A veteran black American stage actor who also worked in film and TV, Frederick O'Neal had his greatest impact on the industry as a union leader: he was president emeritus of Actors' Equity Association and Associated Actors and Artistes of America. O'Neal was also a major figure in the black theater in New York City and London, where he founded and organized several theater companies and cultural organizations. The American Negro Theater, which O'Neal co-founded, gave a start to the careers of Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier. O'Neal's feature credits include Elia Kazan's "Pinky" (1949),
