Brent (2) Georg Stanford Brown – Tom Harvey (2) Brad Davis – Ol' George Johnson (2) Lane Binkley – Martha Johnson (2) Hilly Hicks – Lewis (2) Lynne Moody – Irene Harvey (2) Austin Stoker – Virgil (2) Ralph Waite – Third mate Slater (2) Cicely Tyson – Binta (1) Thalmus Rasulala – Omoro (1) Moses Gunn – Kintango (1) Hari Rhodes – Brima Cesay (1) Ren Woods – Fanta (2) Ernest Lee Thomas – Kailuba (1) Lorne Greene – John Reynolds (2) Scatman Crothers – Mingo (1) George Hamilton – Stephen Bennett (1) Lillian Randolph – Sister Sara (1) Roxie Roker – Malizy (1) Richard Roundtree – Sam Bennett (1) Thayer David – Harlan (2) Tanya Boyd – Genelva (2) John Quade – Sheriff Biggs (1) Maya Angelou – Nyo Boto (1) O.J. Simpson – Kadi Touray (1) Beverly Todd – Older Fanta (1) Paul Shenar – John Carrington (1) Gary Collins – Grill (1) Richard Farnsworth – Trumbull (1) Raymond St. Jacques – Drummer (1) Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs – Noah (1) John Schuck – Ordell (1) Macdonald Carey – Squire James (1) Ian McShane – Sir Eric Russell (1) Doug McClure – Jemmy Brent (1) Burl Ives – Sen. Arthur Justin (1) Richard McKenzie – Sam Harvey (2) Sally Kemp – Lila Harvey (2) William C. Watson – Gardner (1) Charles Cyphers – Drake (1) Macon McCalman – Poston (1) Brion James – Slaver (1) Tracey Gold – Young Missy Reynolds (1) Todd Bridges – Bud (1) Ross Chapman – Sergeant Williams (1) Grand L. Bush – Captured runaway slave (1) Production The miniseries was directed by Marvin J. Chomsky, John Erman, David Greene and Gilbert Moses. It was produced by Stan Margulies. David L. Wolper was executive producer. The score was composed by Gerald Fried, and Quincy Jones for only the first episode. Many familiar white TV actors, such as Ed Asner (from The Mary Tyler Moore Show), Chuck Connors (The Rifleman), Lorne Greene (Bonanza and later Battlestar Galactica), Robert Reed (The Brady Bunch), and Ralph Waite (The Waltons), were cast against type as slave holders and traders. ABC television executives "got cold feet" after seeing the brutality depicted in the series and attempted to cut the network's predicted losses by airing the series over eight consecutive nights in January in one fell swoop. The Museum of Broadcast Communications recounts the apprehensions that Roots would flop, and how