Actor. He was best known for playing the roles of captains, doctors, colonels, reverends, cops, majors, bullies, managers, detectives, ringmasters, cowboys, commanders, crewmen, foremen, committeemen, dinner guests, judges, prosecutors, fathers, district attorneys, and men of distinction including lords, sirs, marquis, and historical figures, including Indian figures and religious figures in both silent films and talkie films. He will be best remembered for playing the role of 'John the Baptist' in the classic silent film drama, "Salome" (1920). The film which was directed by J. Gordon Edwards, which was produced by William Fox, which was written for the screen by Adrian Johnson, which was based on a story by Flavius Josephus, and which also starred Theda Bara, G. Raymond Nye, Herbert Heyes, Bertram Grassby, Genevieve Blinn, Vera Doria, Al Fremont, and Rex Ingram, tells the story of when Herodias divorces her husband and marries his brother Herod Antipas, the Governor of Judea, the prophet John the Baptist protests and is imprisoned. Salome, daughter of Herodias and both niece and stepdaughter to Herod, dances seductively and wins the prize of anything she asks of Herod. The prize she asks for is the head of John the Baptist. He was born as John Albert Rascoe in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 23, 1886, some sources say 1887 or 1888, but United States Census records have confirmed 1886. He began his career as a teacher and then became active as an actor when he began appearing in the theatre. He then moved to Hollywood, California, to pursue his acting career further by appearing in films. He was signed by William Fox of 20th Century Fox fame and he began appearing in films for them as well as Samuel Goldwyn, among others. He was usually cast alongside the great screen vamp actress Theda Bara. He made his actual film debut playing the role of 'Jack Thorpe' in the short film drama, "A Pound For A Pound" (1915). The film which was written for the screen by James Oliver Curwood, and which also starred Nell Craig, Wallace Beery, and Harry Dunkinson, tells the story of starvation which faces the little post of Red Gold. Jack Thorpe, in a final effort to obtain food for his wife and baby, offers all his gold for one pound of meat. Buck Gibson, who has a secret passion for Hester Thore, Jack Thorpe's wife, goes to her and promises to sell meat to her husband if she will betray him. She refuses, so Buck Gibson refuses to sell his meat. In desperation, Jack Thorpe tries to steal the meat from Buck Gibson and is caught. He is punished by being sent into the wilderness to starve. Hester Thorpe deprives Buck Gibson of his revenge by following her husband. The next morning they are found by a half-breed with a sledgeload of meat. Jack Thorpe induces him to let him sell the meat in Red Gold. He refuses to sell to Buck Gibson. Half starved, Buck Gibson steals, and his lot is the same as Jack Thorpe's. Jack Thorpe then gives up all his meat to have Buck Gibson's life spared. Besides, playing the role of 'Jack Thorpe' in the short film drama, "A Pound For A Pound" (1915), and playing the role of 'John the Baptist' in the classic silent film drama, "Salome" (1920), his many other film credits include, "Stars Their Courses Change" (1915), "An Opal Ring" (1915), "A Night In Kentucky" (1915), "Graustark" (1915), "The Mystery Of The Silent Death" (1915), "The Conspiracy At The Chateau" (1915), "On The Dawn Road" (1915), "Sue" (1915), "Heart's Desire" (1917), "Camille" (1917), "Cleopatra" (1917), "The Shuttle" (1918), "The Doctor And The Woman" (1918), "A Soul For Sale" (1918), "The Mortgaged Wife" (1918), "Under The Yoke" (1918), "Her Body In Bond" (1918), "When A Woman Sins" (1918), "The She Devil" (1918), "The Siren's Song" (1919), "The City Of Comrades" (1919), "A Man's Country" (1919), "Evangeline" (1919), "Her Purchase Price" (1919), "The