Veteran Actor, Antonio “Huggy Bear” Fargas has joined forces with husband and wife team, Bill and Catherine Owens-Hermann, in their effort to raise awareness of global illiteracy. Their book, Safari’s Song, will be brought to life in a performance reading, narrated by Antonio Fargas.
“Someone said that people don’t give to charities, they give to the person that asks them,” he says. “I think that literacy is such an important issue. I always remind young people when I talk to them that when I started in this business I didn’t have any formal training…but I could read well. I was able to let my natural abilities come through. Here I am 49 years later because I had soul that could be interpreted through words on the page.”
25 Reasons We Love Blaxploitation Films
Over the decades Mr. Fargas has created many memorable characters. From the popular “Huggy Bear” from Starsky and Hutch to “Fly Guy” from I’m Gonna Get You Sucka and “Doc” on Everybody Hates Chris, Fargas has successfully remained relevant in Hollywood.
After telling us about his work with Safari’s Song, The Urban Daily had the veteran discuss his influence on hip-hop, whether Huggy Bear was really a “snitch” and what it was like being Black in Hollywood in the 1960s, 70s and today.
RELATED: Can Jay-Z Teach Kids How To Read?
“What we have to realize is that the struggle is not over, particularly in TV. Back in the day the Black male or female filled the “ethnic” slot in a TV series. Now you have Hispanic, Korean, even women in general. It used to be a male dominated scene. The Pam Griers were rare. In order to survive we have to share now.”
