Tonea Stewart

Last updated
Tonea Stewart
Born (1947-02-03) February 3, 1947 (age 77)
Greenwood, Mississippi, U.S.
Other namesTommie Stewart
Alma mater
OccupationActress/professor
Years active1976–present
Employer Alabama State University
Television In the Heat of the Night
Parent(s)Hattie Juanita and Thomas Harris

Tonea Stewart (born February 3, 1947), [1] 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. [2]

Contents

She had a recurring role as Aunt Etta Kibby in the American television series In the Heat of the Night , [2] and is an NAACP Image Award nominee for acting in film A Time to Kill .

From the beginning of her acting career until 2019, Stewart concurrently worked as an actress and educator; she did not act full time until her retirement from teaching. [3] [4]

Early life and education

Stewart was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, [5] the daughter of Hattie (née Leonard) and Thomas Harris. [1] Her father worked as an electrician and plumber, while Stewart's mother was an educator. [5] They would divorce when Stewart was 4 years old. [5] Her sister, Beverly Branson, is a singer, and the two have performed together on stage. [6]

Her original intention was to become a doctor, and she studied biology at Jackson State University. However, after acting in a school production, Stewart changed her major to theater. [5] She earned a BS degree in speech and theater at Jackson, and then studied theater at the University of California at Santa Barbara. In 1989, Stewart received a PhD in theater arts from Florida State University. [2]

Acting career

Stewart's first performance on screen was in TV movie Nightmare in Badham County (1976). [7] She appeared as Mrs. Walker in film Mississippi Burning (1988). [1] From 1991 to 1993, Stewart played Aunt Etta Kibby on In the Heat of the Night . [8] On the series, she had previously portrayed a different character, and returned under this new role as producers were impressed with her performance. [9] Stewart acted in the feature films Body Snatchers , [10] Livin' Large , [11] Mississippi Damned and Girls Trip . [4]

She has made guest appearances on television series Matlock , Walker, Texas Ranger , [12] ER and Touched by an Angel . [1] She played Gwen Hailey, the wife of Samuel L. Jackson's character, in A Time to Kill (1996). [13] Stewart received an NAACP Image Award nomination for her work in this film. [4] In Come Sunday (2018), she portrayed the mother of Pentecostal bishop Carlton Pearson. [5]

The majority of Stewart's work has been in television films. [1] She acted in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy 'Satchel' Paige (portraying the mother of Satchel Paige) [14] and The Rosa Parks Story , where she appeared as Johnnie Carr. [15] In 1994, Stewart appeared in the TV movies One Christmas as Evangeline [16] and A Passion for Justice: The Hazel Brannon Smith Story as Henrietta. [17] She portrayed Memaw, the grandmother of Halle Downing, in the Oprah Winfrey Network movie First Christmas. [18]

Teaching career

Stewart began teaching in 1971, [4] educating high school students. [1] At her alma mater, Jackson State University, she taught speech to her students. [19] By 1983, Stewart was assistant professor for the dramatics and speech departments at Jackson. [20]

Starting in 1990, she was a professor at the College of Visual and Performing Arts for Alabama State University, also chairing the theater department. [4] Stewart eventually became dean before retiring in 2019 after 48 years in education. [4] One of her students was Stephen Boss. [21]

In 2020, Stewart was appointed by Alabama state governor Kay Ivey to represent the fifth district of the Alabama State Board of Education. [22]

Personal life

She is married to Allen Stewart, with whom she has three children. [1] One of her grandchildren is Jennifer Dallas.

Filmography

Television

Guest Starring Roles

Starring Roles

Film

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diahann Carroll</span> American actress and singer (1935–2019)

Diahann Carroll was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. Before her death she was one of the last remaining stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tallulah Bankhead</span> American actress (1902–1968)

Tallulah Brockman Bankhead was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat (1944). She also had a brief but successful career on radio and made appearances on television. In all, Bankhead amassed nearly 300 film, stage, television and radio roles during her career. She was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia Clarkson</span> American actress

Patricia Davies Clarkson is an American actress. She has starred in numerous leading and supporting roles in a variety of films ranging from independent film features to major film studio productions. Her accolades include a Golden Globe Award and three Primetime Emmy Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Tony Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LisaGay Hamilton</span> American actress (born 1964)

LisaGay Hamilton is an American actress who has portrayed roles in films, television, and on stage. She is best known for her role as secretary/lawyer Rebecca Washington on the ABC legal drama The Practice (1997–2003). She also portrayed Melissa Thoreau on the TNT comedy-drama Men of a Certain Age (2009-2011), Celia Jones on the Netflix series House of Cards (2016), Suzanne Simms on the Hulu series Chance (2016), and Kayla Price on the Hulu series The First (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Smart</span> American actress (born 1951)

Jean Elizabeth Smart is an American actress. After beginning her career in regional theater in the Pacific Northwest, she appeared on Broadway in 1981 as Marlene Dietrich in the biographical play Piaf. Smart was later cast in a leading role as Charlene Frazier Stillfield on the CBS sitcom Designing Women, in which she starred from 1986 to 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Badham</span> American actress (born 1952)

Mary Badham is an American actress who portrayed Jean Louise "Scout" Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. At the time, Badham was the youngest actress ever nominated in this category.

