Lincoln Kilpatrick, 73; Actor Appeared in Many Films, Several TV Series

Lincoln Kilpatrick, who appeared in more than 40 films in an acting career that spanned four decades, has died. He was 73.

Kilpatrick died May 18 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said his agent, Tonia Lee. The cause of death was complications from lung cancer.

Kilpatrick appeared in films such as “Soylent Green,” “Omega Man,” “Uptown Saturday Night” and “Hoodlum.”

A familiar face in television, Kilpatrick co-starred with Leslie Uggams on her variety show for CBS in 1969. He also appeared as Lt. Michael Hoyt on the ABC detective series “Matt Houston” and played the Rev. Deal on the critically acclaimed CBS series “Frank’s Place.”

With Edmund J. Cambridge, he founded the Kilpatrick-Cambridge Theatre Arts School in Los Angeles in 1971.

The St. Louis native earned his bachelor’s degree in English at Lincoln University in Missouri and served in the Army.

After his discharge, he eventually moved to New York City to pursue a career in acting. He studied at the American Theatre Wing and got his first break when he met author/playwright Lorraine Hansberry, whose “A Raisin in the Sun” was being prepared for Broadway.

Hansberry encouraged the show’s producers to give Kilpatrick an audition and he became the understudy for the key role of Walter Lee Younger, who was played by Sidney Poitier.

Kilpatrick had a role in the 1963 David Merrick-Edward Lewis production of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” on Broadway and was an understudy in 1967 with Uggams in “Hallelujah Baby.”

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Helen Ferguson Kilpatrick, five children, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. today at the Bible Enrichment Fellowship International Church, 400 E. Kelso St., Inglewood.

Instead of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Kilpatrick-Cambridge Theatre Arts School, 3655 Westwood Blvd. Ste. 8, Los Angeles, CA 90034.