Broadway star Lawrence Clayton has died at age 64. The actor passed away following a two-year battle with glioblastoma cancer, his agency Buchwald confirmed to Variety on Wednesday. Clayton died on Nov. 2.
Born on Oct. 10, 1956 in Mocksville, North Carolina, Clayton moved to New York City after going to university to pursue an acting career, according to the outlet. He made his Broadway debut in 1981, when he was cast as Effie White's brother, C.C., in "Dreamgirls." The role opened up the door to success. Clayton went on to appear in various other productions including "The High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club" in 1992, "Once Upon a Mattress" in 1996, "The Civil War" and "It Ain't Nothin' but the Blues" in 1999, and "Bells Are Ringing" in 2001.
Clayton also joined the touring productions of "Dreamgirls," "Jesus Christ Superstar," and "Les Miserables" before returning to the Broadway stage in 2015 to play Old Mister in the revival of "The Color Purple." In addition to his career in theater, Clayton also appeared in several TV shows including "The Equalizer," "Deadline," "Law & Order," "As the World Turns," "The Big C," and "Homeland." Most recently he appeared in "Pose" as Billy Porter's character's stepfather.
Upon news of his death, fans and co-stars took to social media to mourn the loss. Among them was Benjamin Magnuson, who appeared alongside Clayton in "Les Miserables."
"Completely heartbroken to hear of the passing of Lawrence Clayton last week. Another great one taken from us long before his time," he captioned a series of photos of Clayton posted on Instagram. "We performed together when he was playing Jean Valjean on the National Tour of Les Miserables, and his generosity of spirit was palpable when we first met. He was always humble and a great listener. Night after night, when I gave him back those candlesticks, the look of forgiveness and redemption always moved me. His eyes, his heart, his humor, his voice. What a talent."