Esther Rolle

Esther Rolle

Born: November 8, 1920
Died: November 17, 1998
in Pompano Beach, Florida USA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Esther Elizabeth Rolle (November 8, 1920 – November 17, 1998) was a Bahamian American actress. Rolle is best known for her role as Florida Evans, on the CBS television sitcom Maude, for two seasons (1972–1974), and its spin-off series Good Times, for five seasons (1974–77, 1978–79), for which Rolle was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1976.

Rolle is best known for her television role as Florida Evans, the character she played on two 1970s sitcoms. The character was introduced as Maude Findlay's housekeeper on Maude, and was spun off in the show's second season into Good Times, a show about Florida's family. Rolle was nominated in 1975 for the Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy Golden Globe Award for her role in Good Times. Rolle was 19 years older than the actor (John Amos) who played her husband James Evans. The James Evans character was only added after Esther Rolle fought hard for a father figure and husband to be added to the show. Rolle had fought for the father character on the show, more relevant themes and scripts and was unhappy when the success of Jimmie Walker's character, J.J. Evans, took the show in a frivolous direction. John Amos agreed with Rolle about Walker's character and was fired from the show after the third season ended. Later on, in a stand-off with Good Times producer Norman Lear, Rolle also quit when her contract ended. Although the show continued without her for the fifth season, she returned for the show's final season. In 1979 she won an Emmy for her role in Summer of My German Soldier, a made-for-television movie.

Among her guest star roles was one on The Incredible Hulk in an episode entitled "Behind the Wheel" where she played a taxicab business owner. In the 1990s, Rolle was a surprise guest on RuPaul's VH-1 talk show. Her Maude co-star Bea Arthur was the guest, and Rolle was brought out to surprise Arthur. The two had not seen each other in years, Arthur said, and embraced warmly. Rolle also appeared in a series of psychic hotline TV commercials in the 1990s. "Tell them Esther sent you," was her trademark line.

Movies for Esther Rolle...

