ACTOR · BORN 1955
Grand L. Bush
- Born
- 24 December 1955
- Known for
- Colors (1988), Street Fighter (1994), The Exorcist III (1990), Streets of Fire (1984)
71 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Grand L. Bush (born 24 December 1955) is an actor best known for Colors, Street Fighter and The Exorcist III.
71 Interesting Facts About Grand L. Bush
Interesting Facts (17)
- #001
- #002
Bush and Clarence Gilyard Jr. not only played brothers on Walker, Texas Ranger but also shared the same birthday. The coincidence strengthened their on-screen chemistry and created a special bond between them, one the two often spoke about throughout their careers.
- #003
- #004
After the death of his best friend, writer and producer Nicholas Corea, Bush continued to keep his memory alive. The two met on the 1977 series The Incredible Hulk, where Bush played the villain while his mother, Essie, smiled approvingly as the Hulk tore apart her son's character; Corea went on to involve Bush in many projects, including The Renegades with Patrick Swayze, Airwolf with Jan-Michael Vincent, Outlaws with Rod Taylor and Renegade with Lorenzo Lamas, collaborations that marked an important turning point in Bush's career.
- #005
While preparing for the role of Rev. Ross in the critically acclaimed independent film Favorite Son, Bush memorized the entire 15th chapter of Luke in the New Testament. His performance was so convincing that local extras on set thought he was a real pastor and invited him to preach at their churches, showing the depth of his acting ability.
- #006
Producer Joel Silver personally called Bush at home to invite him to make a cameo in Demolition Man, starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. The phone call proved how high Bush's reputation was in the industry, and Bush accepted the invitation, making a brief but memorable contribution to the film.
- #007
- #008
- #009
- #010
- #011
The 1994 video game Street Fighter: Special Edition represented the world's first international ensemble of film actors appearing in a single game. Grand L. Bush was part of this cast as 'Balrog,' while Raul Julia played 'Bison,' Ming-Na Wen 'Chun-Li,' Kylie Minogue 'Cammie,' Jean-Claude Van Damme 'Guile' and Wes Studi 'Sagat.' The game was an important production that united the worlds of cinema and video games.
- #012
Grand L. Bush and writer-producer Dean Devlin acted together in the short-lived TV series Hard Copy. Devlin played a reporter, while Bush was his street-savvy connection. Although the two became very good friends, their careers moved in different directions; Devlin focused on writing and Bush on acting. When they met at the Twentieth Century-Fox studio after the success of Devlin's film Independence Day, Devlin said he had a project that might interest Bush. Two weeks later, Bush agreed to take part in the project.
- #013
- #014
Grand L. Bush was invited to take part in the 2007 Celebrity Golf Classic hosted by Donald Trump. The event, held for the benefit of the Salvation Army, was also attended by celebrities such as Mark Wahlberg, Marcus Allen and Reggie Jackson. Bush continued to contribute to society by taking part in such charity events.
- #015
- #016
- #017
Grand L. Bush, a longtime lover of superhero comic books, said he was always fascinated by characters with extraordinary abilities being drawn to powerful journalists. The fact that the character Balrog falls in love with someone featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, reinforced this interest of Bush's. His wife, Sharon Raiford Bush, made history as America's first prime-time TV weather presenter. Bush made this connection by playing Balrog in Street Fighter: The Movie.
Behind the Scenes (37)
- #018
During filming of Shark Hunter in Sofia, Bulgaria, Bush's wheezing and the sweat on his forehead were real: he had contracted a potentially fatal staph infection after being injured during a dubbing session. His wife, Sharon Dahlonega, and the medical team watched over him throughout the shoot, supporting him as he fought a fever that reached 104 Fahrenheit (40 Celsius), a difficult period that revealed his resilience and professionalism.
- #019
- #020
His biological father, Robert, played his father on the 1974 series Good Times. This was recorded as an interesting coincidence in that the family ties on screen matched the real-life relationship. Through this experience, Bush formed a strong bond with his father both professionally and personally.
