Suzzanne Douglas
Suzzanne Douglas | |
---|---|
Born | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | April 12, 1957
Died | July 6, 2021 Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, U.S. | (aged 64)
Education | Illinois State University (BA) Manhattan School of Music (MM) |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1976–2021 |
Known for | Jerri Peterson – The Parent 'Hood Amy Simms – Tap |
Spouse(s) | Roy J. Cobb (m. 1989) |
Children | 1 |
Awards | NAACP Image Award – (1989) Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Tap) |
Website | suzzannedouglasmusic |
Suzzanne Douglas (April 12, 1957 – July 6, 2021) was an American actress.[2] She was best known for her role as matriarch Geraldine "Jerri" Peterson on The WB sitcom The Parent 'Hood,[2] starring Robert Townsend, which originally ran from 1995 to 1999. Douglas also portrayed Amy Simms in the 1989 dance/drama film Tap alongside Gregory Hines and the legendary Sammy Davis Jr., for which she won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.
In addition to Tap, Douglas starred in several other motion pictures, among them How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998), Jason's Lyric (1994), The Inkwell (1994) as well as the 2003 Disney/ABC version of Sounder with Carl Lumbly. Douglas is also well known for her portrayal as Cissy Houston in the Lifetime TV movie Whitney which aired in 2015. In May 2019, she appeared as the mother of one of the main characters in the Netflix miniseries When They See Us directed by the acclaimed Ava DuVernay and produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films.
Early life and education[]
Douglas was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 12, 1957.[3] She was one of four children born to Lois Mae Thompson and Donald Douglas, Sr. Reared by a single mother, Douglas grew up in the Altgeld Gardens Homes public housing complex on the city's far south side.[4] She became interested in the arts as a child, citing 1965's The Sound of Music as her inspiration for acting.[5] Douglas attended Thornton Township High School, graduating in 1975.[6] After high school, she studied at Illinois State University; graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She later earned a Master's degree in music specializing in Jazz Vocals at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music.[7]
Career[]
Douglas has numerous television guest star appearances (Bull, Bones and The Good Wife).[8] Douglas has also appeared on The Parkers,[8] The Cosby Show, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, NYPD Blue,[9] and Touched by an Angel.[8] On stage, Douglas performed the role of Jenny Diver in The Threepenny Opera starring Sting and Dr. Bearing in Wit, where she was the first African American to perform the role.[3][10] Douglas was a two-time NAACP Image Award winner, and also won the Black Oscar, a Reel Award,[11] and the Mary Martin Award.[12] Douglas appears in the Rel Dowdell film Changing the Game in 2011.[8]
Other[]
Douglas was a beloved honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where she served on its national executive board as the Honorary Co-chair of the Arts and Letters Commission for thirteen years. In the community, she was a lifetime member of Girl Scouts of the USA, The National Council of Negro Women, Sigma Alpha Lambda (a national leadership and honors organization), and Jack and Jill of America.[11]
Personal life and death[]
In February 1989, Douglas married neuro-radiologist Roy Jonathan Cobb, to whom she was still married at the time of her death. Together, Douglas and Cobb had one daughter.[3][13] Douglas died on July 6, 2021, at age 64, at her home in Martha's Vineyard after a two year battle with pancreatic cancer.[3][14]
Filmography[]
Film[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | Purlie[3] | Television film | |
1989 | Tap[8][15] | Amy Simms | |
1990 | The Knife and Gun Club[16] | Ginny Ducette | Television film |
1992 | Chain of Desire[8][17] | Angie | |
1992 | Condition: Critical[9] | Dr. Bailey Wallace | Television film |
1994 | I'll Do Anything[9] | Rainbow House Star | |
1994 | The Inkwell[8][15] | Brenda Tate | |
1994 | Search for Grace[17][9] | Margaret / Melody | Television film |
1994 | Jason's Lyric[8][17] | Gloria | |
1998 | The Last Weekend[11][18] | Short film | |
1998 | How Stella Got Her Groove Back[8][15] | Angela | |
2003 | Sounder[8][16] | The Mother | Television film |
2003 | School of Rock[17][9] | Tomika's Mother | |