Down in the Delta
Title: Down in the Delta
Character: Annie Sinclair
Released: December 25, 1998
Type: Movie
A single mother plagued by alcohol and drug addictions is sent with her children from Chicago to her ancestral home in the Mississippi Delta, to live with her uncle and aunt for the summer.
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Rosewood
Title: Rosewood
Character: Aunt Sarah
Released: February 21, 1997
Type: Movie
Spurred by a white woman's lie, vigilantes destroy a black Florida town and slay inhabitants in 1923.
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My Fellow Americans
Title: My Fellow Americans
Character: Rita
Released: December 20, 1996
Type: Movie
They used to run the country. Now they're running for their lives! Two on-the-lam former Presidents of the United States. Framed in a scandal by the current President and pursued by armed agents, the two squabbling political foes plunge into a desperately frantic search for the evidence that will establish their innocence.
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Title: Promised Land
Character: Mary Harding
Released: September 17, 1996
Type: TV
Promised Land is an American drama series which aired on CBS from 1996 to 1999. It is a spin-off from another series, Touched by an Angel.
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How to Make an American Quilt
Title: How to Make an American Quilt
Character: Aunt Pauline
Released: October 6, 1995
Type: Movie
Soon-to-be-wed graduate student Finn Dodd develops cold feet when she suspects her fiancé is cheating on her. In order to clear her head, Finn visits her grandmother, Hy, and great aunt, Glady Joe Cleary, in Grasse, Calif. There, Finn learns that Hy and Glady Joe are members of a group of passionate quilters, and over the course of her visit she is regaled with tales of love and life by women who have collected rich experiences and much wisdom.
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Nobody's Girls: Five Women of the West
Title: Nobody's Girls: Five Women of the West
Character: Clara Brown
Released: May 10, 1995
Type: Movie
Real stories of five women of the Old West....
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Title: Scarlett
Released: November 13, 1994
Type: TV
Scarlett O’Hara’s flight from the scrutiny of Atlanta society takes her on a journey to Savannah and Charleston, to England, and to Ireland, where she discovers her family's roots.
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Title: Touched by an Angel
Character: Mary Harding
Released: September 21, 1994
Type: TV
Monica, an angel, is tasked with bringing guidance and messages from God to various people who are at a crossroads in their lives.
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To Dance with the White Dog
Title: To Dance with the White Dog
Character: Neelie
Released: December 5, 1993
Type: Movie
When Sam Peek's beloved wife, Cora, dies, a white dog suddenly materializes as his new companion and confidant.
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Message from Nam
Title: Message from Nam
Character: Queenie / Elizabeth McQueen
Released: October 17, 1993
Type: Movie
Journalism Major Paxton Andrews loses the man she loves in the Vietnam War. Always having followed the beat of a different drum, she decides to work out her grief by going to Vietnam and writing a column that will hopefully help those at home better understand the War.
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House of Cards
Title: House of Cards
Character: Adelle
Released: June 25, 1993
Type: Movie
When Ruth Matthews's husband is killed in a fall at an archaeological dig, her daughter Sally handles her father's death in a very odd manner. As Sally's condition worsens, Ruth takes her to see Jake, an expert in childhood autism. Jake attempts to bring Sally out of her mental disarray through traditional therapy methods, but Ruth takes a different route. She risks her own sanity by attempting to enter her daughter's mind and make sense of the seemingly bizarre things that Sally does, including building a wondrous house of cards
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Color Adjustment
Title: Color Adjustment
Character: Self
Released: January 29, 1992
Type: Movie
From Amos 'n' Andy to Nat King Cole, from Roots to The Cosby Show, black people have played many roles on primetime television. Brilliantly weaving clips from classic TV shows with commentary from TV producers, black actors and scholars, Marlon Riggs blends humor, insight, and thoughtful analysis to explore the evolution of black/white relations as reflected by America's favorite addiction.
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Cape Fear
Title: Cape Fear
Character: Woman Watching Cady Get Out from Under the Car (uncredited)
Released: November 13, 1991
Type: Movie
Sam Bowden is a small-town corporate attorney. Max Cady is a tattooed, cigar-smoking, Bible-quoting, psychotic rapist. What do they have in common? 14 years ago, Sam was a public defender assigned to Max Cady's rape trial, and he made a serious error: he hid a document from his illiterate client that could have gotten him acquitted. Now, the cagey Cady has been released, and he intends to teach Sam Bowden and his family a thing or two about loss.
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The Kid Who Loved Christmas
Title: The Kid Who Loved Christmas
Character: Esther Clayton
Released: December 14, 1990
Type: Movie
In this sentimental holiday tale, a young boy is taken away from his loving, adoptive household when his new mom is killed in an auto accident and his traveling musician dad is deemed unfit to care for him, being on the road too much. Now, the only thing that can help is if a cold, bureaucratic adoption agency caseworker sees the error of her ways and allows them to be together.
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Title: Singer and Sons
Released: June 9, 1990
Type: TV
Singer & Sons is an American sitcom television series that aired from June 9 until June 27, 1990.
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Age-Old Friends
Title: Age-Old Friends
Character: Mrs. Baker
Released: December 16, 1989
Type: Movie
John Cooper is in a retirement home. There are strict rules for the residents, but he refuses to fall into passivity. He flirts constantly with Nurse Wilson and spends time with his best buddy Michael Aylott, who's slowly drifting into senility.
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Driving Miss Daisy
Title: Driving Miss Daisy
Character: Idella
Released: December 13, 1989
Type: Movie
The story of an old Jewish widow named Daisy Werthan and her relationship with her black chauffeur, Hoke. From an initial mere work relationship grew in 25 years a strong friendship between the two very different characters, in a time when those types of relationships were shunned.
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The Mighty Quinn
Title: The Mighty Quinn
Character: Ubu Pearl
Released: February 17, 1989
Type: Movie
Police chief Xavier Quinn investigates the gruesome murder of Donald Pater, one of the wealthiest residents on a Caribbean island. He was found decapitated in his Jacuzzi. Although the local political establishment, especially crooked Governor Chalk, insists that small-time thief Maubee is responsible, Xavier has his doubts. This view is complicated by the police chief's personal history with Maubee: The men have been friends since childhood.
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A Raisin in the Sun
Title: A Raisin in the Sun
Character: Lena 'Mama' Younger
Released: February 1, 1989
Type: Movie
A substantial insurance payment could mean either financial salvation or personal ruin for a poor black family.
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Ethnic Notions
Title: Ethnic Notions
Character: Narrator
Released: December 5, 1986
Type: Movie
This documentary traces the deep-rooted stereotypes which have fueled anti-black prejudice.
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Title: Murder, She Wrote
Character: Margaret
Released: September 30, 1984
Type: TV
An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.
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Title: Finder of Lost Loves
Character: Nellie
Released: September 22, 1984
Type: TV
