Lawrence Hilton Jacobs

• Name — Lawrence Hilton Jacobs • Born — 4 September 1953 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Known for — Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington in Welcome Back, Kotter • Occupation — Actor, singer • Years Active — 1974–present • Children — 2

Jacobs was born in New York City, New York, the fifth of nine children of parents Hilton Jacobs (1920–2000) and Clothilda Jacobs (1922–2008). He began his acting career in the summer of 1969 and graduated from the High School of Art and Design in 1971. He attended Wilkes University for a short time before his acting career took off. Afterward, he studied acting with the Negro Ensemble Company and the Al Fann Theatrical Ensemble. In 1975, he won the role of Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington on the ABC hit comedy series, Welcome Back, Kotter. Jacobs also starred in cult classic Cooley High in 1975 played as Richard "Cochise" Morris, and two years later had a role in the block-buster ABC mini-series Roots. Jacobs starred in a few commercials over the years, including an early 1970s commercial for The United Negro College Fund. Later in his career, he appeared in the 1989–1990 science fiction TV series Alien Nation as Sgt. Dobbs, an LAPD detective. He portrayed Panda Thomas (#1) in Rob Zombie's slasher film 31. Jacobs portrayed Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, the father of the Jackson family, in the 1992 miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream. He also appeared in a commercial for Salon Selectives. Jacobs sang on Rick James' 1981 album, Street Songs. As a homage to him, the housing project in Eddie Murphy's television program The PJs is named the Hilton-Jacobs Projects. He has two daughters.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1975–79 — Welcome Back, Kotter — Freddie 'Boom-Boom' Washington — Main cast • 1976 — Mr. T and Tina — Freddie 'Boom-Boom' Washington — Episode: "Pilot" • Baretta — Dave Rich — Episode: "Can't Win for Losin'" • 1977 — Roots — Noah — Episode: "Part V" • 1979 — Paris — Thomas Sims — Episode: "Dear John" • 1980 — Barnaby Jones — Wes Carter — Episode: "The Price of Anger" • 1981 — Darkroom — Young Man/Pimp — Episode: "Needlepoint" • Lewis & Clark — Dave Rich — Episode: "The Uptight End" • 1984 — On the boulevard — Joe, an L.A. street musician — Main character. Short film in memory of producer/director Horace Jenkins • 1985 — Rituals — Lucky Washington — Regular cast • 1986 — New Love, American Style — - — Episode: "Love and Video Dating/Love at the Bus Stop" • Simon & Simon — Gordon Tate — Episode: "The Blue Chip Stomp" • The Redd Foxx Show — Warren — Episode: "The Good Samaritan" • Fame — Lamar — Episode: "The Inheritance" • 1987 — Hill Street Blues — Crumley — Episode: "The Cookie Crumbles" • 1989–90 — Alien Nation — Sergeant Dobbs — Main cast • 1992 — The Jacksons: An American Dream — Joe Jackson — TV mini-series • 1994 — Renegade — Rocky Dussault — 2 episodes • 1995 — Charlie Grace — Detective Gossett — Episode: "Take Me to the Pilot" • Pointman — Joe Neal — Episode: "Take the Points" • Martin — Kevin Jones — Episode: "Swing Thing" • Diagnosis: Murder — Sgt. Baker — Episode: "All American Murder" • 1996 — The Parent 'Hood — Greg Harvey — Episode: "Torn Between Two Brothers" • Roseanne — Louis — Episode: "Roseambo" • Homeboys in Outer Space — Staff — Episode: "Super Bad Foxy Lady Killer or Ty and Morris Get the Shaft" • 1997 — Weird Science — Mr. Black — Episode: "Boys on the Hide" • Mr. Rhodes — Freddie 'Boom Boom' Washington — Episode: "The Welcome Back Show" • Tracey Takes On... — James — Episode: "Race Relations" • Moesha — Sgt. Baker — 2 episodes • 1998 — The Wayans Bros. — Richie — Episode: "Help a Brother Out" • L.A. Doctors — Robert Edwards — Episode: "A Prayer for the Lying" • 2000 — The Jamie Foxx Show — Milton — Episode: "Rollin' in the Dough" • 2002 — Static Shock — Driver — Voice, episode: "Sunspots" • 2002–03 — Gilmore Girls — Principal Merton — 2 episodes • 2004 — Girlfriends — Leonard James — Episode: "New York Bound" • That's So Raven — Mr. Carter — Episode: "There Goes the Bride" • 2009 — Players at the Poker Palace — Donny — Recurring cast • 2011 — Chuck — President of Zamibia — Episode: "Chuck Versus the Tooth" • 2011–13 — Let's Stay Together — Charles Sr. — Recurring cast: Season 1, guest: Season 3 • 2014 — Family Time — Carl — Episode: "The Will" • 2018 — Rel — Mitchell — Episode: "Re-Enter the Dragons" • 2019– — A House Divided — Cameran Sanders, Sr. — Main cast • 2022–23 — The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder — Chuck — Voice, 2 episodes

• Lawrence Hilton Jacobs S/T (1978) • All the Way...Love (1979) • Let Me Do It (1981) (producer); performed by Halo; sought-after record among collectors.