Death of actor Max Julien, herald of "blaxploitation"

In the United States, his first roles in

(1968) and then especially in

(1973) made him the herald of blaxploitation, this sociological and cultural current of the early 1970s which marked the importance assumed by African Americans in the cinema across the Atlantic.

Actor Max Julien, but also a sculptor and stylist in his spare time, died on January 1 at the age of 89.

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The American comic book writer David F. Walker paid him a tribute supported on the social network Instagram: “

"

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Maxwell Banks, his name for the city, was born on January 1, 1933 in Washington. Attracted from his early years by the stage, he took his first steps off Broadway, the famous Shakespeare In The Park festival created by Joseph Papp. After his successful apprenticeship on the New York stage, Hollywood noticed him and gave him increasingly important roles. In 1968, he played one of the leading roles alongside Jack Nicholson in

Richard Rush's

. Gifted jack-of-all-trades, he also embarked on documentary filmmaking. He will leave for Rome to film

- the district of the Eternal City located near the Tiber - which became a symbol of the libertarian spirit of the 1960s and 1970s in Italy.

In 1973, he played Goldie the first role of

by Michael Campus. His character, as cynical as he is charismatic, apparently moved by the lure of profit alone, is crying out for the truth. Become the icon of the African-American community which is still seeking its place in America, Max Julien will subsequently become a model for the stars of rap. In many pieces, leaders of the genre like Snoop Dog will not hesitate to take again, often in the form of samples, lines of this cult film. The latest to date is none other than the over-hyped Jay-Z, who in a freestyle lasting some seven minutes will chant as a direct and nostalgic homage

to Mickael Campus

: “

"

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