If you’re from the Old School, you’re probably very familiar with actor, Stan Shaw. He’s had several movie/television roles throughout the decades, including in “Rocky,” “Roots: The Next Generations” miniseries, “The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings,” “Starsky & Hutch,” and more. It was his role as the stuttering boxer, ‘Jack Jenkins,’ in “Harlem Nights,” that REALLY put him on the map in the late 80’s era though.

Harlem Knights Stuttering Boxer

Though his camera time in “Harlem Nights” was miniscule in comparison to his co-stars, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Della Reese and Redd Foxx, Stan Shaw most definitely stole the show in every scene he was in. For example, we could never forget the classic scene (see in the video above) where “Jack” was talking to Murphy, Pryor, and Foxx, as they patiently waited for him to get through his stuttered sentence about beating his next opponent.

FYI: The fact that Stan Shaw played a fighter in “Harlem Nights” (1989), “Snake Eyes” (1998), “Tough Enough” (1983) and “Rocky” (1976) is not a coincidence. Before becoming an actor, he was a Karate, Judo, and Ju Jitsu instructor in Chicago, with a black belt in all three sports.

After years of going largely unseen in the public eye, Stan Shaw has been spotted out and about in recent years. At 68 years young, the brotha looks happy and healthy, just like he did back then.

Who Are His Famous Soul Singer Cousins?

Upon further research of Stan Shaw, we learned a cool fun fact about him- his cousins are none other than the late, soul singer, Sam Cooke, and singer, Tyrone Davis, who’s best known for his classic 70’s slow jam, “In The Mood!” Who woulda thunk it, right?

In addition to Cooke and Davis, Shaw has several other musical family members. His famous father, Eddie Shaw, was a well known blues saxophonist in the 60s and 70s and he also was the leader of the late Howlin’ Wolfe’s band, the Wolf Gang. Eddie Shaw passed away in January 2018. Stan’s brother, Vaan Shaw, is also a well known guitarist.

What He’s Doing Now

These days, Shaw has made his way back to the Hollywood big screen. In more recent years, he’s starred in the films, “Christmas Winter Song” (2019), “The Pale Door” (2020), and in the popular 2017 horror film, “Jeepers Creepers 3.” Check out the ‘Jeepers’ trailer below…

Via Variety– The original “Jeepers Creepers” was released in 2001, followed by a sequel, “Jeepers Creepers 2,” in 2003. The two movies centered on an ancient creature, known as “the Creeper,” which hunts for 23 days every 23rd spring for human body parts and organs. Myriad Pictures will finance the threequel. “Jeepers Creepers 3” reunites the original creative team behind the first two films, including writer-director Victor Salva.

Well Respected Among His Peers

I’ve always thought Stan Shaw was one of the most highly underrated actors in the game. Apparently I am not alone, because Stan, himself, posted a video collage of his former co-stars, Sylvester Stallone and Nicolas Cage, revealing how much respect they have for him as an actor, in the video up top.