Jackée Harry
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Jackée Harry | |
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![]() Harry at a performance of The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker in December 2010 | |
Born | Jacqueline Yvonne Harry August 14, 1956 |
Nationality | American |
Other names | Jackée |
Education | High School of the Performing Arts C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University |
Occupation(s) | Actress, television personality |
Years active | 1982–present |
Known for | Sandra Clark – 227 Lisa Landry – Sister, Sister Pauletta Birdsong – The First Family |
Spouse |
Elgin Charles Williams
(m. 1996–2003) |
Children | 1[1] |
Awards | 1987 – Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Sandra Clark (227) 1999 – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Lisa Landry (Sister, Sister) 2000 – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Lisa Landry (Sister, Sister) |
Website | jackee-online |
Jacqueline Yvonne Harry (born August 14, 1956), better known by her mononymous stage name Jackée, is an American actress, director, and television personality.[2] She is best known for her roles as Sandra Clark, the sexy nemesis of Mary Jenkins (played by Marla Gibbs), on the NBC TV series 227 (1985–89), and as Lisa Landry on the ABC/The WB sitcom Sister, Sister (1994–99). She is noted for being the first and currently only African-American to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Early life
Harry was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1956, and raised in Harlem, New York, to a Afro-Trinidadian mother and African-American father, Harry began studying acting at the High School of the Performing Arts in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. She was an American History teacher at Brooklyn Technical High School before beginning a career on the New York stage.
Career
Theater
Harry made her Broadway debut in A Broadway Musical, playing a chorine. Throughout the 1980s she starred in numerous productions both on and off Broadway, and in national touring productions. In 1994, Harry made her return to the theater by starring as Billie Holiday in the play Lady Day at Emersons Bar and Grill. Following that stage production, she fulfilled the role of "madam who runs a bordello" in the Broadway musical The Boys from Syracuse. In the mid-2000s, she appeared in stage productions of The Sunshine Boys, Damn Yankees, and A Christmas Carol. She also toured nationally in JD Lawrence's The Clean Up Woman.
Television
In 1983, she made her acting debut in Another World as Lily Mason, a role she continued until 1986. In 2003, she was a surprise guest on the Another World Reunion that SOAPnet coordinated and aired. In 1985, Harry began a co-starring role as Sandra Clark, on the NBC sitcom 227. Her mother, Flossie, celebrated her getting the role but died before the show started airing. During the series run, Jackée and Marla Gibbs began feuding privately over who was the series' lead. They have since reconciled and collaborated on a number of projects.[3] Her performance on 227 inspired NBC producers to create a television pilot for her entitled Jackée. Although the pilot episode was a success with audiences, the series did not last and the episode is now shown as an episode of 227.
After leaving 227 in 1989, Harry starred opposite Oprah Winfrey in the adaptation of Gloria Naylor's novel, The Women of Brewster Place. In 1990, she headlined an NBC comedy pilot from Witt/Thomas titled We'll Take Manhattan; it aired as a summer special that year, but did not make it to series. In late 1991, she joined the cast of The Royal Family after the star, Redd Foxx, unexpectedly died. She starred opposite two-time 227 guest-star Della Reese. In 1992, she starred as the assistant coach in Ladybugs. Harry served as a guest panelist on the 2000 revival of To Tell the Truth and appeared on the second season of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club 2 in 2005. From 1994 until 1999, Harry played Lisa Landry, the adoptive mother of Tia Mowry's character, on the sitcom Sister, Sister.
She had a recurring role as Vanessa on The CW series Everybody Hates Chris and had a recurring role on the BET Series Let's Stay Together. She is starring in Byron Allen's syndicated sitcom The First Family which also features Marla Gibbs in a recurring role. On April 12, 2013, it was announced that she was cast in the episodes "Girl Meets Crazy Hat" and the pilot of Disney sitcom Girl Meets World. Later, she also appeared on "Girl Meets Demolition". That same year, she also joined Gibbs in the movie Forbidden Woman. In 2014 she made a guest appearance on Instant Mom as her character Lisa Landry. She appeared on 2 Broke Girls "and the Sax Problem" in 2016, as Earl's ex and lounge owner.
