Chip Fields

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Chip Fields
BornAugust 5, 1951
New York, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actress
  • television director
Years active1974–present
Known forLinella Gordon – Good Times
Laverne Hunter – Living Single
Rita Conway – The Amazing Spider-Man (TV series)

Chip Fields (born on August 5, 1951) is an American singer, actress, television director, and producer who has appeared in popular films, television series, and Broadway theatre. She is best known for portraying Linella Gordon, the abusive birth mother of Penny Gordon Woods (played by Janet Jackson), in a four–episode story arc (1977) of the 1970s sitcom Good Times . In real life, she is the mother of actress Kim Fields, of The Facts of Life television series and actress Alexis Fields Jackson.

Contents

Early life and career

Fields was born in New York to Patsy, her Jamaican mother and an African American father.[ citation needed ]

Fields began her career as a singer. She joined Ronnie Spector as a Ronette in 1973 and recorded two singles for Buddah Records. [1]

Fields began her acting career as an extra in the 1974 film Claudine . She has had numerous supporting roles and guest appearances on television. She played an unwed mother opposite Patty Weaver in the NBC television soap opera, Days of Our Lives . Also during the 1970s, she played the abusive birth mother of Millicent "Penny" Gordon Woods (Janet Jackson) on the sitcom Good Times .

From 1978 to 1979, she played Rita Conway in the short-lived The Amazing Spider-Man TV series. Rita Conway was J. Jonah Jameson's secretary, the same function as the black Glory Grant from the 1970s comics. She also appeared in What's Happening!! , Hill Street Blues , T. J. Hooker , Roc , Kirk (a short-lived sitcom starring Kirk Cameron), The Wayans Bros. , and The Parkers . She played the role of "Laverne", mother to the character "Regine" (played by her real-life daughter Kim Fields) on Living Single.

Fields was a consultant for The Parkers , Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century , Living Single , and was a dialogue coach for the film, Menace II Society . She also directed episodes of the popular UPN sitcoms, One on One , All of Us , Girlfriends , The Parkers , as well as episodes of Romeo! , Just Jordan , Hannah Montana , Tyler Perry's House of Payne and Meet the Browns . [2]

