Willie Best
Biography William “Willie” Best (May 27, 1916 - February 27, 1962), sometimes known as “Sleep n' Eat,” was an American television and film actor. Best was one of the first African-American film actors and comedians to become well known. In the 21st century, his work, like that of Stepin Fetchit, is sometimes reviled because he was often called upon to play stereotypically lazy, illiterate, and/or simple-minded characters in films. Of the 124 films he appeared in, he received screen credit in at least 77, an unusual feat for
Personal Info
Id 34185
Known For Acting
Known Credits 1
Gender Male
Birthday 1913-05-27
Place of Birth Sunflower, Mississippi, USA
Also Known As Sleep 'n' Eat Sleep 'n Eat Sleep n' Eat Content Score
100 Yes! Looking good! Edite Page
Willie Best William “Willie” Best (May 27, 1916 - February 27, 1962), sometimes known as “Sleep n' Eat,” was an American television and film actor. Best was one of the first African-American film actors and comedians to become well known. In the 21st century, his work, like that of Stepin Fetchit, is sometimes reviled because he was often called upon to play stereotypically lazy, illiterate, and/or simple-minded characters in films. Of the 124 films he appeared in, he received screen credit in at least 77, an unusual feat for an African-American . . . . Read More moss
Known For Ellis in Fre Blondie Blondie Brin Scattergood Cinderella S The Covered High Sierra Feet First The Ghost Br Hit and Rum A-Haunting W The Littlest The Red Drag Dangerous Mo Nancy Drew.. Murder on a Highway West The Smiling The Hidden H Little Miss Murder on a Cabin in the The Face of Nothing But Whispering G Juke Girl Maisie Gets Busses Roar She Wouldn't Pillow to Po The Girl Who Road Show The Lady fro Super-Sleuth Down the Str Kisses for B The Bride Wo The Monster Who Killed A Home in Indi Goodbye Broa Money and th Muss 'em Up Merrily We L Gold Is Wher Meet the Mis Saturday's H The Red Stal Deep South The Powers G Youth Takes We Who Are A Dixie Hold That Bl To Beat the Up Pops the Everybody's At the Circu Two in Revol Mummy's Boys Spring Madne The Nitwits Kentucky Ker The Saint St Mr. Moto in Way Down Sou Mr. Moto Tak South of Cal Slightly Hon The Bride Wa Blackmail Jalna Racing Lady You Can't Bu Night Waitre Crashing Hol Music for Mi Ladies of Le Blondie on a I Take This Suddenly It' The Green Pa West of the Thank You, J The Mark of Breakdowns o Hot Tip I'm from the The Arizonia General Span Thank Your L Vivacious La Silly Billie The Monster The Kansan Harold Lloyd TV in Black: Straight, Pl Brother, Can The Shanghai Breezing Hom Half Past Mi Flight from The Adventur Scattergood Private Dete Virtuous Hus The Guilty G The Body Dis Boogie Woogi No title found No title found No title found No title found 2004
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years as Self (archive footage) 1975
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? as Self (archive footage) 1962
Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy as Charlie (archive footage) 1952
Ellis in Freedomland as Male Model 1951
South of Caliente as Willie, Stable Boy 1948
The Shanghai Chest as Willie Best 1948
Half Past Midnight as Andy Jones 1947
The Red Stallion as Jackson 1947
Suddenly It's Spring as Porter on Train 1946
Dangerous Money as Chattanooga Brown 1946
The Bride Wore Boots as Joe 1946
The Face of Marble as Shadrach 1945
She Wouldn't Say Yes as Porter (uncredited) 1945
Hold That Blonde! as Willie Shelley 1945
The Red Dragon as Chattanooga Brown 1945
Pillow to Post as Lucille, Colonial Auto Court Porter 1945
The Monster and the Ape as Flash 1944
Music for Millions as Red Cap (uncredited) 1944
The Mark of the Whistler as Men's Room Attendant (uncredited) 1944
