Joe Myatt Mays, Jr. -- Actor

Joe Myatt Mays, Jr. was born to Joe Myatt Sr. and Nancy Belle Lay Mays in Little Rock, Arkansas on February 25, 1948.  He grew up in Marshall, Arkansas, a small town of about 1,300 people in Searcy County located about 80 miles from Little Rock.

Joe showed an interest in acting at an early age.  In 1969, he was a student at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas and had a major role in Hendrix College Player’s production of “Beggar on Horseback” and Somerset Maugham’s “The Circle” along with his fellow collegiate actors. In 1971, he continued his education at the University of Arkansas and toured Arkansas with the University of Arkansas Touring Children’s Theatre appearing in such plays as “The Mouse King” in which he played the part of “The dog”. 

 After college, Joe settled in New York City where he began his professional career as a stage, television and movie actor.  He initially began performing professionally in numerous off-Broadway shows. In 1977, he moved to Hollywood and became a frequent guest star on television.  He appeared in bit parts in several TV series including Rhoda, Happy Days, The Dukes of Hazzard, L. A. Law, Family Matters, The Golden Girls, Matlock, Jake and the Fatman and numerous others. Mays is probably best known as his role as the polygamist on L. A. Law.  His last TV appearance was in 1991 in an episode of The Golden Girls titled Rose Loves Miles in which he played the part of the Maitre D’.

He was a character actor who appeared in over a dozen feature films.  He can be seen in Angel on My Shoulder (1980), The Last Innocent Man (1987), Spontaneous Combustion (1990), The Seventh Sign (1988), and Future Kick (1991) along with numerous TV movies and mini-series. His final role was in 1992 in the movie, Mr. Saturday Night which starred Billy Crystal and Helen Hunt.

Joe Mays died on January 27, 1994 in Little Rock, Arkansas from complications of AIDS. He was 45 years old.  Survivors included his father, two sisters, a brother, two nieces and three nephews.  He is buried in the East Lawn Cemetery in his home town of Marshall, Arkansas.

LINEAGE:

(Joe Myatt Mays, Jr. was the son of Joe Myatt, Sr. and Nancy Belle Lay Mays, grandson of Buchanan Hammond and Claudia Elizabeth Myatt Mays, great-grandson of James Hardy and Permelia Emily Vinson Myatt and the great-great grandson of Thomas Allison and Alpha Gemima Sholar Vinson.  Alpha Gemima was the ninth child of Allen and Jemima Bridges Sholar.  Jemima was the first child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges)