Josh Hall (One Life to Live)
Soap opera character
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Josh Hall is a fictional character on the American soap opera One Life to Live, originated by actor Laurence Fishburne from 1973 until 1976.[1][2] Todd Davis assumed the role in 1977.[3][4][5] Josh reappeared in fictional Llanview, Pennsylvania in 1985 as a doctor,[6] played by Guy Davis from 1985 until 1986.[7][8]
- Laurence Fishburne (1973–76)
- Todd Davis (1977)
- Guy Davis (1985–86)
- 1973–77
- 1985–86
| Josh Hall | |||||||||||||||
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| One Life to Live character | |||||||||||||||
Laurence Fishburne as Josh Hall | |||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by |
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| Duration |
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| First appearance | April 1973 | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 1986 | ||||||||||||||
| Created by | Agnes Nixon | ||||||||||||||
| Introduced by |
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Background and reception
One Life to Live creator Agnes Nixon created Joshua West, adopted as Joshua "Josh" Hall, as the first television or film role for eleven-year-old child actor Laurence Fishburne (credited as "Larry Fishburne") in 1973, first appearing in April.[9][10][11][12][13] Fishburne was cast for his premiere television role with Nixon by casting director Joan D'Incecco.[14]
Fishburne's 1973–74 portrayal of troubled teenaged youth Joshua West adopted by newly-married couple Ed Hall (Al Freeman Jr.) and Carla Gray (Ellen Holly) earned him the "Best Juvenile Actor" honor at the 1974 "Afternoon TV Writers and Editors Awards."[15] The family unit of Freeman's Ed, Holly's Carla and Fishburne's Josh was heralded as "daytime television's first African American family."[16]
While a castmember of One Life to Live, Fishburne starred in the 1975 film, Cornbread, Earl and Me. He left the series in 1976 at 14-year-old[13] to accept a role in the Francis Ford Coppola film, Apocalypse Now.[11] Fishburne lied to Coppola about his age to win the Apocalypse Now role of 17-year-old Vietnam War Navy PBR crewmember Tyrone "Mr. Clean" Miller.[10][17]
Todd Davis took over the role from Fishburne briefly in 1977. The character became a friend of Samantha Vernon.
Guy Davis played the character, who had become a medical doctor, from 1985 until its last appearance in 1986.[7]