Awards
Harry became the first African American to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for 227 in 1987.[4] She won NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Sister, Sister two consecutive years in 1999 and 2000.
Personal life
Harry has been married four times.[5] Once was to Elgin Charles Williams from 1996 to 2003. They adopted their son, Frank, in 1997.[6]
On January 11, 2016, Harry, along with her former 227 series' lead, mentor and long-time friend, Marla Gibbs, attended the funeral of Grammy-Award-winning singer Natalie Cole, at the West Angeles Church of God in Christ in Los Angeles, following her death on December 31, 2015.[7]
Filmography
Film
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1984 | Moscow on the Hudson | Woman | Uncredited |
The Cotton Club | Dancer | ||
1986 | Alvin Goes Back to School | Gina Lipman | TV movie |
1987 | Alf Loves a Mystery | Countess | |
The Incredible Ida Early | Ida Early | ||
1988 | Crash Course | Edna Savage | |
The Cheech Show | Sheila | ||
1989 | Double Your Pleasure | Linda Cavanaugh / Sharlene Cavanaugh | |
Jackée | Sandra Clark | ||
The Women of Brewster Place | Etta Mae Johnson | ||
1990 | We'll Take Manhattan | Yvonne | |
1992 | Ladybugs | Julie Benson | |
1993 | Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun | Charmayne | Direct-to-video |
2003 | The Nick at Nite Holiday Special | Jackée / The Baker | TV movie |
2004 | You Got Served | Mama | |
2006 | All You've Got | Butt shorts salesman | TV movie |
2007 | The Last Day of Summer | Lola the Lobster | |
2009 | Man of Her Dreams | Louise Smith | Stage play |
G.E.D. | Mama | ||
2010 | Christmas Cupid | Vivian | TV movie |
The Clean Up Woman | Jasmine | Stage play | |
Knight to D7 | Nurse Hamilton | Short film | |
2011 | The Ideal Husband | Vivian Peterson | TV movie |
Nurse Jackée | Nurse Jackée | Short film | |
2012 | Brother White | Veena | TV movie |
Switchin' the Script | Mrs. Shepard | ||
2013 | The Coalition | Grandmother Hathaway | Direct-to-video |
The Sins of Deacon Whyles | Mom | ||
The Love Letter | Josephine | TV movie | |
Forbidden Woman | Sheila | ||
2014 | Knock 'Em Dead | Savannah | |
The Dirty 30 | Linda | ||
2015 | The Man in 3B | Miss Bertha |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1983–86 | Another World | Lily Mason | Main role |
1985–89 | 227 | Sandra Clark | Main role (Seasons 1-4); recurring role (season 5) |
1988–89 | Amen | Roxanne Farley / Florence Hawkins | "A Slight Case of Murder (Pt. 1)" (Season 2, Episode 20) "A Slight Case of Murder (Pt. 2)" (Season 2, Episode 21) "Don't Rain on My Shower" (Season 4, Episode 7) |
1990 | TGIF | Lisa | |
1991–92 | The Royal Family | Ruth 'CoCo' Royal | Main role (episodes 8-15) |
1992 | Designing Women | Vanessa Chamberlain | "Shades of Vanessa" (Season 6, Episode 23) |
1994 | Dave's World | Estelle | "Saved by Estelle" (Season 1, Episode 23) |
1994–99 | Sister, Sister | Lisa Landry | Main role |
1995-97 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Giant's Wife / Little Bo Peep | "Jack and the Beanstalk" (Season 1, Episode 1) "Mother Goose" (Season 2, Episode 13) |
1996 | Married... with Children | Lady on show | "Girls Who Wear Glasses" (Season 2, Episode 20) |
2000 | Twice in a Lifetime | Darcy Green / Louise Lutrelle | "Used Hearts" (Season 2, Episode 11) |
2003 | 7th Heaven | Ms. Beane | "It's Not Always About You" (Season 7, Episode 13) |
2005 | That's So Raven | Dava | "Goin' Hollywood" (Season 3, Episode 31) |
One on One | Sherri St. Croix | "Waiting for Huffman" (Season 5, Episode 10) | |
2006–09 | Everybody Hates Chris | Vanessa | Recurring role |
2008 | The Mighty B! | Nurse | Voice; "Bee Patients" (Season 1, Episode 13) |
2010 | Friends & Lovers | Omar's Mother | (Season 1, Episode 3) (Season 1, Episode 4) |
2011 | She's Still Not Our Sister | Connie | |
2011-13 | Let's Stay Together | Delores Whitmore | "There Goes the Groom" (Season 1, Episode 9) "Together, Forever-Ever?" (Season 1, Episode 13) "Sickness Protection Program" (Season 2, Episode 6) "An Even More Indecent Proposal" (Season 2, Episode 14) "Kita's Got a Gun" (Season 3, Episode 9) |
2012–2015 | The First Family | Pauletta Birdsong | Main role |
2012 | For Richer or Poorer | Mrs. Henderson | "Ex Files" (Season 1, Episode 1) "The Switch" (Season 1, Episode 2) |
Are We There Yet? | Jackée | "The Ghost Dog Episode" (Season 3, Episode 16) | |
2013 | Celebrity Ghost Stories | Herself | (Season 4) |
American Dad! | Shonteeva's assistant | "For Black Eyes Only" (Season 8, Episode 13) | |
How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) | Jessoka | "How to Help the Needy" (Season 1, Episode 12) | |
Wanda Sykes Presents Herlarious | Mrs. Jordan | ||
2014 | Glee | Herself | "City of Angels" (Season 5, Episode 11) |
Instant Mom | Lisa Landry | "Not Your Mother's Day" (Season 1, Episode 20) | |
One Love | Nurse Beverly | "Tea-Ball" (Season 1, Episode 7) | |
2014–2015 | Girl Meets World | Evelyn Rand | Recurring role |
2015 | In the Cut | Nadine | Main role |
2015 | Family Time | Gladys | "Hospitality" (Season 2, Episode 4) |
Baby Daddy | Judge Johnson | "Lowering the Bar" (Season 4, Episode 16) | |
Transformers: Robots in Disguise | Zizza | "The Buzz on Windblade" (Season 1, Episode 23) | |
Young & Hungry | JoJo | "Young & Christmas" (Season 2, Episode 21) | |
2016 | 2 Broke Girls | Ruby | one episode |
2017 | The Thundermans | Officer Bosco | "Orange Is the New Max" (Season 4, Episode 9) |
References
- ^ "Jackée Harry Talks About Her Son Frank, Motherhood And Prioritizing Her Career". Huffington Post. February 26, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
- ^ Fearn-Banks, Kathleen (2006). Historical dictionary of African-American television. Scarecrow Press. p. 185. ISBN 978-0-8108-5335-5.
- ^ Jacobs, Damon L. (February 26, 2011). "Exclusive Interview: Jackee Harry's 'Ideal Husband'". We Love Soaps. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
- ^ Littleton, Darryl J.; Littleton, Tuezdae (1 September 2012). Comediennes: Laugh Be a Lady. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-4803-2974-4.
- ^ "Sitcom Moms." Chopped. September 29, 2015.
- ^ "Jackée Harry Talks About Her Son Frank, Motherhood And Prioritizing Her Career". Huffington Post. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
- ^ "La Me Ln Chaka Khan Natalie Cole Funeral". Los Angeles Times. 2016-01-11. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
External links
- 1956 births
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses
- Actresses from North Carolina
- American people of Trinidad and Tobago descent
- African-American actresses
- American actresses
- African-American television directors
- American musical theatre actresses
- American schoolteachers
- American soap opera actresses
- American television actresses
- American television directors
- Women television directors
- Long Island University C. W. Post Campus alumni
- Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
- Living people
- Participants in American reality television series
- Actors from Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni