Tonea Stewart (born February 3, 1947) is an American actress and university professor best known for her role as Aunt Etta on the television series In the Heat of the Night.Stewart was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, the daughter of Hattie Juanita and Thomas Harris. She has appeared in numerous TV shows and movies. Stewart taught at Jackson State University for 20 years — where she was crowned Ms. JSU 1969 — in Jackson, Mississippi. She earned her PhD. from Florida State University in 1989 and taught Speech at Alabama State University. Stewart is currently the dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Alabama State University. She narrated the acclaimed Remembering Slavery radio program. Stewart is a member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority and has four adult children: Jannice, Allen Jr., Alesha, and Thomas.
Has been a Professor and the Director of Theater at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama, USA for 20 years. Since May of 2010 she has been serving as the Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Alabama State University .
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Taught for 20 years at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi.
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Lifetime member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority.
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Lifetime member of the NAACP.
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Lifetime member of the Order of the Golden Circle.
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Has received numerous keys to cities across the U.S.
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In 1995, she was inducted into the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame.
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First African-American female to receive a doctorate from Florida State University's School of Theater.
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Recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa.
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She held the first McKnight Doctoral Fellow in Theater Arts at the same time as she held a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Her two sons hold degrees: one son has a degree in finance and one has degrees in theatre and directing. Her daughter and adopted goddaughter are speech pathologists.
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While on In the Heat of the Night (1988) underwent 3 1/2 hours of age makeup each day to transform the youthful actress into the elderly "Aunt Etta."
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Based her character (Principal Rivers) on the Walker, Texas Ranger (1993) episode "Rise to the Occasion" on her days as a teaching assistant at Lanier High School in Jackson, Mississippi.
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Wronged Man
2010
TV Movie
Ms. Newton
Genius in Heels
2009
Short
Roselette
Mississippi Damned
2009
Alice
Six Blocks Wide
2008
Short
Gran
Racing for Time
2008
TV Movie
A West Texas Children's Story
2007
Elderly Woman
Love... & Other 4 Letter Words
2007
Nana's Neighbor
Constellation
2005
Reverand
Confessions of a Florist
2003
Connie
Roper and Goodie
2003
Bertie
Tara
2003
Video
Vetta Taylor
Baby of the Family
2002
Miss Bessie Mae
The Rosa Parks Story
2002
TV Movie
Johnnie Carr
Touched by an Angel
2000
TV Series
Lois
Walker, Texas Ranger
1997-1999
TV Series
Principal Rivers / Judge Loretta Paxton
ER
1999
TV Series
Pearl
Mama Flora's Family
1998
TV Mini-Series
Bessie
My Stepson, My Lover
1997
TV Movie
Delia Gray
A Time to Kill
1996
Gwen Hailey
The Sister-in-Law
1995
TV Movie
Libby
Gramps
1995
TV Movie
Rae Ellen
One Christmas
1994
TV Movie
Evangeline
Leave of Absence
1994
TV Movie
Cora Winsor
A Passion for Justice: The Hazel Brannon Smith Story
1994
TV Movie
Henrietta
In the Heat of the Night
1988-1994
TV Series
Aunt Etta Kibbey
Aunt Etta
Mrs. Gray
Matlock
1993
TV Series
Elena / Henrietta Dorsey
Body Snatchers
1993
Teacher
White Lie
1991
TV Movie
Len's Secretary
Livin' Large!
1991
Mrs. Davis
Caroline?
1990
TV Movie
Diane
Unconquered
1989
TV Movie
Bertha
Mississippi Burning
1988
Mrs. Walker
Courtship
1987
Aunt Charity
Mistress of Paradise
1981
TV Movie
Sister Sarah
Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy 'Satchel' Paige
1981
TV Movie
Mama Paige (as Tommie Stewart)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
1979
TV Movie
Lillie (as Tommie Stewart)
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
1978
TV Movie
Mrs. Avery
Nightmare in Badham County
1976
TV Movie
Alma (as Tommie Stewart)
It's Time
2017
filming
Grandmomma
Same Kind of Different as Me
2017
post-production
Big Mama
Girls Trip
2017
post-production
Marian
The Hollars
2016
Latisha
Olivia Martha Ilse
2015
Short
Eloise
Small
2014/II
Short
Memaw
American Horror Story
2013
TV Series
Old Cora
Carolyn Somebody
2012
Short
Grandma Coreen
Lottery Ticket
2010/I
Random Neighbor #3
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Carolyn Somebody
2012
Short co-producer
Montgomery
2012
Short co-producer
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Protect and Serve
2016
Documentary
Herself
Nominated Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
1997
Image Award
Image Awards
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
$1.6 Million