2004 | Sunday on the Rocks[8][17] | Jessica | |
2012 | Changing the Game[8][9] | Mrs. Davis | |
2015 | Whitney[8][9] | Cissy Houston | Television film |
2016 | Happy Yummy Chicken[8][9] | Sarah Del Casserole | |
2020 | Really Love[19] | Ann Solomon |
Television[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | A Man Called Hawk[18] | Lorna Wells | Episode: "Vendetta" |
1990 | The Cosby Show[9] | Rebecca Shorter | Episode: "Live and Learn" |
1990–1991 | Against the Law[18] | Yvette Carruthers | 17 episodes |
1991 | Great Performances | Lady In Plaid / The Girl | Episode: "The Colored Museum"[16] |
1991 | ABC Afterschool Specials | Sammy | Episode: "In the Shadows of Love: A Teen AIDS Story"[17] |
1992 | I'll Fly Away[9] | Ruth | 3 episodes |
1993 | American Playhouse | Eunice Perry | Episode: "Hallelujah"[16] |
1995–1999 | The Parent 'Hood[8][17] | Geraldine "Jerri" Peterson | 90 episodes |
1996–1999 | Touched by an Angel[8][17] | Dr. Rebecca Dixon / Brianna | 2 episodes |
1996 | NYPD Blue[8][9] | Mrs. Torrence | Episode: "Where's 'Swaldo" |
1997–1998 | Promised Land[8][9] | Dr. Rebecca Dixon | 4 episodes |
1999–2000 | The Parkers[8] | Constance West-McFarland | 2 episodes |
2004 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent[9] | Karen Watkins | Episode: "Mad Hops" |
2010 | The Good Wife[8][9] | Judge Keely Farmer | Episode: "Infamy" |
2016 | Bones[8][9] | Elizabeth Burkhart | Episode: "The Monster in the Closet" |
2016 | Bull[8] | Betty Everton | Episode: "Just Tell the Truth" |
2019 | When They See Us[3] | Grace Cuffe | Miniseries |
References[]
- ^ JET Magazine - People Are Talking About... - February 27, 1989
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Suzzanne Douglas". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2016. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Taylor, Derrick Bryson (July 7, 2021). "Suzzanne Douglas, Star of 'The Parent 'Hood,' Dies at 64". The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ Kiro7, ‘The Parent ’Hood’ star Suzzanne Douglas dead at 64, July 7, 2021
- ^ Mendoza, M. F. (May 10, 1994). "No More 'Dodging Bullets' for Actress Suzzanne Douglas – FAST TRACK: Up and Comers in Arts and Entertainment; One in a Series". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- ^ "1974 Thornton Township High School Yearbook (Harvey, Illinois)". Classmates.com. 1974. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- ^ Baltimore Times (Online) – An Interview with Suzzanne Douglas - January 13, 2017
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "Suzzanne Douglas". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Suzzanne Douglas List of Movies and TV Shows". TV Guide. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ Perez, Lexy (July 7, 2021). "Suzzanne Douglas, 'The Parent 'Hood' Actress, Dies at 64". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "IJS Concert Series – Suzzanne Douglas". Rutgers University. 2018. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ "Suzzanne Douglas Scholarship". Illinois State University. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ Randolph, Laura B. (October 1995). "How He (She) Proposed". Ebony Magazine. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- ^ Victorian, Brande (July 7, 2021). "Actress Suzzanne Douglas Dead At 64". Essence. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "Suzzanne Douglas". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Suzzanne Douglas – Filmography". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Suzanne Douglas". British Film Institute. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Evans, Greg (July 7, 2021). "Suzzanne Douglas Dies: 'The Parent 'Hood', 'When They See Us' Actress Was 64". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
- ^ "Really Love". American Film Institute. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
External links[]
- 1957 births
- 2021 deaths
- 20th-century American actresses
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century American women singers
- 21st-century American actresses
- 21st-century American singers
- 21st-century American women singers
- Actresses from Chicago
- African-American actresses
- American film actresses
- American musical theatre actresses
- American television actresses
- Deaths from cancer in Massachusetts
- Deaths from pancreatic cancer
- Delta Sigma Theta members
- Illinois State University alumni
- People from Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
- African-American female singers