Beverly Todd | |
---|---|
Born | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | July 11, 1946
Occupation(s) | Actress, producer, screenwriter |
Years active | 1968–present |
Spouse | Kris Keiser (divorced) |
Children | Malik Smith (deceased; murdered) |
Beverly Todd (born July 11, 1946) [1] is an American actress, producer and writer. She is known for her roles in films Brother John (1971), Moving (1988), Lean on Me (1989) and The Bucket List (2007).
On television, Todd appeared in the short lived Julie Farr, M.D. (1978−79) and The Redd Foxx Show (1986). She recurred on Six Feet Under (2002−03) and has appeared in several soap operas, including Love of Life (1968−70) and Days of Our Lives (2012). Todd has portrayed Beatrice Carter on 9-1-1 on a recurring basis since 2019. Todd has received four NAACP Image Award nominations throughout her career.
Todd was born in Cleveland, Ohio, [2] the daughter of Virena Todd. [3] Todd aspired to be an actress from childhood, [4] and performed in school plays. [5]
She began her acting career in the Off-Broadway production of Deep Are the Roots, [1] and later performed in the London productions of No Strings [6] (replacing Barbara McNair) [7] and Blues for Mr. Charlie . [8]
Todd played the main role in the Broadway comedy play Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights directed by Sidney Poitier. [8] She later appeared opposite Poitier in four films. In her film debut, The Lost Man (1969), she appeared as beautician Sally, who uses the assumed name of Dorothy Starr. [9] [10] This was followed by roles in Poitier's They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970), Brother John (1971) [11] and A Piece of the Action (1977). In Brother John, Todd was a school teacher named Louisa. [12] A reviewer stated Todd had "natural charm" in the role. [13] She considered Poitier to be her acting mentor. [1]
On television, she was a regular cast member on the daytime soap opera, Love of Life , from 1968 to 1970. She portrayed Monica Nelson, a theater actress who becomes involved with Lincoln Kilpatrick's character. [14] In 1977, she appeared in the educational show The Write Channel on PBS. Todd received an NAACP Image Award nomination for her performance in the critically acclaimed PBS production of Six Characters in Search of an Author (1976). [8] [5] She received her second NAACP Image Award nomination for her role as an adult Fanta in the ABC miniseries, Roots . [1] [8] In the late 1970s, Todd appeared regularly as Kelly Williams in Julie Farr, M.D. . [15] Todd appeared in the Barnaby Jones episode titled, "The Bounty Hunter" (12/16/1976).
She appeared as Dana in The Ghost of Flight 401 (1978) [16] and played the role of Lahoma, the wife of Satchel Paige, [1] in the 1981 television film Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy 'Satchel' Paige . [17] In 1986, Todd was cast as the ex-wife of Redd Foxx's character on The Redd Foxx Show ; the series had performed poorly in viewership and was overhauled with the addition of Todd and comedian Sinbad to the cast. [18] The measure failed to improve ratings, and the show was canceled after one season. [19]
Todd played the wife of Richard Pryor's character in Moving (1988), [20] which garnered her another NAACP Image Award nomination. [21] She portrayed high school vice principal Joan Levias in Lean on Me (1989) with Morgan Freeman. [22] A film critic believed Todd was "wonderful" in Lean on Me. [23] She received her fourth NAACP Image Award nomination for her performance in the film. [24] Around this time, Todd also acted in the Whoopi Goldberg film Clara's Heart . [25] Todd made appearances on various television series during the 1980s, including Lou Grant , [25] St. Elsewhere , Cagney & Lacey , [26] and Magnum, P.I. . [27]
She did not appear regularly on the screen during the 1990s, only appearing intermittently in A Different World [28] and other series in guest spots. She returned to acting in 2002, with a recurring role in the HBO series, Six Feet Under as Mrs. Charles. [1] In 2004, she appeared as Don Cheadle's character's drug addict mother in the critically acclaimed film, Crash . [29] [30] She reunited with Morgan Freeman in the 2007 comedy-drama film, The Bucket List . [30] In the film, Todd portrayed his wife Virginia. [26] Freeman recommended Todd to the film's director, Rob Reiner. [26]
