A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Darwin Joston appeared on various television shows early in his career in shows like "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.", "The Virginian", "The Rat Patrol" and "Lassie" in which he had a recurring role. He made his film debut in 1971 as Billy Joe in
Cain's Cutthroats.
His best known role was as Napoleon Wilson in John Carpenter's
Assault on Precinct 13 in 1976. Carpenter has said he developed the character based on Joston. The two men were neighbors at the time Carpenter was writing the film and Carpenter thought his neighbor would be an interesting anti-hero.
Later, Joston had the role of Paul in David Lynch's
Eraserhead and worked with Carpenter again in 1980 in the original version of
The Fog. Joston's last appeared in film in 1982 in
Being from Another Planet.
He continued to work in television appearing in shows like
Remington Steele" and "Hill Street Blues", but gave up acting in the 1980s to work as a driver, driver captain, or transportation captain on television shows and films like Down and Out in Beverly Hills and The American President.
After his death in 1998, his friends and family created a memorial to his life and career by establishig the F. Darwin Solomon Endowment at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem.
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A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Darwin Joston appeared on various television shows early in his career in shows like "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.", "The Virginian", "The Rat Patrol" and "Lassie" in which he had a recurring role. He made his film debut in 1971 as Billy Joe in
Cain's Cutthroats.
His best known role was as Napoleon Wilson in John Carpenter's
Assault on Precinct 13 in 1976. Carpenter has said he developed the character based on Joston. The two men were neighbors at the time Carpenter was writing the film and Carpenter thought his neighbor would be an interesting anti-hero.
Later, Joston had the role of Paul in David Lynch's
Eraserhead and worked with Carpenter again in 1980 in the original version of
The Fog. Joston's last appeared in film in 1982 in
Being from Another Planet.
He continued to work in television appearing in shows like
Remington Steele" and "Hill Street Blues", but gave up acting in the 1980s to work as a driver, driver
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