Roxie Roker
Roxie Roker | |
|---|---|
 Roker in 1976. | |
| Born | Roxie Albertha Roker August 28, 1929 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | December 2, 1995 (aged 66) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Howard University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1974–1995 |
| Spouse |
Sy Kravitz
(m. 1962; div. 1985) |
| Children | Lenny Kravitz |
| Family |
|
Roxie Albertha Roker (August 28, 1929 – December 2, 1995) was an American actress who portrayed Helen Willis on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons. Roker is the mother of rock musician Lenny Kravitz and paternal grandmother of actress Zoë Kravitz.
Early life and education
Roker was born in Miami, Florida.[1] Her mother, Bessie Roker (née Mitchell), was from Georgia and worked as a domestic. Her father, Albert Roker, was a porter and a native of Andros, The Bahamas.[2] She grew up in Brooklyn, New York.[3]
Roker studied drama at Howard University where she was a pupil of celebrated drama teachers Anne Cooke Reid and Owen Dodson. Some of her fellow drama students at Howard included novelist Toni Morrison, actress Zaida Coles, stage director and playwright Shauneille Perry, and actor Graham Brown; all of whom were members of the university's theatre troupe, the Howard Players. Roker toured with the Howard Players for performances in Norway in 1949; a trip sponsored by the United States Department of State which was supported by Eleanor Roosevelt.[4]
Career
She began her professional career with the
Personal life
Roker was married to
Death
Roker died in Los Angeles, California, on December 2, 1995, of breast cancer. She was 66.[7]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Change at 125th Street | Eloise Morse | TV movie |
| 1974 | Claudine | Mrs. Winston | |
| 1975-1985 | The Jeffersons | Helen Willis | |
| 1977 | Roots | Malizy | Episode: "Part V" |
| 1977 | Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid | Mrs. Peoples | TV movie |
| 1979 | $weepstake$ | Margaret | Episode: "Roscoe, Elizabeth, and the M.C." |
| 1979 | The Bermuda Triangle |
Bohamiar Radio Operator | Documentary |
| 1982 | Fantasy Island | Emily Carlisle | Episode: "The Kleptomaniac/Thank God, I'm a Country Girl" |
| 1983 | Making of a Male Model | Madge Davis | TV movie |
| 1983-1987 | ABC Afterschool Specials | Phyllis Brooks / Aunt Helen | 2 episodes |
| 1987 | Amazon Women on the Moon | Female Republican | (segment "Blacks Without Soul") |
| 1988 | Punky Brewster | Judge J.F. Taylor | 1 episode |
| 1990 | Penny Ante: The Motion Picture | ||
| 1991 | A Different World | Dean Barksdale | Episode: "Home Is Where The Fire Is" |
References
- ^ "Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007". Ancestry.com (database; online). Provo, Utah. Retrieved December 15, 2020 (searching "Roxie Albertha Roker". "Birth Place: Miami, Miami-Dade, Florida" )
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ^ Robbins, Fred, "Roxie Roker: Her Life is Not Just the Hollywood Life", The Modesto Bee, Wednesday, December 26, 1984
- ^ a b c d e "Roxie Roker, 66, Who Broke Barrier In Her Marriage on TV's 'Jeffersons'". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 6, 1995. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
- ISBN 978-0-8103-9177-2– via Internet Archive.
born on October 6, 1907
- ^ Rivas, Aby (May 31, 2019). "'The Jeffersons' Roxie Roker's Real-Life Interracial Marriage Was Nothing like Her TV One". AmoMama. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- Today. September 2, 2011. Archivedfrom the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
Is Al really related to Lenny Kravitz? Yes! Their grandfathers were cousins, Al said on 'Today' this morning.
- ^ Santoski, Teresa (December 2, 2009). "Death anniversary of groundbreaking Bahamian American actress Roxie Roker". Nashua Telegraph. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
External links
- Roxie Roker at IMDb
- Roxie Roker at the Internet Broadway Database
- Roxie Roker at Find a Grave
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