Ed Wheeler, an actor and producer who appeared in half a dozen episodes of NBC’s “Law & Order,” among many other TV shows, films, stage productions and commercials, has died at age 88.
Wheeler died Aug. 21 at Englewood Hospital in Englewood, N.J., of respiratory failure due to pneumonia complications, his wife, Messeret Stroman Wheeler, confirmed Thursday to The Times.
Stroman Wheeler memorialized her husband in an Instagram post, calling him “a guiding light” whose “talent, dedication and passion were unmatched — whether on stage, in front of the camera or behind the scenes.”
“We built a life and created art together,” she wrote, “and your legacy will continue to inspire. I will forever miss your voice, your wisdom and your generosity.”
Edward John Wheeler was born Feb. 18, 1936, in Brooklyn, N.Y. His father, a tailor, “instilled in him and his brother a sense of pride in appearance,” while his mother, an entrepreneur, inspired him to start his own shoe-shining business as a child, according to Legacy.com.
After serving in the Army, Wheeler attended North Carolina College (now North Carolina Central University) on a basketball scholarship, then went on to work as a hairstylist and at United Airlines before breaking into professional acting.
His earliest appearances were during the 1970s in national commercials for products including Luvs Diapers, Reynolds Wrap and Sudafed. Wheeler not only paved the way for greater representation of Black men onscreen but was also able to “save for a rainy day and pursue work in the theatre, which was not as lucrative,” he said in 2017.
Wheeler trained under off-Broadway director Gene Frankel and Vin Diesel’s stepfather, Irving Vincent, performing in Samm-Art Williams’ “The Dance on Widow’s Row” and Charles Randolph-Wright’s “Cuttin’ Up,” among other productions. He was an alumni of New York’s Negro Ensemble Company.
The versatile performer earned his first screen credits on TV series such as “Watch Your Mouth,” “3-2-1 Contact” and “The Core of the Apple,” per IMDbPro. His first film role was opposite William Hurt, Albert Brooks and Holly Hunter in James L. Brooks’ “Broadcast News” (1987).
Wheeler guest-starred in several episodes of “Law & Order,” playing six characters over the course of a dozen years, in addition to making one-off appearances in popular series including “Cosby,” “Soul Food” and “One Life to Live.” His most recent credit was a 2010 episode of “Blue Bloods.”
In 2017, Wheeler received the Living Legend Award from the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, N.C., which he called a “tremendous honor,” according to his obituary. When he first heard the news, Wheeler said to himself, “Who, me? What have I done in this life that would make someone think of me as a living legend?”
The Wheelers are co-founders of a production company, Maydecember Productions, and in 2023 made their debut as co-executive producers with the award-winning short film “Keepers of the Flame,” a historical drama that reimagines the 1913 meeting of three Black suffragettes.
“Known for his warmth, Ed considered everyone he met a friend, and he was beloved by all who had the privilege of knowing him,” his online obituary said. “His life was a testament to perseverance, creativity and the power of generosity and kindness.”
Wheeler is survived by his wife, in-laws, several nieces and nephews and other extended family members and friends.
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