Theresa Merritt
Theresa Merritt | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 24, 1922 Emporia, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | June 12, 1998 (aged 75) The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 1969–1998 |
| Spouse |
Benjamin Hines (m. 1945) |
| Children | 4 |
Theresa Merritt Hines (September 24, 1922 – June 12, 1998), known professionally as Theresa Merritt, was an American actress. She is known for her role in That's My Mama (1974–1975) and for her film roles in The Wiz (1978) and Billy Madison (1995).
Career[edit]
Born in Emporia, Virginia, Merritt appeared in many theatrical productions but gained fame later in life when she starred as Ma Rainey in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, for which she earned a Tony Award nomination,[1] and The Wiz, in which she replaced Mabel King as Evillene. She left The Wiz, citing the role's harmful effect on her voice. She then starred in the television sitcom That's My Mama.[2]
Merritt's other Broadway credits included Mule Bone (1991), Division Street (1980), Don't Play Us Cheap! (1972), The Crucible (1972), Trumpets of the Lord (1969), Golden Boy (1964), Tambourines to Glory (1963), and Carmen Jones (1943, 1945, 1947).[3] She also toured with road companies of Funny Girl, Show Boat, and South Pacific.[4]
Her most notable film roles were Aunt Em in the 1978 film version of The Wiz, Mrs. Crosby in the 1977 film adaptation of Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl, and Juanita in the Adam Sandler comedy Billy Madison. She also appeared alongside Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton in the film adaptation of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
Personal life and death[edit]
Merritt was married to Benjamin Hines, and they had four children. During the 34th National Convention of Delta Sigma Theta sorority in 1977, Merritt and E. Fannie Granton of Jet magazine were made honorary members.[citation needed]
Merritt died of skin cancer on June 12, 1998, in the New York City borough of The Bronx.[5]
Filmography[edit]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1971 | They Might Be Giants | Peggy | |
| 1977 | Proof of the Man | Maria | |
| The Goodbye Girl | Mrs. Crosby | ||
| 1978 | The Wiz | Aunt Em | |
| 1979 | The Great Santini | Arrabella Smalls | Alternative titles: The Ace The Gift of Fury |
| All That Jazz | Cast of NY / LA #4 | ||
| 1982 | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | Jewel | |
| 1988 | Astonished | Ida | |
| The Serpent and the Rainbow | Simone | ||
| 1989 | Zwei Frauen | Nurse Wilson | Alternative title: Silence Like Glass |
| 1991 | Voodoo Dawn | Madame Daslay | Alternative title: Strange Turf |
| 1995 | Billy Madison | Juanita | |
| 1998 | Dangerous Proposition | Grace | |
| Home Fries | Mrs. Vaughan | Final film role released posthumously | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1969 | J.T. | Mama Meley | Television movie |
| 1973 | The Furst Family of Washington | Eloise "Mama" Furst | Television movie |
| 1974–1975 | That's My Mama | Eloise "Mama" Curtis | 39 episodes |
| 1975 | Police Story | Mrs. Johnson | 1 episode |
| 1980 | NBC Special Treat | 1 episode | |
| 1983 | The Love Boat | Faye Pillips | 1 episode |
| 1984 | Concealed Enemies | Clytie Catlett | Television movie |
| 1988 | Miracle at Beekman's Place | Sarag Coleman | Television movie |
| 1997 | Law & Order | Ruth Titus | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Sesame Street | Grandma Sarah | 1 episode |
| 1998 | NYPD Blue | Bernice | 1 episode |
| Cosby | Edna Stone | 1 episode | |
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Play | Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | Nominated | [5] |
References[edit]
- ^ "("Theresa Merritt" search results)". Tony Awards. Tony Award Productions. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 1067. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
- ^ "Theresa Merritt". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ "Theresa Merritt". Variety. June 22, 1998. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
- ^ a b Lyman, Rick (June 21, 1998). "Theresa Merritt, 75, Praised In Role of Ma Rainey, Is Dead". The New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2009.
External links[edit]
- Theresa Merritt at IMDb
- Theresa Merritt at the TCM Movie Database
- Theresa Merritt at the Internet Broadway Database
- Theresa Merritt at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Theresa Merritt at Find a Grave
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
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 | This article about a United States film and television actor born in the 1920s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
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- 1922 births
- 1998 deaths
- People from Emporia, Virginia
- Actresses from Virginia
- American stage actresses
- American television actresses
- Deaths from cancer in New York (state)
- Deaths from skin cancer
- African-American actresses
- American film actresses
- 20th-century American actresses
- Delta Sigma Theta members
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century African-American women singers
- 20th-century American women singers
- American singer stubs
- American screen actor, 1920s birth stubs
- American theatre actor, 20th-century birth stubs