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Photo of Esther Rolle

Esther Rolle

Actor
Died November 17, 1998 (78 years)
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 & Shows on Plex
  • Scarlett
  • To Dance with the White Dog
  • Train Ride
  • TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
Known For
  • Driving Miss Daisy
  • Good Times
  • Rosewood
  • The Mighty Quinn
  • Maude
  • Down in the Delta
  • House of Cards
  • Ethnic Notions
  • Don't Play Us Cheap
  • To Dance with the White Dog
  • See China and Die
  • Darkroom
  • The Kid Who Loved Christmas

Filmography

2004
2000
Train Ride · as Dean Of Students
1998
Down in the Delta · as Annie Sinclair
1997
Rosewood · as Aunt Sarah
1996
1996
Promised Land (TV Series) · as Mary Harding
1996
Poltergeist: The Legacy (TV Series) · as Grandma Rose
1995
1994
Scarlett (TV Series)
1994
Touched by an Angel (TV Series) · as Mary Harding
1993
1993
Message from Nam · as Queenie / Elizabeth Mcqueen
1993
House of Cards · as Adelle
1991
Cape Fear · as Woman Watching Cady Get Out From Under The Car (uncredited)
1990
The Kid Who Loved Christmas · as Esther Clayton
1989
Age-Old Friends · as Mrs. Baker
1989
Driving Miss Daisy · as Idella
1989
The Mighty Quinn · as Ubu Pearl
1987
1986
Ethnic Notions · as Narrator
1984
Murder, She Wrote (TV Series) · as Margaret
1984
Finder of Lost Loves (TV Series) · as Nellie
1984
Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (TV Series) · as Viola Green
1982
The New Odd Couple (TV Series) · as Ms. Gibbs
1981
Darkroom (TV Series) · as Old Woman
1981
See China and Die · as Momma Sykes
1980
American Playhouse (TV Series) · as Lena 'mama' Younger
1980
Flamingo Road (TV Series)
1979
1978
1978
1977
1977
The Love Boat (TV Series) · as Judge Kramer
1977
Fantasy Island (TV Series) · as Mama
1974
Good Times (TV Series) · as Florida Evans
1973
Cleopatra Jones · as Mrs. Johnson
1972
Don't Play Us Cheap · as Miss Maybell
1972
Maude (TV Series) · as Florida Evans
1971
1970
The Bold Ones: The Senator (TV Series) · as Black Woman
1968
One Life to Live (TV Series) · as Sadie Gray #2 (1971)
1967
N.Y.P.D. (TV Series) · as Nurse
1967
Up the Down Staircase · as Teacher
1964
Nothing But a Man · as Church Woman

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