Badja Medu Djola (born Bernard Bradley; April 9, 1948 – January 8, 2005) was an American actor from Brooklyn, New York who worked primarily within black film. He is best known for Mississippi Burning, Penitentiary, A Rage in Harlem, and Who's the Man?. He was often seen in tough or villainous roles.
Career Djola's breakout role was as Leon Isaac Kennedy's cellmate, the villainous "Half Dead" Johnson, in the 1979 movie Penitentiary, which led to many more feature films, including a supporting role in Wes Craven's 1988 movie The Serpent and the Rainbow. He starred alongside Danny Glover in the 1991 film A Rage in Harlem and Doctor Dré in Who's the Man? (1993). In addition to movies, Djola appeared in several television shows, including The X-Files, Nash Bridges, and NYPD Blue. He also starred in theatre performances, with shows including Once in a Wife Time (1981)," Edmond (1984), 227, Southern Rapture (1993), and Dancing on Moonlight (1995),
Personal life Djola died of a heart attack on January 8, 2005, in Los Angeles, California.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Ref 1979 The Main Event Heavyweight in Gym Penitentiary "Half Dead" Johnson 1982 Night Shift Cleon 1984 The Lonely Guy Native 1985 The Lightship Nate 1988 The Serpent and the Rainbow Lieutenant Gaston Mississippi Burning FBI Agent Monk 1989 An Innocent Man IA Detective John Fitzgerald 1991 A Rage in Harlem Slim The Last Boy Scout Alley Thug Christmas on Division Street Scorpio 1992 The Waterdance Decton Eddie Presley The Drycleaner (uncredited) 1993 Who's the Man? Lionel Douglas Marked for Murder 1994 Knight Rider 2010 Zeke 1996 Heaven's Prisoners Batist 1997 Rosewood John Bradley The Brave Rider First Time Felon Disciple Leader 1998 Gunshy Abel The Players Club The Doctor Butter Roscoe 1999 Deterrence Harvey The Hurricane Mobutu 2000 Lost in the Pershing Point Hotel "Fast Eddie" The Price of Air Sugar 2001 Night at the Golden Eagle Gabriel 2005 Back in the Day Grant Brown Slipdream Sahdu
Television Year Title Role Episode/s Ref 1981 Palmerstown, U.S.A. "The Threat" 1982 Tales of the Gold Monkey Oomupwah "Legends Are Forever" 1984 Maximum Security Prisoner Preacher "Pilot" 1987 Spenser: For Hire Tyrone Blackwell "Among Friends" 1990 B.L. Stryker "Grand Theft Hotel" Wiseguy Etoile de Joie "Black Gold" 1991 The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage Francoise Benoir "The Not-So-Great Dictator" 1993—1994 Roc William Lawn "Final Analysis" and "Citizen Roc: Part 2" 1995 The X-Files Napoleon "Neech" Manley "The List" 1997 Nash Bridges Jack Archer "Inside Out" NYPD Blue Clyde Bell "Bad Rap" The Last Don Phil Sharkey "Part III" Millennium Lacuna "Sense and Antisense" 1998 Brooklyn South Clude Miller "Skel in a Cell" ER Mike Lembreaux "Shades of Gray" Chicago Hope Jean Baptiste Marche "Austin, We Have a Problem" Born Free Motumbo "Celebration of Life" 2001 The Fugitive Dominick "Lagniappe" The Lone Gunmen Spike "Maximum Byers"
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