James Wheaton

James Wheaton first made a name for himself on the stage First as a member of the Bishops Company a repertory theatre group which toured the United States and later with the Ebony Showcase which was based in Los Angeles After NBC aired an adaptation of Carnival Island an Ebony Showcase production on their affiliate KNBC in Los Angeles Wheaton began to find work in television and film He made his major film debut as OMM the narrator in THX 1138 1971 the debut feature of director George Lucas Throughout the 1970s he appeared in some of the most popular series of the period including Sanford and Son Good Times Kojak and Ironside In 1999 Masks Before the Altar a memoir about his experiences with the Bishops Company was published He was working on a one man show based on the poetry of Langston Hughes at the time of his death