Ben Vereen

Ben Vereen is a Tony Award-winning, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominated American actor, dancer, and singer who has appeared in numerous Broadway theatre shows. Vereen graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts. He was nominated for a Tony Award for Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972 and won a Tony for his appearance in Pippin in 1973. Vereen appeared in the Broadway musical, Wicked, as the Wizard of Oz, in 2005.

He has also starred in numerous television programs and films. Notable film roles include song-and-dance men in Funny Lady and All That Jazz. He appeared on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episode, “Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse", in which he played Will Smith's biological father. He starred in the television series, Tenspeed and Brown Shoe, but is probably best known for his role as "Chicken" George Moore in Roots and possibly as Commander Edward M. La Forge, father of Geordi La Forge, on Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1993. Other TV appearances include: