Francesca P. Roberts

Last updated
Francesca P. Roberts
Born (1953-12-19) December 19, 1953 (age 71)
Education University of New Orleans [1]
Southern Illinois University [1]
L'École de Mime Jacques LeCoq [1]
Occupation(s)Film and television actress
Years active1979–present

Francesca P. Roberts (born December 19, 1953) [2] is an American film and television actress known for playing Big Bertha in the live action movie Super Mario Bros. in 1993, as well as Anita Craig in ABC's sitcom TV series Baby Talk , which lasted from 1991 to 1992, and Anna-May in Frank's Place . [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Roberts was born on December 19, 1953 [2] in Los Angeles, California [1] but raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. The daughter of Margaret B. Roberts (née Gross, 1926–2016) and Bobby Ray Louis Roberts Sr., she had two younger sisters Melanie and Bianca, as well as two younger brothers who are now both deceased, Bobby Jr. and Gregory. [3] She attended three colleges: University of New Orleans, Southern Illinois University and L'École de Mime Jacques LeCoq, [1] where she has also studied in New Orleans, Louisiana and Paris, France. [4] She did stage work at the North Hollywood's Group Repertory Theatre, New Orleans' Free Southern Theatre, Reseda Megaw Theatre, and with Hollywood's Touchstone Group.[ citation needed ]

Roberts is a graduate of Mount Carmel Academy.[ citation needed ]

Career

Roberts was originally involved in stage work before appearing on TV. [2]

Roberts made her first television appearance in Starsky & Hutch in 1979, only appearing in a minor role. [2] Then she later moved on to make her debut film appearance in Inside Moves (1980), starring John Savage. She would continue on by making numerous TV guest appearances that had main or minor roles, in the likes of Private Benjamin , a show that was based on the film with the same name (1980), Fame , The Facts of Life , Frank's Place and Baby Talk . [2] She would appear in movies, such as the 1993 live-action movie based on the Mario video game series, Super Mario Bros. (1993), playing as "Big Bertha", a bouncer of the Boom Boom Bar, Legally Blonde (2001) as judge "Marina R. Bickford", and Heart of Dixie (1989) as "Keefi". [2] She frequently appears in film or TV, playing characters for only just a minimum time. [1] [2]

In 1994, Roberts appeared on Martin , playing as "Judge Wheatley" in two episodes, "No Justice, No Peace" [5] & "Crunchy Drawers" (season 2).

Roberts often plays characters who are courtroom judges in movies or TV. [2]