Paliser Case" (1920), "The Hell Ship" (1920), "Her Elephant Man" (1920), "Tarnished Reputations" (1920), "Black Shadows" (1920), "Molly And I" (1920), "Madame X" (1920), "The Last Of The Mohicans" (1920), "Her Unwilling Husband" (1920), "The Branding Iron" (1920), "The Last Card" (1921), "Over The Wire" (1921), "No Trespassing" (1922), "Burning Sands" (1922), "The Man Who Saw Tomorrow" (1922), "Java Head" (1923), "Lovebound" (1923), "The Spoilers" (1923), "A Wife's Romance" (1923), "The Net" (1923), "Pal o' Mine" (1924), "Flirting With Love" (1924), "The Painted Flapper" (1924), "The Chrous Lady" (1924), "One Glorious Night" (1924), "The Mirage" (1924), "The Girl Of Gold" (1925), "The Devil Quemado" (1925), "Before Midnight" (1925), "Why Women Love" (1925), "The Lure Of The Wild" (1925), "The King Of The Turf" (1926), "The Wolf Hunters" (1926), "The Texas Streak" (1926), "Tentacles Of The North" (1926), "Long Pants" (1927), "Duty's Reward" (1927), "Marry The Girl" (1928), "Modern Mothers" (1928), "The Mating Call" (1928), "The Sawdust Paradise" (1928), "Driftwood" (1928), "His Last Haul" (1928), "The Sideshow" (1928), "Love In The Desert" (1929), "The Red Sword" (1929), "Flight" (1929), "Lure Of The Mine" (1929), "Hurricane" (1929), "Untamed" (1929), "The Vagabond Lover" (1929), "Seven Keys To Baldpate" (1929), "Call Of The West" (1930), "The Fall Guy" (1930), "Rain Or Shy" (1930), "Danger Lights" (1930), "Half Shot At Sunrise" (1930), "The Pay-Off" (1930), "The Royal Bed" (1931), 'Dirigible" (1931), "She Went For A Tramp" (1931), "Laugh And Get Rich" (1931), "The Sin Ship" (1931), "Subway Express" (1931), "The Public Defender" (1931), "High Stakes" (1931), "Hell Divers" (1931), "Ladies Of The Jury" (1932), "Hell-Fire Austin" (1932), "Strangers Of The Evening" (1932), "Dynamite Ranch" (1932), "The Boiling Point" (1932), "Hello Trouble" (1932), "The Last Mile" (1932), "The Last Man" (1932), "Breach Of Promise" (1932), "Speed Demon" (1932), "A Strange Adventure" (1932), "Uptown New York" (1932), "The Death Kiss" (1932), "The Cheyenne Kid" (1933), and "Lucky Devils" (1933). His last film role was playing 'Joe-Movie Cowboy' in the action-adventure comedy film, "The Thrill Hunter" (1933). The film which was directed by George B. Seitz, which was written for the screen by Harry O. Hoyt, and which also starred Buck Jones, Dorothy Revier, Edward LeSaint, Eddie Kane, Arthur Rankin, Frank LaRue, Robert Ellis, Harry Semels, Albert J. Smith, and Alan Ince, tells the story of Cowboy Buck Crosby who is a big blowhard and a liar. His supposedly great race car driving and flying feats get him invited to co-star with Marjorie Lane in a Western. He survives the auto racing scene but is exposed as a hoax when he tries to fly an airplane. Leaving in shame, he gets a chance to redeem himself when outlaws kidnap Marjorie Lane. During his acting career, he also used the name Albert Roscoe. He continued to act until his death. He passed away following a battle with stomach cancer at the Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles, California, on March 8, 1933, at the age of 46. Following his death, his funeral service was held through W.M. Strothers, Inc. Funeral Directors of Hollywood, California, and he was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. He was married twice, first to the actress Delle Duncan in 1917, and then to the actress Barbara Bedford (1903-1981), from August 26, 1922, until they were divorced on May 16, 1928. The couple had one child together. In 1930, the couple announced their intentions to marry again and remained married until his death. After his death, his wife Barbara Bedford Roscoe had a legal dispute with his friend the actor Wallace Beery over life insurance money that the actor claimed was owed to him for debts, but which his wife Barbara Bedford Roscoe said was intended for her daughter Barbara Edith Roscoe's education.