The Girl Who Dared as Woodrow 1944
The Adventures of Mark Twain as Butler 1944
Home in Indiana as Mo' Rum (uncredited) 1943
Thank Your Lucky Stars as Soldier in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited) 1943
Dixie as Steward (uncredited) 1943
Cabin in the Sky as Second Idea Man 1943
Cinderella Swings It as Hipp 1943
The Powers Girl as Men's Room Attendant (uncredited) 1942
The Hidden Hand as Eustis, the chauffeur 1942
Scattergood Survives a Murder as Hipp 1942
Busses Roar as Sunshine 1942
A-Haunting We Will Go as Waiter 1942
Maisie Gets Her Man as Sam (Uncredited) 1942
Whispering Ghosts as Euclid White Brown 1941
The Body Disappears as Willie 1941
Breakdowns of 1941 as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 1941
Nothing But the Truth as Samuel 1941
The Smiling Ghost as Clarence 1941
Minstrel Days as Singer 1941
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company "B" as Hot-Breath Harry (voice) (uncredited) 1941
Highway West as Bub Wellington 1941
Kisses for Breakfast as Arnold 1941
The Lady from Cheyenne as George 1941
Scattergood Baines as Hipp 1941
Flight from Destiny as George 1941
High Sierra as Algernon 1940
Who Killed Aunt Maggie? as Andrew 1940
Money and the Woman as George Washington Jones 1940
The Ghost Breakers as Alex 1940
Blondie on a Budget as Newsboy (uncredited) 1940
I Take This Woman as Sambo 1939
Slightly Honorable as Art, Elevator Operator 1939
Private Detective as Norton's Valet 1939
The Covered Trailer as Baltimore 1939
Blondie Brings Up Baby as Hotel Janitor (uncredited) 1939
At the Circus as Redcap (uncredited) 1939
Blackmail as Bunny - the Janitor (uncredited) 1939
Way Down South as Chimney Sweep 1939
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation as Driver (uncredited) 1939
Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter as Apollo Johnson 1939
Mr. Moto in Danger Island as Launch Pilot 1939
The Saint Strikes Back as Algernon, Simon's Butler (Uncredited) 1938
Spring Madness as Porter on Train 1938
Straight, Place and Show as Hannibal 1938
Youth Takes a Fling as George 1938
I'm from the City as Train Porter 1938
Vivacious Lady as Porter 1938
Goodbye Broadway as Jughead 1938
Merrily We Live as George 1938
Gold Is Where You Find It as Joshua 1938
Everybody's Doing It as Jasper - Elevator Operator 1938
Crashing Hollywood as Train Porter (uncredited) 1937
Saturday's Heroes as Sam 1937
The Lady Fights Back as McTavish 1937
Super-Sleuth as Warts, Martin's manservant 1937
Meet the Missus as Bootblack 1937
You Can't Buy Luck as Airline Porter (uncredited) 1937
We Who Are About to Die as Airport Porter (uncredited) 1936
Night Waitress as Black Pedestrian 1936
General Spanky as Henry 1936
Thank You, Jeeves! as Drowsy 1936
Mummy's Boys as Catfish 1936
Down the Stretch as Noah 1936
The Green Pastures as Henry - the Angel (uncredited) 1936
The Bride Walks Out as Smokie 1936
Murder on a Bridle Path as 'High-Pockets' 1936
Silly Billies as Excitement 1936
Muss 'em Up as Janitor at Spivali's Bar (uncredited) 1935
The Littlest Rebel as James Henry 1935
To Beat the Band as Elevator Operator 1935
The Arizonian as Pompey 1935
Hit and Rum as Shoe Shine Man (uncredited) 1935
Murder on a Honeymoon as Willie (as Sleep 'n' Eat) 1934
West of the Pecos as Jonah (as Sleep 'n' Eat) 1934
Kentucky Kernels as Buckshot (as Sleep 'n' Eat) 1934
Little Miss Marker as Dizzy Memphis (uncredited) 1932
The Monster Walks as Exodus (as Sleep n' Eat) 1931
The Guilty Generation as Club Merlin Doorman (uncredited) 1931
Up Pops the Devil as Laundryman 1931
Virtuous Husband as Luftus 1930
Ladies of Leisure as George (uncredited)
Coming Soon (129 episode) as Willie
Coming Soon (81 episode) as Billy Slocum 
