Personal Info
Known Credits
114
Gender
Male
Birthdate
1913-05-27 (112 Y.O)
Place Of Birth
Sunflower, Mississippi, USA
Also Known For
Sleep 'n' EatSleep 'n EatSleep n' Eat
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, ...
Known For
Acting
2004 --
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
| Self (archive footage)
1975 --
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
| Self (archive footage)
1962 --
Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy
| Charlie (archive footage)
1952 --
Ellis in Freedomland
| Male Model
1951 --
South of Caliente
| Willie, Stable Boy
1948 --
The Shanghai Chest
| Willie Best
1948 --
Half Past Midnight
| Andy Jones
1947 --
The Red Stallion
| Jackson
1947 --
Suddenly It's Spring
| Porter on Train
1946 --
Dangerous Money
| Chattanooga Brown
1946 --
The Bride Wore Boots
| Joe
1946 --
The Face of Marble
| Shadrach
1945 --
She Wouldn't Say Yes
| Porter
1945 --
Hold That Blonde!
| Willie Shelley
1945 --
The Red Dragon
| Chattanooga Brown
1945 --
Pillow to Post
| Lucille, Colonial Auto Court Porter
1945 --
The Monster and the Ape
| Flash
1944 --
Music for Millions
| Red Cap (uncredited)
1944 --
The Mark of the Whistler
| Men's Room Attendant (uncredited)
1944 --
The Girl Who Dared
| Woodrow
1944 --
The Adventures of Mark Twain
| Butler
1944 --
Home in Indiana
| Mo' Rum (uncredited)
1943 --
Thank Your Lucky Stars
| Soldier in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited)
1943 --
The Kansan
| Bones
1943 --
Dixie
| Stewart
1943 --
Cabin in the Sky
| Second Idea Man
1943 --
Cinderella Swings It
| Hipp
1943 --
The Powers Girl
| Men's Room Attendant (uncredited)
1942 --
The Hidden Hand
| Eustis, the chauffeur
1942 --
Scattergood Survives a Murder
| Hipp
1942 --
Busses Roar
| Sunshine
1942 --
A-Haunting We Will Go
| Waiter
1942 --
Maisie Gets Her Man
| Sam (Uncredited)
1942 --
Juke Girl
| Jo-Mo
1942 --
Whispering Ghosts
| Euclid White Brown
1941 --
The Body Disappears
| Willie
1941 --
Breakdowns of 1941
| Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1941 --
Nothing But the Truth
| Samuel
1941 --
Minstrel Days
| Singer
1941 --
The Smiling Ghost
| Clarence
1941 --
Highway West
| Bub Wellington
1941 --
Kisses for Breakfast
| Arnold
1941 --
The Lady from Cheyenne
| George
1941 --
Scattergood Baines
| Hipp
1941 --
Road Show
| Willie
1941 --
Flight from Destiny
| George
1941 --
High Sierra
| Algernon
1940 --
Who Killed Aunt Maggie?
| Andrew
1940 --
Money and the Woman
| George Washington Jones
1940 --
The Ghost Breakers
| Alex
1940 --
Blondie on a Budget
| Newsboy (uncredited)
1940 --
I Take This Woman
| Sambo
1939 --
Slightly Honorable
| Art, Elevator Operator
1939 --
Private Detective
| Norton's Valet
1939 --
The Covered Trailer
| Baltimore
1939 --
Blondie Brings Up Baby
| Hotel Janitor (uncredited)
1939 --
At the Circus
| Redcap (uncredited)
1939 --
Blackmail
| Bunny - the Janitor (uncredited)
1939 --
Way Down South
| Chimney Sweep
1939 --
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
| Driver (uncredited)
1939 --
Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter
| Apollo Johnson
1939 --
Mr. Moto in Danger Island
| Launch Pilot
1939 --
The Saint Strikes Back
| Algernon, Simon's Butler (Uncredited)
1938 --
Blondie
| Porter
1938 --
Spring Madness
| Porter on Train
1938 --
Straight, Place and Show
| Hannibal
1938 --
Youth Takes a Fling
| George
1938 --
I'm from the City
| Train Porter
1938 --
Vivacious Lady
| Porter
1938 --
Goodbye Broadway
| Jughead
1938 --
Merrily We Live
| George
1938 --
Gold Is Where You Find It
| Joshua
1938 --
Everybody's Doing It
| Jasper - Elevator Operator
1938 --
Crashing Hollywood
| Train Porter (uncredited)
1937 --
Saturday's Heroes
| Sam
1937 --
The Lady Fights Back
| McTavish
1937 --
Mississippi Moods
|
1937 --
Super-Sleuth
| Warts, Martin's manservant
1937 --
Meet the Missus
| Bootblack
1937 --
You Can't Buy Luck
| Airline Porter (uncredited)
1937 --
Breezing Home
| Speed
1937 --
Racing Lady
| Brass
1937 --
We Who Are About to Die
| Airport Porter (uncredited)
1937 --
Deep South
|
1936 --
Night Waitress
| Black Pedestrian
1936 --
General Spanky
| Henry
1936 --
Thank You, Jeeves!
| Drowsy
1936 --
Mummy's Boys
| Catfish
1936 --
Down the Stretch
| Noah
1936 --
The Green Pastures
| Henry - the Angel (uncredited)
1936 --
The Bride Walks Out
| Smokie
1936 --
Murder on a Bridle Path
| 'High-Pockets'
1936 --
Two in Revolt
| Eph
1936 --
Silly Billies
| Excitement
1936 --
Muss 'em Up
| Janitor at Spivali's Bar (uncredited)
1935 --
The Littlest Rebel
| James Henry
1935 --
To Beat the Band
| Elevator Operator
1935 --
Hot Tip
| Apollo
1935 --
Jalna
| Sam
1935 --
The Arizonian
| Pompey
1935 --
The Nitwits
| Sleepy
1935 --
Hit and Rum
| Shoe Shine Man (uncredited)
1935 --
Raised and Called
|
1935 --
Murder on a Honeymoon
| Willie (as Sleep 'n' Eat)
1935 --
Horse Heir
|
1934 --
West of the Pecos
| Jonah (as Sleep 'n' Eat)
1934 --
Kentucky Kernels
| Buckshot (as Sleep 'n' Eat)
1934 --
Little Miss Marker
| Dizzy Memphis (uncredited)
1932 --
The Monster Walks
| Exodus
1931 --
The Guilty Generation
| Club Merlin Doorman (uncredited)
1931 --
Up Pops the Devil
| Laundryman
1931 --
Virtuous Husband
| Luftus
1930 --
Feet First
| Janitor
1930 --
Ladies of Leisure
| George (uncredited)