Beah Richards (July 12, 1920 – September 14, 2000) was an American actress of stage, screen and television. She was a poet, playwright and author.Born Beulah Elizabeth Richardson in Vicksburg, Mississippi, her mother was a seamstress and PTA advocate and her father was a Baptist minister. In 1948, she graduated from Dillard University in New Orleans and two years later moved to New York City. Her career started to take off in 1955 when she portrayed an eighty-four-year-old-grandmother in the off-Broadway show Take a Giant Step. She often played the role of a mother or grandmother, and continued acting her entire life. She appeared in the original Broadway productions of Purlie Victorious, The Miracle Worker, and A Raisin in the Sun.Richards was nominated for a Tony award for her 1965 performance in James Baldwin's The Amen Corner. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Sidney Poitier's mother in the 1967 film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Other notable movie performances include Hurry Sundown, The Great White Hope, Beloved and In the Heat of the Night.She made numerous guest television appearances including recurrent roles on Beauty and the Beast, The Bill Cosby Show, Sanford and Son, Benson, Designing Women, The Practice, The Big Valley and ER (as Dr. Peter Benton's mother.) She was the winner of two Emmy Awards, one in 1988 for her appearance on the series Frank's Place, and another in 2000 for her appearance on The Practice.
in "I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America"] There are a lot of movies out there that I would hate to be paid to do, some real demeaning, real woman-denigrating stuff. It is up to women to change their roles. They are going to have to write the stuff and do it. And they will.
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Fact
1
For her work on the legitimate stage, she was honored with the Paul Robeson Pioneer Award and was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.
2
One of her poems, "Keep Climbing, Girls", has been turned into a picture book inspiring girls' power. Published 2006 by Simon & Schuster.
3
Stage: Appeared in James Baldwin's "The Amen Corner" on Broadway in 1965, for which she received a Tony nomination as Best Actress (Dramatic).
4
Father was a Baptist minister and mother a seamstress.
5
1948: Graduated from Dillard University in New Orleans.
6
Married for three years to an African-American sculptor.
7
Died just days after receiving Emmy award for The Practice (1997), which was accepted for her by LisaGay Hamilton and delivered to Vicksburg.
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Practice
2000
TV Series
Gertrude Turner
Beloved
1998
Baby Suggs
ER
1994-1995
TV Series
Mae Benton
Out of Darkness
1994
TV Movie
Mrs. Cooper
The John Larroquette Show
1993
TV Series
Gene's Momma
South of Sunset
1993
TV Series
Matlock
1993
TV Series
Martha Jordan
Designing Women
1990-1993
TV Series
Minnie / Mrs. Bouvier
Hearts Afire
1992-1993
TV Series
Miss Lula
One Special Victory
1991
TV Movie
Cora Simms
Murder, She Wrote
1988-1991
TV Series
Emma Coop / Ola Mae
Family Matters
1991
TV Series
Helen
Brewster Place
1990
TV Series
Bernice Sands
227
1986-1990
TV Series
Carolyn Hurley
Capital News
1990
TV Series
Equal Justice
1990
TV Series
Mrs. Davis
L.A. Law
1989-1990
TV Series
Alberta Williams
American Playhouse
1990
TV Series
Drugstore Cowboy
1989
Drug Counselor
Homer and Eddie
1989
Linda Cervi
Beauty and the Beast
1987-1989
TV Series
Narcissa
The Facts of Life
1988
TV Series
Grandmother
Frank's Place
1987
TV Series
Olive Varden
Hunter
1986-1987
TV Series
Pockets / Ella Mae Fuller
Big Shots
1987
Miss Hanks
CBS Summer Playhouse
1987
TV Series
Katherine
Time Out for Dad
1987
TV Movie
Miss Aldrich
Inside Out
1986
Verna
As Summers Die
1986
TV Movie
Elvira Backus
Acceptable Risks
1986
TV Movie
Sally Framm
The Hitchhiker
1986
TV Series
Serita
Hill Street Blues
1986
TV Series
Aunt Feeney
Generation
1985
TV Movie
Edna
Punky Brewster
1985
TV Series
Mrs. Carney
Highway to Heaven
1985
TV Series
Mrs. Baldwin
And the Children Shall Lead
1985
TV Movie
Miss Annie
Benson
1981-1984
TV Series
Mrs. DuBois / Lois
St. Elsewhere
1984
TV Series
Regina
The New Mike Hammer
1984
TV Series
Maddy Higgins
Bay City Blues
1983
TV Series
Capitol
1982
TV Series
Therese (1986)
The Sophisticated Gents
1981
TV Series
Mae Porter
A Christmas Without Snow
1980
TV Movie
Wendell's Grandma
Palmerstown, U.S.A.
1980
TV Series
Grandma Jenny
Vega$
1980
TV Series
Mom
Banjo the Woodpile Cat
1979
TV Short
Zazu (voice)
Roots: The Next Generations
1979
TV Mini-Series
Cynthia Palmer
Ring of Passion
1978
TV Movie
Lilly Brooks
Just an Old Sweet Song
1976
TV Movie
Grandma
Petrocelli
1976
TV Series
Bessie Jones
Mahogany
1975
Florence
Apple's Way
1974
TV Series
Mrs. Thaxter
Pomroy's People
1973
TV Movie
A Dream for Christmas
1973
TV Movie
Grandma Bessie
Outrage
1973
TV Movie
Thelma
The Magician
1973
TV Series
Mrs. Thatcher
Sanford and Son
1972
TV Series
Aunt Ethel
Footsteps
1972
TV Movie
Jessie Blake
The Biscuit Eater
1972
Charity Tomlin
The Bill Cosby Show
1970-1971
TV Series
Rose Kincaid
To Confuse the Angel
1970
TV Movie
The Great White Hope
1970
Mama Tiny
It Takes a Thief
1970
TV Series
Sister Martha Gowen
Room 222
1969
TV Series
Mrs. Moore
Ironside
1969
TV Series
Aunt Ruby
Hawaii Five-O
1969
TV Series
Mama Grant
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
1967
Mrs. Prentice
In the Heat of the Night
1967
Mama Caleba
I Spy
1967
TV Series
Mother
Hurry Sundown
1967
Rose Scott
The Big Valley
1965-1966
TV Series
Hannah James
Dr. Kildare
1966
TV Series
Alice Willey / Alice
Gone Are the Days!
1963
Idella Landy
The Miracle Worker
1962
Viney - Keller Maid (uncredited)
Take a Giant Step
1959
May Scott
The Mugger
1958
Grecco Maid
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The 40th Annual Academy Awards
1968
TV Special
Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Today
1965
TV Series
Herself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Beah: A Black Woman Speaks
2003
Documentary
Herself
The 73rd Annual Academy Awards
2001
TV Special
Herself (Memorial Tribute)
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
1976
TV Series
Charity Tomlin
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2000
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
The Practice (1997)
2000
Lifetime Achievement Award
Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival
1988
Primetime Emmy
Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series
Frank's Place (1987)
1987
ACE
CableACE Awards
Actress in a Movie or Miniseries
As Summers Die (1986)
1970
Image Award
Image Awards
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
The Great White Hope (1970)
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2001
Image Award
Image Awards
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
The Practice (1997)
2000
OFTA Television Award
Online Film & Television Association
Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series
The Practice (1997)
1999
Image Award
Image Awards
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture