Celebrity Biographies
al matthews
“Another glorious day, a day in the Marine Corps is like a day in the field. Every meal is a banquet. Every payout is a fortune. Every formation is a parade. I love the Corps!” This is how Sergeant Apone expressed himself in “Aliens, the return”, directed in 1986 by James Cameron. The actor who gave life to the tough military man, Al Matthews, was found dead on September 22, 2018 at his residence in Orihuela, in Alicante. He suffered from several serious illnesses.
Born on November 21, 1942, New Yorker Al Matthews was the first African-American to reach the rank of sergeant, for his merits in the Vietnam War, where he earned two Purple Hearts. “I’m very proud of all that,” he declared. At the end of the conflict he moved to the United Kingdom, where he became the first black to serve as an announcer on Radio 1, the BBC’s music station. In 1975 he achieved some success as a singer, with his single “Fool” reaching number 16 on the charts.
He then decided to become an actor, despite continuing to compose songs. He made his feature film debut as a soldier at a dance, in Yankees , which was followed by his work as a laborer in Damien’s End , and a fire chief in Superman III . But he will be remembered above all for the aforementioned Aliens, the return , for the authenticity of his phrases, with which he made it clear that he had really been a sergeant. “You have to rescue the daughters of some settlers from their virginity,” said Apone. 27 years later he reprized as the character, lending his voice to a video game.
He did not achieve the same relevance again, despite the fact that he was later a radio announcer on Stormy Monday , and a member of the Fifth Element and Tomorrow Never Dies . In 2005 he retired, establishing his residence in Spain. More information about his private life is unknown.