Norma Donaldson

Norma Donaldson
File:NormaDonaldson1972.jpg Donaldson in 1972
Born	Norma Mae Donaldson (1928-07-08)July 8, 1928 Harlem, New York, U.S.
Died	November 22, 1994(1994-11-22) (aged 66) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Cemetery (Buffalo)
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Actress, Singer
Years active	1950–94

Norma Mae Donaldson (July 8, 1928 – November 22, 1994) was an American actress and singer. Perhaps she is best known for her roles, as Miss Adelaide in the 1976 revival of Guys and Dolls; Lillie Belle Barber on the CBS television soap opera The Young and the Restless, in which she played from 1990 until her death in 1994.

Life and career

Born in Harlem, Donaldson launched her career as a nightclub singer and then toured with Harry Belafonte and Lena Horne. In 1971, Donaldson began appearing in some Blaxploitation films such as 1972's Across 110th Street and 1974's Willie Dynamite. In 1975, she began acting on Broadway and was most famous for portraying the loveless chorine Miss Adelaide, opposite Robert Guillaume, in an all-black revival of Frank Loesser's Guys and Dolls in 1976. She and Guillaume were again paired in Purlie and No Place to be Somebody. Prior to her lengthy recurring role on "The Young and the Restless", she had played Dr. Paulina Ravelle on General Hospital on a recurring basis from 1987 to 1989, who strove to prevent her daughter, Simone, from marrying the white Dr. Tom Hardy. Donaldson died of cancer at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles on November 22, 1994 at 66 years old. She was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York.

Filmography

Year	Show/Film/Production	Role	Notes
1956	The Happiest Girl in the World	Martha	Broadway play
	The Baby and the Battleship	Dr. Bryce	Broadway play, Uncredited
1970	Hallelujah, Baby!	Ruby Jean	Broadway play
1972	Across 110th Street	Gloria Roberts
1974	Willie Dynamite	Honey
1975	Good Times	Mrs. Baker	Episode: Michael's Big Fall
	The Jeffersons	Dale Parker	Episode: George and the Manager
1976	Guys and Dolls	Miss Adelaide	Broadway musical
1977	All in the Family	Ms. Watson	Episode: Archie Gets the Business: Part 1 Archie Gets the Business: Part 2
1978	Watch Your Mouth	Mrs. Littlejohn	Episode: Handsomest Boy
	What's Happening!!	Mrs. Miller	Episode: No Clothes Make the Man
1979	Archie Bunker's Place	Ms. Watson	Episode: The Cook Archie's New Partner: Part 1 Archie's New Partner: Part 2
1980	9 to 5	Betty
	Willow B: Women in Prison	Mrs. McCallister	(TV movie)
1981	Inmates: A Love Story	Lila	(TV movie)
1982	CHiPS	Mrs. Schoonover	Episode: Overload
	Farrell for the People	Mrs. Grey	(TV movie)
1983	Intimate Agony	Dr. Bynn	TV movie
	Staying Alive	Fatima
1988	The Unholy	Abby
1989	thirtysomething	Bernice	Episode: No Promises
	Matlock	Shirley Taylor	Episode: The Good Boy
1990	House Party	Mildred
	The Young and the Restless	Lillie Bell Barber	Regular (1990–94), (final television appearance)
1991	The Five Heartbeats	Mrs. Sawyer
1993	Poetic Justice	Aunt May

External links

• Norma Donaldson at IMDb