May 27, 1916Sunflower, Mississippi, United StatesDied on 27 Feb 1962 (aged 45)
actor
Gemini
About Willie Best
William "Willie" Best (May 27, 1916 – February 27, 1962), sometimes known as Sleep n' Eat, was an American television and film actor.Best was one of the first black American film actors and comedians to become well known.
In the 21st century, his work, like that of Stepin Fetchit, is sometimes reviled because he was often called upon to play stereotypically lazy, illiterate, and/or simple-minded characters in films.
Of the 124 films he appeared in, he received screen credit in at least 77, an unusual feat for a black American bit player.