Geoffrey Holder, Prolific Actor & Choreographer, Has Died Aged 84

Geoffrey Holder, the celebrated actor, choreographer, dancer and artist, has died at the age of 84.

Holder died on Sunday (5th October) in New Jersey in the Lillian Booth Actors Home of The Actors Fund in Englewood. His cause of death is listed as complications from pneumonia, as the New York Times reports. He is survived by his wife of 59 years Carmen De Lavallade, and their son, Léo.

Holder was born in 1930 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and from a young age began performing in his brother's dance company. At the age of twenty-two he relocated to New York to teach at the Katherine Dunham dance school. After teaching at the school for two years, he left to join the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and became the principal dancer.

Holder began his screen career in 1962 when he obtained a small role in All Night Long. He went on to appear in Doctor Dolittle five years later. He continued to gain small parts including in Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex*. He became a well known face after he was cast in Live and Let Die, a Bond film starring Roger Moore, in which he starred as the henchmen Baron Samedi.

Holder returned to theatre during the 1970s and he also focussed on costume design. Holder won two Tony awards for directing and designing the costumes for The Wiz in 1975. During the period he was also a 7 Up spokesperson and featured on an ad campaign for the brand. He would later reprise this role whilst appearing on Celebrity Apprentice in 2011.

During the 1980s he returned to the screen when he appeared in Annie. Most recently he has featured in Tim Burton's adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which he narrated.

Contactmusic sends their condolences to Geoffrey Holder's family and friends.