Bernie was a well-loved actor in the realm of Sci-Fi and Comedy productions that I often saw him in.
I first caught him as Major Spender in the mini-series version of The Martian Chronicles, he was the astronaut who “went native,” and then killed most of the landing party in order to stop colonization. He was the first Black man to play Felix in the Bond movies even though Never Say Never Again isn’t canon. He then re-appeared in my teenage years as UN Jefferson, the head of Lambda Lambda Lambda and he gave Gilbert and Lewis a chance to establish a fraternity chapter at Adams College. The comedy kept rolling with his appearances in I’m Gonna Git You Sucka (a retired action hero) and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (their History teacher).
Bernie finished out with Sci-Fi for me as a member of the Maquis in Deep Space Nine and an Earth Alliance inspector on Babylon 5.
Thank you Bernie for all the entertainment and memorable characters you played. My favorite line of yours is why you were skeptical to back Gilbert and Lewis, “Let’s face it…you’re nerds.”