Todd also had supporting roles in the independent films The Lena Baker Story (2008) and I Will Follow (2011), playing Amanda, the deceased aunt of Salli Richardson's character. [31] Roger Ebert was favorable of Todd's performance in this film. [32] Todd also guest starred on House , The Closer and Grey's Anatomy , and, in 2012, had the recurring role in the NBC daytime soap opera, Days of Our Lives as Celeste Perrault, the mother of Lexie Carver (Renée Jones). [33] As of 2019, Todd had a recurring role as Beatrice on 9-1-1 . [34]
She was married to film producer-director Kris Keiser. [35] Their son, Malik Smith, died on March 20, 1989, at age 18 after being severely beaten at a teen youth center (no alcohol served or allowed) while on spring break in Utah. [36] [37] Smith's killer was found guilty of negligent homicide and received a one-year prison sentence, [38] only serving eight months. [36] Todd was not satisfied with the jury's decision, and sought to have homicide laws in Utah be stricter. [36]
Todd is a co-founder of the Sunshine Circle preschool, [1] which follows a Montessori curriculum. [36]
John Elroy Sanford, better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy nightclub act before and during the civil rights movement. Known as the "King of the Party Records", he performed on more than 50 records in his lifetime. He portrayed Fred G. Sanford on the television show Sanford and Son and starred in The Redd Foxx Show and The Royal Family. His film projects included All the Fine Young Cannibals (1960), Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970), Norman... Is That You? (1976) and Harlem Nights (1989).
Diahann Carroll was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. Carroll was the recipient of numerous stage and screen nominations and awards, including her Tony Award in 1962, Golden Globe Award in 1968, and five Emmy Award nominations. Carroll was a part of and a major figure during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Grady Demond Wilson is an American actor and author. He portrayed Lamont Sanford at the age of 25, the son of Fred Sanford in the NBC sitcom Sanford and Son (1972–77), and Oscar Madison in The New Odd Couple (1982–83). He appeared in the film Me and the Kid (1993).
Delloreese Patricia Early, known professionally as Della Reese, was an American jazz and gospel singer, actress, and ordained minister whose career spanned seven decades. She began her long career as a singer, scoring a hit with her 1959 single "Don't You Know?". In the late 1960s she hosted her own talk show, Della, which ran for 197 episodes. From 1975 she also starred in films, playing opposite Redd Foxx in Harlem Nights (1989), Martin Lawrence in A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) and Elliott Gould in Expecting Mary (2010). Reese achieved continued success in the religious television drama Touched by an Angel (1994–2003), in which she played the leading role of Tess.
Tonea Stewart, also Tommie Stewart, is an American actress and university professor. She is the former dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts of Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama.
Jo Marie Payton is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Harriette Baines Winslow on the ABC/CBS sitcom Family Matters (1989–1998), a role she originated on its forerunner series Perfect Strangers. From 2001 to 2005, Payton provided the voice for Suga Mama Proud on Disney Channel's animated series The Proud Family and reprised the role in the 2005 TV Movie The Proud Family Movie and also on Disney+’s revival The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. The role earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination in 2005. Payton also had recurring roles as the personal assistant to Gregory Hines' character, Ben Doucette, during season two of Will & Grace (1999–2000).
Pamela Suzette Grier is an American actress and singer. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star, she achieved fame for her starring roles in a string of 1970s action, blaxploitation and women in prison films for American International Pictures and New World Pictures. Her accolades include nominations for an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Satellite Award and a Saturn Award.
Penny Johnson Jerald is an American actress. She played Beverly Barnes on the HBO comedy series The Larry Sanders Show, Kasidy Yates on the syndicated science fiction series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Sherry Palmer on the Fox series 24, Captain Victoria "Iron" Gates on the ABC comedy-drama series Castle, and Dr. Claire Finn on the Fox/Hulu science-fiction series The Orville, and voiced Sarafina in the films The Lion King and Mufasa: The Lion King.