- #021
- #022
- #023
On November 20, 2007, director and producer Penny Marshall, together with Reachback LA and the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, served a five-star dinner to roughly 600 at-risk youths and their families in Watts, California. Bush took part in the event as a volunteer, contributing to the community. This charitable effort revealed his sense of social responsibility.
- #024
- #025
With Clarence Gilyard Jr. he not only played brothers on Walker, Texas Ranger, they also shared the same birthday. The coincidence strengthened the pair's on-screen chemistry and created a special bond between them. Bush and Gilyard often spoke about this partnership throughout their careers.
- #026
- #027
- #028
After the death of his best friend, writer and producer Nicholas Corea, Bush continues to keep his memory alive. The two met on the 1977 series The Incredible Hulk; while Bush played the villain, his mother Essie cheered as the Hulk tore apart her son's character, which made him smile. Corea brought Bush into many projects, including The Renegades with Patrick Swayze, Airwolf with Jan-Michael Vincent, Outlaws with Rod Taylor and Renegade with Lorenzo Lamas. These collaborations were an important turning point in Bush's career.
- #029
While preparing for the role of Rev. Ross in the critically acclaimed independent film Favorite Son, Bush memorized the entirety of Luke 15 in the New Testament. His performance was so impressive that local extras on set thought he was a real pastor and invited him to preach at their churches. The experience showed how deep Bush's acting talent ran.
- #030
During the Sofia, Bulgaria shoot of the film Shark Hunter, Bush's wheezing and the beads of sweat on his forehead were real. After being injured during a dubbing session, he had contracted a potentially fatal staph infection. His wife Sharon Dahlonega and the medical team watched over him throughout the shoot and supported him in his struggle with a fever that reached 104 Fahrenheit (40 Celsius). This difficult period revealed Bush's resilience and professionalism.
- #031
- #032
- #033
Producer Joel Silver personally called Bush at home to have him make a cameo in Demolition Man, starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. The phone call proved how high Bush's standing in the industry was. Bush accepted the invitation and made a brief but memorable contribution to the film.
- #034
- #035
- #036
- #037
As of March 2007, he was developing film projects with his wife and writing partner Sharon Dahlonega. This collaboration showed that the couple maintained a harmonious partnership both personally and professionally. Bush took great pleasure in being part of creative processes with his wife.
- #038
- #039
- #040
- #041
- #042
- #043
- #044
Bush, who began his acting career at an early age, was in the fourth grade at Vermont Elementary School in Los Angeles when his teacher noticed that he could memorize large passages, thanks to his father's habit of making him memorize large sections of the Bible. He was cast as 'Prince Charming' in his first play, 'Sleeping Beauty'. Bush, who until high school did not think one could make a living from acting, turned to the field after seeing the drama students around him earning income from it.
- #045
The 1994 video game Street Fighter: Special Edition represented the world's first group of international film actors appearing in a single game. Bush was part of this cast as 'Balrog', while Raul Julia took the role of 'Bison', Ming-Na Wen 'Chun-Li', Kylie Minogue 'Cammie', Jean-Claude Van Damme 'Guile' and Wes Studi 'Sagat'. This game became an important production that united the worlds of cinema and video games.
- #046
Grand and writer-producer Dean Devlin appeared together in the short-lived TV series Hard Copy. Devlin played a reporter, while Bush was his streetwise connection. Although the two became very good friends, their careers moved in different directions; Devlin focused on writing and Bush on acting. When they met at the Twentieth Century-Fox studio after the success of Devlin's film Independence Day, Devlin said he had a project that might interest Bush. Two weeks later, Bush agreed to take part in this project.
- #047
To prepare for the role of 'Balrog' in the film Street Fighter, he trained with martial artist Benny Urquidez. In addition to a scientific diet, he ran every day in the dirty streets of Bangkok, Thailand, in 90-degree heat and lost 15 kilos in a month. The video game Street Fighter II': Champion Edition included real footage of the entire cast in hand-to-hand combat. This preparation process showed how devoted Bush was to his role.