Filmography

Film and television
YearTitleRoleNotes
1979 Starsky & Hutch Cora-LeeEpisode: "Huggy Can't Go Home"
1980 Inside Moves HookerFilm
1981 Private Benjamin Private Harriet DorseyEpisode: "Judy Got Her Gun"
"Judy in the Driver's Seat"
1982 Money on the Side ClerkTV movie
1983 Dallas LibrarianEpisode: "To Catch a Sly"
1985 Fame The NurseEpisode: "Coco Returns"
1985GenerationSpanish WomanTV movie
1985 The Facts of Life VeraEpisode: "Christmas Baby"
1987–1988 Frank's Place Anna-MayMain role (22 episodes)
1989Have FaithSally Coleman7 episodes
1989 Heart of Dixie KeefiFilm
1990 Hard to Kill Martha CoeFilm
1990 Murder, She Wrote RuthEpisode: "O'Malley's Luck"
1990 The Family Man Miss CampbellEpisode: "Making Babies"
1990 ABC Afterschool Special SallyEpisode: "Testing Dirty"
1991 Gabriel's Fire Miss RichardsEpisode: "The Great Waldo"
1991 What a Dummy SheilaEpisode: "Bringing Up Baby"
1991 Prison Stories: Women on the Inside LucyTV movie
1991Davis RulesMrs. BarrettEpisode: " A Man for All Reasons"
1991 The Munsters Today Okra DimpleyEpisode: "Diary of a Mad Munsterwife"
1992 Gladiator Miss HigginsFilm
1991–1992 Baby Talk Anita CraigMain role (23 episodes)
1993 Super Mario Bros. Big BerthaFilm
1993 Mad About You NurseEpisode: "Bedfellows"
1994 The Nanny Nurse SmithEpisode: "Deep Throat"
1994 Martin Judge WheatleyEpisode: "Crunchy Drawers"
"No Justice, No Peace"
1992 S.F.W. Kim MartinFilm
1994 My So-Called Life Ms. MandevilleEpisode: "Father Figures"
1994 Melrose Place MarciaEpisode: "Sex, Drugs and Rockin' the Cradle"
1995SafePatient No. 2Film
1995 Step by Step Dr. PostleyEpisode: "A Foster/Lambert Production"
"Can't Buy Me Love"
1996 Eye for an Eye Parent of Murdered Children Group #2Film
1996 High Incident ?Episode: Till Death Do Us Part
1996 Moesha MaxineEpisode: "Reunion"
1997 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper NicoleEpisode: "Security"
1997 Women: Stories of Passion ClaraEpisode: "Chinese Take-Out"
1997 Fired Up Mrs. Francis13 episodes
1998 The Odd Couple II PassengerFilm
1998–1999 Maggie Kimberly8 episodes
1994–1999 Home Improvement MargeEpisode: "Knee Deep"
"Future Shock"
"It's My Party"
"Slip Sleddin' Away"
1999 It's Like, You Know... Mrs. RobinsonEpisode: "Arthur 2: On the Rocks"
2000 City of Angels Iris ForchetteEpisode: "The Prince and the Porker"
2000 Family Law Janet MoriartyEpisode: "One Mistake"
2000 Gideon's Crossing Rae TrayfieldEpisode: "The Gift"
2000 Felicity Clinic WorkerEpisode: "Surprise"
1999–2000 Ally McBeal Judge Cynthia HarrisEpisode: "Love on Holiday"
"Love Unlimited"
2001 7th Heaven Mrs. MillerEpisode: "Regrets"
2001 Go Fish Principal FieldsEpisode: "Go Four-Point Plan"
2001 Legally Blonde Marina R. BickfordFilm
2001 The District Mrs. NunezEpisode: "Melt Down"
2002 That '80s Show Professor WebsterEpisode: "Double Date"
2003 Presidio Med ?Episode: "Suffer Unto Me the Children..."
2003 The Division JudgeEpisode: "Body Double"
2003–2004 10-8: Officers on Duty Darla HandyEpisode: "Wild and the Innocent"
"Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
"Badlands"
"A Hard Day's Night"
"Brothers in Arms"
2004 Quintuplets Principal WilcoxEpisode: "Teacher's Pet"
2004 In Good Company Loan OfficerFilm
2002–2005 Judging Amy ASA Teresa WillingsEpisode: "Getting Out"
"Maxine Interrupted"
"The Cook of the Money Pot"
2006 Grey's Anatomy Estelle ByrdEpisode: "Let the Angels Commit"
2007 Man in the Chair JuanitaFilm
2007Love Is a Four Letter WordJudge DoolittleTV movie
2007TakePrincipalFilm
2007 Big Shots Dr. Seaver-FilnerEpisode: "Greatest Amerimart Hero"
"The Good, the Bad, and the Really Ugly"
"Tall, Dark and Hairless"
"Pilot"
2005–2008 Boston Legal Judge Jamie AtkinsonEpisode: "Guardians and Gatekeepers"
"Word Salad Days"
"Truly, Madly, Deeply"
"Schadenfreude"
"'Til We Meat Again"
2009 Pushing Daisies Amelia StingwellEpisode: "Water & Power"
2009 The Forgotten Flora WilliamsEpisode: "River John"
2010 Outlaw Judge Jenny HagopianEpisode: "In Re: Curtis Farwell"
2010–2011 Law & Order: LA Judge Martha DreyerEpisode: "Echo Park"
"Angel's Knoll"
"Silver Lake"
"Hondo Field"
2012 Wilfred FeliciaEpisode: "Service"
"Dignity"
"Progress"
2015Bad Judge?Episode: "The Fixer"
2015 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Sandy LawlerEpisode: "Charlie Work"
2016 Shameless Ms. TaylorEpisode: "Pimp's Paradise"
2017 Empire Judge BarnesEpisode: "Fortune Be Not Crost"

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Francesca P. Roberts". LinkedIn . Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Francesca Roberts". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  3. "Margaret Roberts Obituary (1926 - 2016) - The Times-Picayune". legacy.com. The Times-Picayune. February 6, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2021.
  4. Reid, Tom; Dreesen, Tom; Rapoport, Ron (February 15, 2009). Tim and Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White. University of Chicago Press. p. 236. ISBN   9780226709024 via Google Books.
  5. "Martin: No Justice, No Peace (1994)". AllMovie . Retrieved August 29, 2021.