Sharon Warren is an American actress. She played Ray Charles' mother, Aretha Robinson, in the 2004 film Ray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosemary Harris</span> British actress (born 1927)

Rosemary Ann Harris is an English actress. She is the recipient of such accolades as a Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award as well as nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and three Laurence Olivier Awards. Harris was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1986, and she won the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lois Kibbee</span> American actress (1922–1993)

Lois Kibbee was an American actress, known for her television roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beverly Todd</span> American actress, producer and writer

Beverly Todd 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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madeleine Sherwood</span> Canadian actress (1922–2016)

Madeleine Sherwood was a Canadian actress of stage, film and television. She portrayed Mae/Sister Woman and Miss Lucy in both the Broadway and film versions of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Sweet Bird of Youth. She starred or featured in 18 original Broadway productions including Arturo Ui, Do I Hear a Waltz? and The Crucible. In 1963 she won an Obie Award for Best Actress for her performance in Hey You, Light Man! Off-Broadway. In television, she had the role of Reverend Mother Placido to Sally Field's Sister Bertrille in The Flying Nun (1967–70).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucille Benson</span> American actress (1914–1984)

Lucille Benson was an American character actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peggy Stewart (actress)</span> American actress (1923–2019)

Peggy Stewart was an American actress known for her roles in Western B movies and television series.

Rhoda Gemignani is an American actress, best known for her recurring role as Mrs. Carmela Rossini in the American television sitcom Who's the Boss?.

Ernestine Jackson is an American actress and singer.

<i>Mississippi Damned</i> 2009 film by Tina Mabry

Mississippi Damned is a 2009 American drama film written and directed by Tina Mabry and starring Tessa Thompson, D. B. Woodside, Malcolm Goodwin, Malcolm David Kelley and Michael Hyatt. The film was based on Mabry's life growing up in Tupelo, Mississippi. It was filmed in and around Ahoskie, North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leona Roberts</span> American actress

Leona Roberts was an American stage and film actress.

<i>On the Come Up</i> (film) 2022 film directed by Sanaa Lathan

On the Come Up is a 2022 American musical drama film directed by Sanaa Lathan in her feature directorial debut. Based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Angie Thomas, it stars Jamila C. Gray, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Mike Epps, Lil Yachty, Lathan, and Method Man.

Jen Harper is an American actress, known for her roles in television series In the Heat of the Night and Greenleaf.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McCann, Bob (October 30, 2009). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland & Company. p. 314. ISBN   9780786458042.
  2. 1 2 3 Catherine Bullock (February 12, 2016). ASU Dean honored with Mississippi Governor’s Arts Award. Montgomery Advertiser. Accessed January 2018.
  3. ↑ Hane, Bobb (August 17, 2007). "District's opening summit speaker calls to mind the strength, wisdom of our grandmothers, urges teachers to find it". The Herald Independent. p. 3.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Barker, Cyril Josh (June 13, 2019). "Longtime HBCU theater professor retires". The Amsterdam News . Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "JSU alum, actor Tonea Stewart talks growing up in 'The Sip' and role in new Netflix biopic". Jackson State University . April 17, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  6. ↑ Daniel, Clifton (December 15, 1994). "2 sisters stage 'Four Women'". Star-News . p. D1.
  7. ↑ "'Informance' to feature noted actress Stewart". Times Daily . February 19, 1993. p. 8B.
  8. ↑ Coakley, Deirdre (January 31, 1992). "Black heritage tribute". Gadsden Times . p. C1.
  9. ↑ Franks, Randall (January 1, 2003). "'Aunt Etta' still sharing her wisdom". Calhoun Times. p. 4A.
  10. ↑ Rauch Klotman, Phyllis; Gibson, Gloria J. (1997). Frame by Frame II: A Filmography of the African American Image, 1978-1994. Indiana University Press. p. 63. ISBN   9780253211200.
  11. ↑ Willis, John (May 1993). Screen World 1992. Applause Theatre & Cinema Book Publishers. p. 168. ISBN   9781557831354.
  12. ↑ "Stewart is making it on her own terms". Indianapolis Recorder . July 12, 1997. p. B1.
  13. ↑ Gaul, Lou (July 26, 1996). "'A Time to Kill' stirs emotions, forces thought". The Beaver County Times . p. 6.
  14. ↑ Erickson, Hal (March 23, 2016). The Baseball Filmography, 1915 Through 2001 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Company. p. 146. ISBN   9781476607856.
  15. ↑ Cobb, Mark Hughes (March 12, 2002). "Actress, educator to perform for fund-raiser". The Tuscaloosa News . p. D1.
  16. ↑ Britton, Andrew (2003). Katharine Hepburn: Star as Feminist. Columbia University Press. p. 249. ISBN   9780231132770.
  17. ↑ Marill, Alvin H. (2005). Movies Made for Television, 1964-2004: 1990-1999. Scarecrow Press. p. 390.
  18. ↑ Petski, Denise (November 10, 2020). "OWN Sets Three Holiday Movies Starring Vivica A. Fox, Jackée Harry, Lamman Rucker, Meagan Holder, Idara Victor, Tonea Stewart". Deadline . Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  19. ↑ Flucker, Turry; Savage, Phoenix (2008). African Americans of Jackson. Arcadia Publishing. p. 114. ISBN   9780738553283.
  20. ↑ "Actress To Perform In Albany". The Albany Herald . April 3, 1983. p. 3A.
  21. ↑ Hines, Ree (July 5, 2022). "Hoda Kotb Surprises tWitch With Former Theater Coach". Yahoo! . Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Governor Ivey Appoints Dr. Tommie Stewart to State Board of Education". Governor of Alabama . January 7, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.