Jacqueline Yvonne Harry is an American actress, comedian, and television personality. She is known for her starring roles as Sandra Clark, the nemesis of Mary Jenkins, on the NBC TV series 227 (1985–1990), and as Lisa Landry on the ABC/The WB sitcom Sister, Sister (1994–1999). She is noted for being the first African-American to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Elizabeth Larrieu Torres is an American actress, singer, and comedian. Torres is best known for her role as Mahalia Sanchez in the NBC comedy series The John Larroquette Show (1993–1996), for which she received two Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominations. She is also known for her role as Patricia "Miss Patty" LaCosta in The WB family comedic drama series Amy Sherman-Palladino's Gilmore Girls (2000–07) starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. In the 1970s, she played Julie Erskine on Phyllis and also had a recurring role as Teresa Betancourt on All in the Family.
Helen Dorothy Martin was an American actress of stage and television. Martin's career spanned over 60 years, appearing first on stage and later in film and television. Martin is best known for her roles as Wanda on the CBS sitcom Good Times (1974–1979) and as Pearl Shay on the NBC sitcom 227 (1985–1990).
LaWanda Page was an American actress, comedian, and dancer whose career spanned six decades. Crowned "The Queen of Comedy" or "The Black Queen of Comedy", Page melded blue humor, signifyin', and observational comedy to jokes about sexuality, race relations, African-American culture, and religion. She released five solo albums, including the 1977 gold-selling Watch It, Sucker!. She also collaborated on two albums with comedy group Skillet, Leroy & Co. As an actress, Page is best known for portraying the Bible-toting and sharp-tongued "Aunt" Esther Anderson in the popular television sitcom Sanford and Son, which originally aired from 1972 until 1977. Page later reprised this role in the short-lived television shows Sanford Arms (1976–1977) and Sanford (1980–1981). She also co-starred in the 1979 short-lived series Detective School. Throughout her career, Page advocated for fair pay and equal opportunities for Black performers.
Sydney Tamiia Poitier is an American-Canadian television and film actress.
Nicole Ari Parker Kodjoe is an American actress and model. She made her screen debut with a leading role in the critically acclaimed independent film The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995) and went on to appear in Boogie Nights (1997), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Rosanna DeSoto is an American actress who has performed in films and television. She is best known for her roles in Stand and Deliver, for which she won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female, and in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as Azetbur, the daughter of Klingon Chancellor Gorkon.
Leigh Taylor-Young is an American actress who has appeared on stage, screen, podcast, radio, and television. The most famous films in which she had important roles include I Love You, Alice B. Toklas (1968), The Horsemen (1971), The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight (1971), Soylent Green (1973), and Jagged Edge (1985).
Garcelle Beauvais is a Haitian-American actress and television personality. She is best known for her starring roles in the sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show and the crime drama series NYPD Blue. She also appeared in the films Coming to America (1988) and its sequel (2021), White House Down (2013), and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). In 2020, Beauvais became a main cast member of the reality television series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She also co-hosted the daytime talk show The Real alongside Adrienne Bailon, Loni Love, and Jeannie Mai from 2020 to 2022 for its final two seasons.
Hattie Mae Winston is an American film, television and Broadway actress. She is known for her roles as Margaret Wyborn on Becker, Lucy Carmichael in Rugrats, The Rugrats Movie, and the spin off series All Grown Up! and as a cast member of the PBS children's series The Electric Company.
Tammy Hansen Grady is an American-born actress, recording artist, photographer and former glamour model. She was born in Los Angeles, California on September 29, 1970. She has appeared in 16 music videos. At present, she is a DP, camera operator and enjoys making films of her own.
Rowena King is a British stage, film and television actress.
Demetria Fulton previewed Todd's appearance in Barnaby Jones; episode titled, "The Bounty Hunter"(12/16/1976).