Gregory Hines died Saturday at the age of 57. He won a Tony Award as best actor in 1992 for his portrayal of Jelly Roll Morton in Jelly's Last Jam. His film roles include Francis Ford Coppola's Cotton Club, White Nights in which he danced with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Tap. This interview first aired February 8, 1989.
Actor Gregory Hines has performed on the stage in numerous shows including the hit, Jelly’s Last Jam, for which he won a Tony award. He has also been in films such as Waiting to Exhale and the upcoming The Tic Code. Now he stars in his own television series, The Gregory Hines Show. Hines plays a widower raising a twelve year old son and attempting to resume his own social life. The show premieres this fall on CBS, Fridays at 9:00. (Interview by David Bianculli)
Hines started tap dancing at the age of five, and worked in clubs with his brother and father. He made a career on Broadway, and later appeared in movies like The Cotton Club and White Knights. His new movie is called Tap.