Carl Bradshaw grew up in the Kingston ghetto of Standpipe, and was educated at Excelsior High School.
[1] He was a keen actor and athlete as a teenager and his talent won him a scholarship at the University of Pennsylvania.
[3] He went on to take up the role of Head of Physical Education at Excelsior High School, where he was working when he was cast as Jose, one of the lead roles in Perry Henzell's 1973 film The Harder They Come, after initially getting involved as an extra.
He asked me to make up a story for my character, so I gave him a line about some guy who'd owed me money for ages.
[citation needed] He took the lead role of Ringo in the 1976 film Smile Orange, and also had roles on Countryman and Dancehall Queen, which he also co-produced while Director of Operations for Island Entertainment Jamaica.