Super Fly (1972) Cast Reveals What Most Fans Never Figured Out
The 1972 film *Super Fly* is remembered for its style, swagger, and the iconic anti-hero Youngblood Priest. But behind the fur coats and custom cars, the cast lived out stories of struggle, tragedy, and redemption that were even more dramatic than the movie itself.
**Ron O’Neal (Youngblood Priest): The Trap of Stardom**
Ron O’Neal, who played Priest, was not a street hustler but a serious stage actor from Cleveland, Ohio. After family hardships, O’Neal trained for years in theater, working odd jobs to support his dream. He found success on stage and won an Obie Award for his role in “No Place to Be Somebody,” which led to his casting in *Super Fly*.
The film’s success made him an overnight star, but also trapped him in a stereotype. Despite his talent, Hollywood typecast him as pimps and criminals, and his attempt to break free by directing and starring in the sequel *Super Fly TNT* failed. O’Neal spent the rest of his career battling the shadow of Priest, finding only occasional work in TV and action movies. He died in 2004, forever linked to the role that made and confined him.
**Sheila Frazier (Georgia): Triumph Over Adversity**
Sheila Frazier played Georgia, Priest’s girlfriend. Few knew that she had struggled with a severe stutter since childhood. Acting became her cure, allowing her to speak fluently when playing a character.
Encouraged by Richard Roundtree (Shaft), she joined the Negro Ensemble Company and soon landed her role in *Super Fly*. Frazier went on to act in films and TV, but her greatest legacy was built behind the scenes. She became a producer and executive at BET, shaping the careers of new stars and the direction of Black entertainment for over a decade. Her journey is one of quiet triumph, overcoming personal challenges to become a powerful industry figure.
**Julius Harris (Scatter): Late Bloomer to Bond Villain**
Julius Harris, who played Priest’s mentor Scatter, didn’t start acting until age 41 after careers as a medic and bouncer. He quickly became a familiar face in film and TV, most famously as the villain Tee Hee in the James Bond movie *Live and Let Die*. Harris’s transformation from army medic to Harlem mentor to international villain is a testament to reinvention.
**Charles McGregor (Fat Freddie): Redemption After Crime**
Charles McGregor’s performance as Fat Freddie was authentic because he had spent 28 years in prison for two murders before acting. After *Super Fly*, he dedicated his life to warning young people about the dangers of crime, traveling to schools and writing an autobiography about his journey from criminal to mentor.
**Carl Lee (Eddie): Tragedy Behind the Cool**
Carl Lee, Priest’s partner Eddie, was a respected actor and the son of boxer Canada Lee. Despite his cool image, he battled heroin addiction in real life. Tragically, he contracted AIDS from drug use and died in 1986, mirroring the dangers portrayed in the film.
*Super Fly*’s cast lived lives marked by both triumph and heartbreak. O’Neal was trapped by his iconic role, Frazier overcame a disability to become a media executive, McGregor transformed from convict to counselor, and Lee was consumed by the very lifestyle he portrayed. Their stories reveal the real price of being *Super Fly*—paid not by the characters, but by the actors who brought them to life.
