‘The Game’ Star Returns Home to Montgomery After Father’s Fatal Hit-and-Run
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) — Hollywood actor and Montgomery native Hosea Chanchez returned to his hometown recently for an emotional visit — honored by the Montgomery City Council while mourning the loss of his father, who was killed in a hit-and-run last month.
Chanchez, best known for his role as Malik Wright on the television sitcom The Game, received a city proclamation recognizing his achievements and positive influence on young people. But the celebration came amid tragedy.
According to the Montgomery Police Department, 67-year-old Ephriam Bristow was hit and killed by a driver who fled the scene just before 5 a.m. Oct. 18 in the 4400 block of Troy Highway.
“We didn’t have any answers from law enforcement or anything,” Chanchez said. “My father is a man who had some issues in his lifetime. However, he was a father, he was a son. He was a citizen, he was a very good man, he was a loving, kind man.”
In a post on social media, Chanchez shared his heartbreak over the way his father died, writing that the “murderer dragged my father’s body a block and a half and then drove away like it was nothing, as my father was taking his last breath on the side of the road…”
“Everything that I am today came from the backbone of my family,” he said.
Chanchez, who has appeared in more than a dozen television shows and several films, stood alongside his 94-year-old grandfather, Arthur Bristow, and more than a dozen family members as he accepted the proclamation. He credited his family’s example for teaching him compassion and service.
“We farmed anything that you could possibly imagine,” Chanchez said. “My grandfather would always do a credit system or a system that would allow people who didn’t have the funds or the money to feed their families. My family, we’re just there for each other.”
District 6 City Councilman Oronde Mitchell, who sponsored the recognition, said he hoped young men in Montgomery would be inspired by Chanchez’s success.
“I just wanted these young men to see that you can make it outside of Montgomery, outside of sports,” Mitchell said. “Thank you for being a representation of Montgomery — you do it well for the city.”
Chanchez also encouraged local youth to keep faith at the center of their lives.
“I want to encourage young men here and all over to continue the good fight and stay as positive as you can,” he said. “Don’t ever give up on yourself, don’t ever give up on your family, and most importantly, when you feel like times are dark, drop down to your knees and have a conversation with God.”
We reached out to the Montgomery Police Department to find out if any arrests have been made in the case, but they have not responded. If you have any information that could help police with this case, call CrimeStoppers at 215-STOP.
