Remember when actor, Ralph Wilcox, played “J.J.’s” friend, “Robert?” He was the character whom “J.J.” had to keep awake after “Robert” came out of the Evans’ bathroom overdosed on sleeping pills at “JJ’s” party. You may also remember some of his other memorable roles, such as his “Jammin’ Jim Jenkins” character on the ‘Emerald Cove segments’ of “The Mickey Mouse Club”…and as “Mugambi” in “Tarzan: The Epic Adventures” back in the day.
We were wondering what he’d been up to in the years that followed his acting days, and have learned that he made major moves behind the scenes. Ralph Wilcox is 74 years young now, and wait ’til you see all that he’s accomplished in the entertainment industry.
OWNED A FILM/TV/MUSIC PRODUCTION STUDIO
In 2006 Ralph Wilcox and his wife, Brenda, opened his very own 22,000 square foot production studio, The Jokara-Micheaux Film/Television/Music Production Studio, in Colquitt, Georgia.
WILCOX ALSO OWNS THREE PRODUCTION FUNDING COMPANIES
Wilcox and his wife, Brenda (pictured above), created three production companies, which according to his website, offer ‘potential gap funding is available through Schusters Cash, LLC., Georgia/Arizona Production Capital, LLC. and Laughing Crow 1 Entertainment, LLC. These rare and unique gap-financing entities offer financial support to low-budget production companies that shoot their projects in Southwest Georgia.’
WILCOX PRODUCED, DIRECTED, & WROTE FILM, “HOPE & REDEMPTION: THE LENA BAKER STORY”
Ralph Wilcox wrote, directed and produced the screen version of the film, “Hope & Redemption: Lena Baker Story” (which was a film adaptation of Lela Bond Phillips’ book).
The film chronicled the story of the late, Lena Baker, an African American mother of three, who was wrongly convicted of capital murder and executed in 1945 at the age of 44, but later pardoned posthumously for the crime in 2005. She worked as a maid and had been forced against her will by her white employer, Ernest Williams, to perform sex on him and he also sometimes held her at his home against her will as well. She shot him in self defense in 1944 during a horrific struggle where Ernest was abusing her, but in 1945 she was wrongly convicted by an all white male jury, making her the only woman electrocuted by electric chair and Tichina Arnold portrayed the dramatic role of Lena and it won great acclaims after it’s release.
It’s unclear if Ralph Wilcox has since retired, or is still active in the Hollywood game as of late. But it’s always great to see a fellow Old Schooler who continued to pursue their dreams decades later.
