Lee Weaver, a veteran character actor whose five-decade career brought warmth and depth to roles ranging from sitcoms to critically acclaimed films, died of natural causes at his Los Angeles home on Monday, September 22, 2025. He was 95.
His family announced that Weaver “wove joy, depth and representation into every role he played and everything he did,” celebrating a performer who built his reputation not on star power but on the memorable quality of each supporting character he brought to life.
Born Lee Wellington Weaver on April 10, 1930, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the actor’s path to Hollywood took several unexpected turns. Raised by his Aunt Mattie and Uncle Lee until age 14, he left home for high school in Tallahassee before attending Florida A&M. At 22, he enlisted in the U.S. Army for four years of service.
Following his military discharge, Weaver relocated to New York, where he worked as a linotype engineer for The New York Times while moonlighting as a promoter at the legendary Birdland jazz club. There he booked some of the era’s most influential musicians, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and Sarah Vaughan. His close friendship with jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, who served as best man at Weaver’s wedding, inspired a Yusef Lateef composition titled “The Weaver,” which appeared on Adderley’s 1964 album “Nippon Soul.”
Weaver’s acting career began in the mid-1950s with roles as various natives on the syndicated series “Sheena: Queen of the Jungle” and a reporter part in “Al Capone” in 1959. His television presence expanded through the 1960s with appearances on “I Spy” in 1967 and 1968, where he worked alongside Bill Cosby.
During Cosby’s guest-hosting stints on “The Tonight Show,” Weaver became part of a recurring comedic bit where he would be announced as a guest but never make it on air because Cosby would run out of time, leading to shots of an increasingly frustrated Weaver in his dressing room.
Weaver’s breakthrough came with “The Bill Cosby Show,” which aired from 1969 to 1971. He portrayed Brian Kincaid, the brother of Cosby’s character, gym teacher Chet Kincaid. The role showcased his natural comedic timing and relatable screen presence, establishing him as a reliable character actor.
Throughout the 1970s, Weaver maintained steady work across television, appearing in “Adam-12,” “Kojak,” “Sanford and Son,” “Good Times,” “The Jeffersons,” “Soap” and “Starsky & Hutch.” His film credits from this period included “Vanishing Point” in 1971, “Cleopatra Jones” in 1973, “Heaven Can Wait” in 1978, “House Calls” in 1978 and “The Onion Field” in 1979.
In the 1980s, Weaver created one of his most unusual and memorable characters: Buck Naked, an exhibitionist who appeared on Steven Bochco’s “Hill Street Blues” from 1982 to 1984 and later on “NYPD Blue” in 1994. He grounded the potentially cartoonish character in genuine personality rather than caricature.
From 1986 to 1987, Weaver starred alongside Jack Elam in the NBC comedy “Easy Street,” playing down-on-their-luck roommates who move into a mansion inherited by a former Las Vegas showgirl portrayed by Loni Anderson. Created by Hugh Wilson of “WKRP in Cincinnati” fame, the show lasted only one season but demonstrated Weaver’s ability to anchor ensemble comedy.
Weaver also voiced the character Alpine in the 1985-86 animated series “G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero” and two related films, expanding his reach to younger audiences.
One of his most enduring film moments came in the Coen brothers’ “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” in 2000. Weaver played a blind man who encounters three escaped convicts portrayed by George Clooney, John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson, offering them a ride on a railroad handcar and cryptic guidance about their future. The brief scene demonstrated his ability to make a limited screen time resonate with audiences.
His later film appearances included “Bulworth” in 1998, “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” in 1998, “Donnie Darko” in 2001 and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” in 2005. Additional credits spanned “The Lost Man” in 1969, “Kiss Me Goodbye” in 1982, “The Buddy System” in 1984, “Wildcats” in 1986, “The Two Jakes” in 1990, “The Scout” in 1994, “The Thirteenth Floor” in 1999 and “Max Rose” in 2013.
Television guest appearances throughout his career included “227,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” He returned to work with Cosby on “The Cosby Show” and the Cosby-created series “A Different World.”
Weaver’s final role came in two episodes of “Grace and Frankie,” where he played Mel Cordray, capping a career that spanned from the golden age of television through the streaming era.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, actress Ta-Tanisha, known for her work on “Room 222,” daughter Leis La-Te and granddaughter Asha.
