Emily Yancy | |
|---|---|
 Yancy performing during The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) | |
| Born | April 28, 1939 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1963–present |
Emily Yancy (born April 28, 1939) [1] [2] is an American actress and singer. She began her acting career appearing on Broadway as Irene Molloy in the 1967 all-black version of Hello, Dolly! opposite Cab Calloway. [3] [1] She later performed on musicals Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope , Your Own Thing , 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and Man of La Mancha . [1] [4]
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Of African American heritage, Yancy was born and raised in New York City and began working as a model before acting and singing. In 1965, she recorded her debut studio album titled Yancy. [5] Yancy made her screen debut playing minor role in the 1968 comedy film What's So Bad About Feeling Good? . She later appeared in the comedy-drama Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970), and in the blaxploitation films Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) and Blacula (1972). [2] On television, Yancy guest-starred in a more than 30 shows, including Love, American Style , Sanford and Son , Starsky & Hutch , Diff'rent Strokes , Picket Fences , The Practice , Frasier , How to Get Away with Murder and Criminal Minds .
In 2018, Yancy played Gayla, the housekeeper of Patricia Clarkson's character, in the HBO miniseries, Sharp Objects . In 2023, she appeared in the biographical drama film, Origin playing the role of Isabel Wilkerson's mother. [6] [7]
