Rafael Campos (May 13, 1936 – July 9, 1985) was an American actor whose credits includeBlackboard Jungle (1955),Dino (1957),The Light in the Forest (1958),Slumber Party '57 (1976),The Astro-Zombies (1968),Centennial (1978) andV (1983). He was briefly married to blues singer and pianistDinah Washington.

Originally from the Dominican Republic, he moved to the United States in 1949.^[1] From 1961 to 1962, he was married to Dinah Washington, who was 12 years his senior.^[2] In 1961,Jet magazine published a photo with Washington embracing both Campos, reportedly her seventh husband, and her ex-husband Eddie Chamblee, reportedly her fifth husband.^[3] He then married the model Sally Boyd, with whom he had two daughters.^[4]

One of Campos's brothers is the cryptographer, artist, and poet Luis Campos; another brother, Fernando Campos, is the president of New York's Latin ACE awards.^[5]

Campos had a career that lasted 30 years.^[6] He was spotted by the directorRichard Brooks during a theater production ofHeavenly Express. Thanks to Brooks,^[6] he had a starring role alongsideGlenn Ford,Vic Morrow,Margaret Hayes andSidney Poitier in the 1955 filmBlackboard Jungle.^[7] In the 1955 filmTrial, he reunited with Glenn Ford to play the part of a Chicano teenager wrongfully accused of murdering a white girl from a rich family at a beach party. Ford portrays a college law instructor who defends Campos' character.^[8] Other appearances include an episode ofHave Gun – Will Travel, playing a teenager who stole a statue of St. Francis of Assisi and the episode "Pancho" in 1959. Also that year, he played the title character in "The Swift Cloud Story" (S2E27) onWagon Train.

During the 1960s, he was in theTed V. Mikels-directed filmThe Astro-Zombies, which starredJohn Carradine,Wendell Corey andTura Satana. He played the part of Juan.^[9]

Among his TV credits is a 1962 appearance onAlfred Hitchcock Presents, titled "The Big Score". He played the lead as a teen gang member who kills and robs a man who turns out to be a mob boss. He also played a young Mexican boy, Juan De La O, who stole a horse in an episode ofLaramie (season 3, episode 15), titled "The Barefoot Kid". Rafael played a young soldier on S12 E4 of Gunsmoke The Mission on October 8, 1966. Rafael had a memorable role in an episode ofAll In the Family where Archie is told to fire Little Immanuel, who was a member of his crew at work. From 1977 to 1978, the actor had a recurring role as Ramon Diaz Jr. in the seriesRhoda.^[10][6] He appeared in 10 episodes of the show.^{[citation needed]}

Possibly his last credited film role was in 1986 inThe Return of Josey Wales, in which he played Chato.^[11]

Campos was diagnosed withstomach cancer and entered theMotion Picture and Television Hospital inWoodland Hills, Los Angeles in December 1984. He died at the hospital on July 9, 1985, aged 49. He was buried atValley Oaks Memorial Park inWestlake Village.^[1]

• Rafael Campos atIMDb

• 1936 births
• 1985 deaths
• 20th-century American male actors
• American male film actors
• American male television actors
• Burials at Valley Oaks Memorial Park
• Deaths from stomach cancer in California
• Dominican Republic expatriates in the United States
• Dominican Republic male actors
• Male Western (genre) film actors
• People from Santiago de los Caballeros
• Western (genre) television actors

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles with hCards
• All articles with unsourced statements
• Articles with unsourced statements from April 2021