Ben Powers
*Ben Powers was born on this date in 1949. He was a Black actor.
Alton A. “Ben” Powers was born in Younkers, NY, and raised in Providence, RI. There, he sang in his church choir and later attended the Rhode Island School of Design. He began his acting career at Trinity Repertory Theatre in Providence. Powers chose acting after an injury ended his aspiring football career.
He sang and made impressions in standup comedy routines until a Hollywood agent discovered him. He performed at Playboy Clubs in New York, Los Angeles, and Boston. Some of his impressions (e.g., Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis) were evidenced during a couple of "talent shows" that were held during a few episodes of "Good Times." Those jobs led to appearances on NBC’s Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, which led to his work in TV series and movies.
Powers was best known as Keith Anderson on the Good Times sitcom that aired on CBS in the mid-to-late 1970s. His character was the football player husband of Thelma Evans, played by Bernadette Stanis, on the hit series produced by Norman Lear and Bud York. Powers also played the character Moochie on another CBS series, The New Mike Hammer, which starred Stacey Keach.
He also appeared in guest roles in the series Gimme A Break, Laverne & Shirley, The New Odd Couple, and The Great American Hero, plus a couple of telefilms. His feature movie resume included Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie, Things Are Tough All Over, and The Man Who Loved Women. He only debuted in the 1980 comedy Cheech and Chong's Next Movie.
Ben Powers died of liver cancer in Providence, RI, on April 6, 2015.
