Samuel Rufus McDaniel (January 28, 1886 – September 24, 1962)[1] was an American actor who appeared in over 210 television shows and films between 1929 and 1950.

[3] His father Henry McDaniel fought in the Civil War with the 122nd USCT and his mother, Susan Holbert, was a singer of gospel music.

Sam was working on KNX radio program called The Optimistic Doughnut Hour, and he was able to get his sister a spot.

He is the only African-American to ever appear on I Love Lucy, playing "Sam the Porter" in the 1955 episode "The Great Train Robbery".

He appeared uncredited as a waiter on a train in both the 1947 film The Egg and I (with Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert) and its first followup Ma and Pa Kettle (1949).