The Finder of Lost Loves TV show was a 60 minute drama series on ABC about a private investigator who specialized in finding lost loves from the past for his heartbroken clients.
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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
Title: The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
Character: Nurse
Released: January 1, 1982
Type: Movie
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is a 1982 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, directed by William Woodman and starring Alex Hyde-White as Romeo and Blanche Baker as Juliet.
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See China and Die
Title: See China and Die
Character: Momma Sykes
Released: December 9, 1981
Type: Movie
A maid who reads detective stories finds herself embroiled in a real life mystery involving her dead boss and a mysterious statue he brought back from China.
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Title: Flamingo Road
Released: January 6, 1981
Type: TV
Flamingo Road is an American prime time soap opera that aired on NBC. It was first seen as a TV movie on May 12, 1980, and as a series on January 6, 1981, after a rebroadcast of the pilot on December 30, 1980. The show is based on the 1949 movie starring Joan Crawford, which is, in turn, based on the novel by Robert Wilder. Flamingo Road was created to compete against CBS's Dallas and Knots Landing, nighttime dramas that were inspired by the daily afternoon soap operas that had been a staple of TV for years. The character of Constance Weldon ranked at #16 on E!'s list of The 50 Most Wicked Women in Primetime.
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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Title: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Character: Momma
Released: April 28, 1979
Type: Movie
Based on writer Maya Angelou's eloquent reminiscences of her days as a gifted youngster growing up in the South during the Depression years where she and her older brother were raised by their grandmother after the divorce of their parents.
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Summer of My German Soldier
Title: Summer of My German Soldier
Character: Ruth
Released: October 30, 1978
Type: Movie
Patty Bergen is a teenager in a Jewish family living in the American South during World War II. Patty feels like an outcast even in her own family and is unable to understand why her father can't seem to love her. Her town eventually becomes host to a prisoner of war camp. A young German soldier escapes from this camp, and Patty finds him hiding in her secret place in the woods outside of town. After getting to know him, she ends up harboring him from his captors and, in the way of many adolescents, falls in love with him. Patty knows what she is risking by helping him, but in his company, she feels important, special, and respected as she has never been. In the end, his regard lifts her self-esteem and helps her to face the heartbreaking events to come.
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Title: The Incredible Hulk
Released: November 4, 1977
Type: TV
During an experiment gone bad, radiation turns a scientist into a raging green behemoth whenever he becomes agitated. Unable to control his transformations, David Banner searches for a cure as he crosses the country, fugitive-style, with a dogged tabloid reporter on his trail.
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Title: Donny & Marie
Character: Self
Released: January 23, 1976
Type: TV
Donny & Marie is an American variety show which aired on ABC from January 1976 to January 1979. The show stars brother and sister pop duo Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond. Donny had first become popular singing in a music group with his brothers, The Osmonds, and Marie was one of the youngest singers to reach #1 on the Billboard Country Music charts. The siblings were offered a weekly show by ABC-TV President Fred Silverman after he saw the duo co-host a week on The Mike Douglas Show which followed their series of popular remakes of oldies, such as "I'm Leaving It Up To You", "Morning Side Of The Mountain", "Deep Purple" and "Make The World Go Away". Donny and Marie were the youngest entertainers in TV history to host their own variety show. A year later, The Keane Brothers would break this record.
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Title: Good Times
Character: Florida Evans
Released: February 8, 1974
Type: TV
Good Times is an American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the CBS television network. It was created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans, and developed by Norman Lear, the series' primary executive producer. Good Times is a spin-off of Maude, which is itself a spin-off of All in the Family along with The Jeffersons. The series is set in Chicago. The first two seasons were taped at CBS Television City in Hollywood. In the fall of 1975, the show moved to Metromedia Square, where Norman Lear's own production company was housed.
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Cleopatra Jones
Title: Cleopatra Jones
Character: Mrs. Johnson
Released: July 13, 1973
Type: Movie
After federal agent Cleopatra Jones orders the burning of a Turkish poppy field, the notorious drug lord Mommy vows to destroy her.
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Don't Play Us Cheap
Title: Don't Play Us Cheap
Character: Miss Maybell
Released: December 11, 1972
Type: Movie
As an African American family and friends gather in an apartment for a house party, two mischief-making devil-bats take human form in order to break up the party.
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Title: Maude
Character: Florida Evans
Released: September 12, 1972
Type: TV
Well-educated and upper middle class, Maude Findlay is the archetypal feminist of her generation. She lives in suburban Tuckahoe, New York, with her fourth husband, Walter, their divorced daughter, Carol, and grandson Phillip.
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Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow!
Title: Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow!
Character: Maid
Released: November 18, 1971
Type: Movie
Barney owns the last working farm in Manhattan. For various reasons, city officials have decided to close it down. A special event is planned to raise awareness and money to keep it running.
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Up the Down Staircase
Title: Up the Down Staircase
Character: Teacher
Released: June 28, 1967
Type: Movie
Sylvia, a novice schoolteacher, is hired to teach English in a high school, but she’s met with an apathetic faculty, a delinquent student body and an administration that drowns its staff in paperwork. The following days go from bad to worse as Sylvia struggles to reach her most troubled students.
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Nothing But a Man
Title: Nothing But a Man
Character: Church Woman
Released: December 27, 1964
Type: Movie
A proud black man and his school-teacher wife face discriminatory challenges in 1960s America.
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Title: Hallmark Hall of Fame
Released: December 24, 1951
Type: TV
Hallmark Hall of Fame is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City based greeting card company. The longest-running primetime series in the history of television, it has a historically long run, beginning during 1951 and continuing into 2013. From 1954 onward, all of its productions have been shown in color, although color television video productions were extremely rare in 1954. Many television movies have been shown on the program since its debut, though the program began with live telecasts of dramas and then changed to videotaped productions before finally changing to filmed ones. The series has received eighty Emmy Awards, twenty-four Christopher Awards, eleven Peabody Awards, nine Golden Globes, and four Humanitas Prizes. Once a common practice in American television, it is the last remaining television program such that the title includes the name of the sponsor. Unlike other long-running TV series still on the air, it differs in that it broadcasts only occasionally and not on a weekly broadcast programming schedule.