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Norman Talmadge Matlock (August 8, 1925, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania -- September 30, 2015, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)1 was an American actor, playwright, and stage performer whose career spanned more than five decades in theater, television, and film. He is known to Ghostbusters fans as the Police Commissioner in Ghostbusters (1984), and to wider audiences for supporting roles in landmark films directed by Martin Scorsese, John Landis, Sidney Lumet, and Spike Lee.2
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Matlock was born to Thomas M. Matlock and Anna E. Baker in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Ohio, where he attended Central High School in Akron.1 He went on to the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in philosophy, and was a competitive track athlete who took part in indoor meets at Philadelphia's Convention Hall.1
During World War II he was drafted into the U.S. Navy, interrupting his studies before he could begin his professional career.1
After the war Matlock built his foundation in regional theater. He worked as a theater instructor in Cleveland and performed at two of that city's most significant venues for African-American artists: the Karamu House, one of the oldest multicultural arts institutions in the United States, and the Cleveland Playhouse.1 He also worked as a studio singer, earning credits on tracks including "Sugar in the Cane" and "Lonesome Man," and wrote three original plays set to music.2
His Broadway breakthrough came with the celebrated musical adaptation of Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona, which ran from 1971 to 1973 and earned the production a Tony Award for Best Musical; Matlock played the Duke of Milan in this production.3
Matlock's screen career gathered momentum through the 1970s and into the 1980s. His film debut came with Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976), in which he played Charlie T.2 Television work followed on series including Kojak, Love of Life (as a recurring character named Jeffrey), the miniseries Chiefs, Spencer for Hire, and The Equalizer (1987).2
He appeared opposite John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in John Landis's The Blues Brothers (1980), then landed his highest-profile film credit: the Police Commissioner in Ivan Reitman's Ghostbusters (1984).2 Later film work included Fort Apache the Bronx, The Long Walk Home (1990), two Spike Lee productions back to back -- Crooklyn (1994) and Clockers (1995, as Reverend Paul, a film produced by Martin Scorsese) -- Sidney Lumet's Night Falls on Manhattan (1996), and The Day the Ponies Come Back (2000).2
Described by contemporaries as one of the finest Black actors of his generation, Matlock was widely noted for his commanding physical presence and resonant voice.1 Authority figures were his signature screen territory: police commissioners, judges, preachers, and detectives recur throughout his filmography, played with genuine weight rather than mere type-casting.
Norman Matlock portrayed the New York City Police Commissioner, the city's top law-enforcement official, in Ivan Reitman's Ghostbusters (1984).4 His scene falls in Chapter 24 ("Biblical"), when the Commissioner is summoned to Mayor Lenny's office as supernatural chaos overwhelms the city.4 He reports that roads and bridges have been blocked in response to the crisis and, in contrast to the panic around him, maintains a measured composure.
When the Ghostbusters are brought in to make their case, the Commissioner physically restrains Walter Peck after Peck hurls an insult at them.4 He also challenges Peck's insistence that the Ghostbusters are frauds, citing a report of bleeding walls at the 53rd Precinct as evidence that something genuinely paranormal is happening.4 The Commissioner and the Mayor's aide then escort Peck out of the room, clearing the way for the Ghostbusters to receive the Mayor's authorization.
The role is brief but pivotal: Matlock's grounded authority makes the Commissioner a counterweight to Peck's hysteria and helps tip the Mayor toward trusting the Ghostbusters.
Matlock was married to Clementine Carroll. He is survived by three children, Norman G. Matlock, Elizabeth D. Matlock, and Yolanda Matlock, along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.1
Norman Matlock died on September 30, 2015, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of 90.1
Some content on this page was researched using the Ghostbusters Wiki on Fandom.
Philadelphia Tribune, "Norman T. Matlock, 90, actor," obituary (October 2015). https://www.phillytrib.com/obituaries/norman-t-matlock-90-actor/article_e4ebb499-acc5-527c-bfd5-d289673202ef.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8
IMDb, "Norman Matlock" (nm0559157), filmography and biography, accessed 2026-06-13. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0559157/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6
"Two Gentlemen of Verona (musical)," Wikipedia, accessed 2026-06-13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Gentlemen_of_Verona_(musical) Broadway run opened December 1, 1971 at St. James Theatre, New York; ran 614 performances. Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical (1972). Norman Matlock played the Duke of Milan in the original Broadway cast. ↩
Ghostbusters (1984), directed by Ivan Reitman. Columbia Pictures. Chapter 24: "Biblical." ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