Discography

Filmography

Acting

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1974 Claudine Rioter on Hallway Stairs [3]
1975 The Happy Hooker Red HatBiographical-comedy film directed by Nicholas Sgarro [4]
1978 Blue Collar Caroline Brown Crime drama film directed by Paul Schrader [5]
1979 The Lady in Red SatinAction-drama/romantic film directed by Lewis Teague [6]
2004 Woman Thou Art Loosed Woman in ChurchDrama film directed by Michael Schultz [7]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1974Change at 125th StreetHarriet MorseMade-for-TV movie directed by Bob LaHendro and Michael Schultz [8]
1975 Police Story Girl in BarEpisode: "Face for a Shadow" (S 3:Ep 6)
1976 Good Times RochelleEpisode: "J.J.'s New Career, part 2" (S 4:Ep 8)
1977 Rhoda Nurse FranklinEpisode: "A Night in the Emergency Room" (S 3:Ep 16)
Days of Our Lives Toni JohnsonEpisode: "Episode #1.2962" (S 12:Ep 962)
What's Happening!! NormaEpisode: "From Here to Maternity" (S 1:Ep 21)
Good TimesLynetta GordonSeason 5, episodes 1–3 "The Evans Get Involved"
What's Happening!!DonnaEpisode: "Give Me Odds" (S 2:Ep 8)
FreemanOsa LeeMade-for-TV movie directed by Lloyd Richards.
1978 Barnaby Jones Kelly JohnsonEpisode: "A Ransom in Diamonds" (S 6:Ep 16)
BatteredGinny SinclairMade-for-TV-Movie directed by Peter Werner. [9]
1978–79 The Amazing Spider-Man Rita Conway Recurring
1979What's Happening!!DonnaEpisode: "Food Poisoning" (S 3:Ep 16)
Good TimesLinella GordonEpisode: "A Matter of Mothers" (S 6:Ep 21)
1980The Night the City ScreamedYvonne ClementsMade-for-TV-Movie directed by Harry Falk. [10]
1982 Hill Street Blues Mrs. HalloranEpisode: "The Shooter" (S 2:Ep 17)
The Facts of Life Goes to Paris LouiseMade-for-TV movie directed by Asaad Kelada. [11]
1984 T. J. Hooker Carolyn WebsterEpisode: "Anatomy of a Killing" (S 4:Ep 5)
The Facts of Life Diane RamseyEpisode: "Mother and Daughter" (S 5:Ep 21)
1986Episode: "The Graduate" (S 7:Ep 23)
1992 Roc Ms. WilsonEpisode: " No Notes Is Good Notes" (S 1:Ep 16)
1993 Where I Live BonitaEpisode: "The Terminator" (S 1:Ep 13)
Living Single Bar PatronEpisode: "Living Kringle" (S 1:Ep 15)
1994BevEpisode: "The Hand That Robs the Cradle" (S 1:Ep 17)
Laverne HunterEpisode: "She Ain't Heavy, She My Mother" (S 1:Ep 26)
1995Episode: "To Grandmother's House We Go" (S 2:Ep 25)
Episode: "Talk Showdown" (S 2:Ep 26)
Episode: "Come Back Little Diva" (S 3:Ep 1)
Episode: "Rags to Riches" (S 3:Ep 5)
1996 Kirk NurseEpisode" Operation Kirk" (S 1:Ep 20)
Living SingleLaverne HunterEpisode: "Compromising Positions" (S 3:Ep 26)
1997Episode: "Mother Inferior" (S 4:Ep 13)
Episode: "Never Can Say Goodbye" (S 4:Ep 24)
WomanEpisode: "Up the Ladder Through the Roof" (S 5:Ep 6)
Laverne HunterEpisode: "Three Men and a Buckeye" (S 5:Ep 8)
1998 The Wayans Bros. Susan SparksEpisode: "Escorting Ain't Easy" (S 5:Ep 6)
2000 The Parkers Wilma McCoyEpisode: "Turkey Day Blues" (S 2:Ep 10)
2007 Just Jordan GertEpisode: "Fist of Funny" (S 1:Ep 8)

Production

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1993 Menace II Society Dialogue coach Hood drama thriller film directed by Allen and Albert Hughes [12]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
1993–94 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper ConsultantTelevision sitcom
Living Single
1994 Me and the Boys Dialogue consultant
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper Director Episode: "Groom & Bride" (S 2:Ep 21)
1997 Arsenio ConsultantTelevision sitcom
1999 Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century Disney Channel Original Movie directed by Kenneth Johnson [13]
Sister, Sister DirectorEpisode: "The Road Less Traveled" (S 6:Ep 21)
2000–03 The Parkers Consultant (69 episodes)/Director (4 episodes)Television sitcom
2001 Girlfriends DirectorEpisode: "You Better Watch Out" (S 2:Ep 11)
2003–05 Romeo! Television sitcom (7 episodes)
2003–06 One on One Television sitcom (5 episodes)
2005 All of Us Episode: "If You Can't Stand the Heat" (S 3:Ep 2)
2006 Hannah Montana Episode: "You're So Vain, You Probably Think This Zit Is About You" (S 1:Ep 13)
2007 Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide Television sitcom (3 episodes)
Just Jordan Television sitcom (4 episodes)
2009 Meet the Browns Television sitcom (2 episodes)
2009–12 House of Payne Television sitcom (12 episodes)
2020–25 Young Dylan Television sitcom (39 episodes)

References

  1. Clemente, John (2013). Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World. AuthorHouse. p. 408. ISBN   978-1-4772-7633-4.
  2. "Chip Fields Filmography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . 2012. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  3. "Claudine". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  4. "The Happy Hooker". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  5. "Blue Collar". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  6. "The Lady in Red". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  7. "Woman Thou Art Loosed". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  8. "Change at 125th Street". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  9. "Battered". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  10. "The Night the City Screamed". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  11. "The Facts of Life Goes to Paris". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  12. "Menace II Society". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  13. "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved March 15, 2016.