Authoritative black character actor of film and TV also enjoyed a successful career on stage. Gunn made his NY stage debut in the original off-Broadway production of Jean Genet's "The Blacks" (1962). A co-founder of the celebrated Negro Ensemble Company, he distinguished himself in many of their productions, notably "The First Breeze of Summer" (1975). Gunn was also known for his Shakespearean performances with the Yale Repertory Theatre and the New York Shakespeare Festival.