3 | Riverman |
| 1995 | Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home | Reporter |
| 1998 | Caught Up | Ahmad |
| 1999 | The Wood | Lisa's Father |
| 2001 | Joy Ride | Car Salesman |
| 2002 | Like Mike | Drill Sergeant Dad |
| 2006 | Blood Diamond | Benjamin Kapanay |
| 2024 | The Geechee Witch: A Boo Hag Story | Jacob |

### Television

| Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1990 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Klingon Guard #1 | Episode 4.7: "Reunion" |
| 1990 | China Beach | Rashid | Episode 4.9: "The Call" |
| 1991 | Quantum Leap | Jazz Boone | Episode 4.10: "Unchained" |
| 1992 | Afterburn | Terry Worth | TV film |
| 1993 | Sirens | Pacnow | Episode 1.7: "Strike Two" |
| 1994 | NYPD Blue | Reginald Harris | Episode 2.2: "For Whom the Skell Rolls" |
| 1995 | Children of the Dust | | TV miniseries |
| 1996 | Dark Skies | Barney Hill | Episode 1&2: "The Awakening" |
| 1997 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Cop #1 | Episode 7.17: "Face-Off" |
| 1997 | Bloodhounds | Lt. Ron Coughlin | TV film |
| 1997 | Diagnosis: Murder | William Turner | Episode 4.24: "The Merry Widow Murder" |
| 1997 | Soldier of Fortune, Inc. | | Episode 1.9: "Missing in Action" |
| 1998 | Born Free | Josef Awaz | 8 episodes |
| 1998 | Pensacola: Wings of Gold | Pres. Louis Simone | Episode 1.14: "Soldiers of Misfortune" |
| 1998 | The Practice | Jerry | Episode 2.21: "In Deep" |
| 1999 | ER | Mr. Campbell | Episode 5.17: "Sticks and Stones" |
| 1999 | Pacific Blue | | Episode 5.13: "Swimming the Dead Pool" |
| 2000 | The Pretender | Sheriff Bowen | Episode 4.8: "Rules of Engagement" |
| 2000 | Judging Amy | Rev. Del Mueller | Episode 2.3: "Instincts" |
| 2000 | City of Angels | Joe | 2 episodes |
| 2001 | Any Day Now | | Episode 3.19: "What If?" |
| 2001 | The Division | Rupert Taylor | Episode 1.14: "The Parent Trap" |
| 2002 | The West Wing | McKonnen Loboko | Episode 3.14: "Night Five" |
| 2002 | Philly | Marcus Herman | Episode 1.22: "Mojo Rising" |
| 2002 | The Agency | | Episode 2.2: "Air Lex" |
| 2002 | Strong Medicine | Ezekiel Monroe-Howard | Episodes 3.12: "Blush" |
| 2003 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Principal | Episodes 4.10: "Coming of Rage" |
| 2004 | LAX | Fredericks | Episodes 1.7: "Out of Control" |
| 2007 | NCIS | Delphin Abaka | Episode 5.8: "Designated Target" |
| 2009 | Burn Notice | Claude Laurent | Episode 2.14: "Truth and Reconciliation" |
| 2012 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Ed Gornt | Episode 3.14: "Partners" |
| 2013 | Eagleheart | Bunju | Episode 2.11: "Bringing Down Bunju" |
| 2021 | Christmas in Harmony | Deacon James | TV film |