Biography
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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.
Filmography
all 37
Movies 25
TV Shows 12
self 2
Narrator 1
Down in the Delta (1998)
Rosewood (1997)
My Fellow Americans (1996)
Promised Land (1996)
How to Make an American Quilt (1995)
Nobody's Girls: Five Women of the West (1995)
Scarlett (1994)
Touched by an Angel (1994)
To Dance with the White Dog (1993)
Message from Nam (1993)
House of Cards (1993)
Color Adjustment (1992)
Cape Fear (1991)
The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990)
Singer and Sons (1990)
Age-Old Friends (1989)
Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
The Mighty Quinn (1989)
A Raisin in the Sun (1989)
Ethnic Notions (1986)
Murder, She Wrote (1984)
Finder of Lost Loves (1984)
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (1982)
See China and Die (1981)
Darkroom (1981)
Flamingo Road (1981)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1979)
Summer of My German Soldier (1978)
The Incredible Hulk (1977)
Donny & Marie (1976)
Good Times (1974)
Cleopatra Jones (1973)
Don't Play Us Cheap (1972)
Maude (1972)
Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow! (1971)
Up the Down Staircase (1967)
Nothing But a Man (1964)
Ratings
Gallery
Information
Known ForActing
GenderFemale
Birthday1920-11-08
Deathday1998-11-17 (78 years old)
Birth PlacePompano Beach, United States of America
SiblingsEstelle Evans, Rosanna Carter
CitizenshipsUnited States of America
AwardsPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
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