- #048
- #049
He was invited to take part in the 2007 Celebrity Golf Classic hosted by Donald Trump. Famous names such as Mark Wahlberg, Marcus Allen and Reggie Jackson also attended this event, held for the benefit of the Salvation Army. Bush continued to contribute to society by taking part in such charity events.
- #050
Because he speaks fluent Spanish, he often served as an interpreter for the cast and crew on the film Licence To Kill, which was shot in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. This skill facilitated communication on set and increased Bush's value within the team. At the same time, it demonstrated his ability to build bridges between different cultures.
- #051
Grand's acting hiatus ended in 2020 when Paul Thomas Anderson, the writer, producer and director of the film Licorice Pizza, created a character for him. His costumes in this film were designed by Academy Award-winning costume designer Mark Bridges. With this return, Bush stepped back into the world of cinema and received great acclaim.
- #052
- #053
Bush, a longtime devotee of superhero comics, said he had always been fascinated by characters with extraordinary abilities being drawn to powerful journalists. The fact that the character Balrog falls in love with someone at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, reinforced that interest for Bush. His wife, Sharon Raiford Bush, made history as America's first prime-time TV weather anchor. Bush made this connection by playing Balrog in Street Fighter: The Movie.
- #054
Oscar-winning writer and director William Peter Blatty personally chose Grand L. Bush to play the key role of Sergeant Mel Atkins in The Exorcist III. Bush's character was based on Blatty's novel Legion. In the horror film, Bush acted alongside Oscar-winning George C. Scott, who played Lieutenant William F. Kinderman. The experience was a major turning point in Bush's career.
Characters & Cast (2)
- #055
- #056
To prepare for the role of 'Balrog' in the film Street Fighter, Grand L. Bush trained with martial artist Benny Urquidez. In addition to a scientific diet, he ran every day in the dirty streets of Bangkok, Thailand, in 90-degree heat and lost 15 kilos in a month. The video game Street Fighter II': Champion Edition included real footage of the entire cast in hand-to-hand combat. This preparation process showed how dedicated Bush was to his role.
Career & Awards (7)
- #057
- #058
After filming the 1988 movie Colors, Bush became close friends with director Dennis Hopper. The friendship lasted more than 20 years, until Hopper's death, and Bush saw Hopper as both a mentor and a friend, a relationship that held an important place in his career.
- #059
- #060
- #061
Grand L. Bush began acting at an early age; while he was in the fourth grade at Vermont Elementary School in Los Angeles, his teacher noticed he could memorize large passages, thanks to his father's habit of making him memorize large portions of the Bible. He was cast as the 'Handsome Prince' in his first play, 'Sleeping Beauty.' Bush did not think one could make a living from acting until high school, when he saw the drama students around him earning income from it and turned toward the field.
- #062
Grand L. Bush's acting hiatus ended in 2020 when Paul Thomas Anderson, the writer, producer and director of the film Licorice Pizza, created a character for him. His costumes in the film were designed by Academy Award-winning costume designer Mark Bridges. With this return, Bush stepped back into the world of cinema and received great acclaim.
- #063
Oscar-winning writer and director William Peter Blatty personally chose Grand L. Bush to play the important role of Sergeant Mel Atkins in The Exorcist III. Bush's character was based on Blatty's novel Legion. Bush acted alongside Oscar-winning George C. Scott, who played Lieutenant William F. Kinderman in the horror film. This experience was an important turning point in Bush's career.
Life & Family (8)
- #064
- #065
- #066
On November 20, 2007, director and producer Penny Marshall, together with Reachback LA and the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, served a five-star dinner to roughly 600 at-risk youths and their families in Watts, California. Bush volunteered at the event, demonstrating his sense of social responsibility.
- #067
- #068
- #069
- #070
- #071
As of March 2007, Bush was developing film projects with his wife and writing partner, Sharon Dahlonega. The collaboration showed that the couple maintained a harmonious partnership both personally and professionally, and Bush took great pleasure in being part of creative processes with his wife.
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Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
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