Roxie Roker
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Roxie Roker
Biography
On television, supporting actress Roxie Roker may best be remembered for playing outspoken Helen Willis for ten years on the popular television sitcom The Jeffersons. She and TV husband Franklin Cover comprised the first interracial married couple on network television. But in addition to television, Roker had also found success on stage and in the occasional feature film. Miami-born and Brooklyn-raised, Roker graduated from Howard University with a drama degree and then flew to England to study at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-on-Avon. During the 1960s, Roker supported herself with a secretarial job at NBC's New York office while trying to find acting jobs. Roker launched her drama career off-Broadway in productions such as Jean Genet's The Blacks. Between 1967 and '68, Roker hosted a local community television show, but that wasn't close enough to acting, so she quit to practice her craft full time. With the Negro Ensemble Company she appeared in Ododo and Rosalie Pritchet. In 1974, she earned an Obie and a Tony nomination for The River Niger. In 1975, shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Norman Lear cast Roker in The Jeffersons. In addition to this role, Roker occasionally guest-starred on other series and appeared in television movies. Her feature-film appearances were rare. Roker made her debut in Claudine (1974). In the '90s, Roker resumed her stage career, appearing in a theatrical version of The Jeffersons and then touring opposite Mary Martin and Carol Channing in Legends. Roker's son, Lenny Kravitz is a noted rock musician and record producer. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
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Roxie Roker
For the character on Hannah Montana, see Roxy Roker.
| Roxie Roker | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Roxie Albertha Roker August 28, 1929 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | December 2, 1995 (aged 66) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Howard University |
| Occupation | Actress, Television Personality, News Anchor |
| Spouse | Sy Kravitz (1962-1985) |
| Children | Lenny Kravitz |
Roxie Albertha Roker (August 28, 1929 – December 2, 1995) was an American actress, best known for her groundbreaking role as Helen Willis on the sitcom The Jeffersons, half of the first interracial couple to be shown on regular prime time television.[1] She is the mother of musician Lenny Kravitz,[1] the grandmother of actress Zoe Kravitz and the cousin of NBC's Today Show's Al Roker.
Life and career
Roker was born in Miami, Florida. Her mother, Bessie (née Mitchell), was from Georgia and worked as a domestic, and her father, Albert Roker, was a native of The Bahamas and a porter.[2]
She grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She attended and graduated from Howard University, where she was a member of the drama club and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Roker began her professional career with the Negro Ensemble Company and became a successful stage actress. She won an Obie Award in 1974 and was nominated for a Tony Award for her portrayal of Mattie Williams in The River Niger.[1]
She was a reporter on WNEW-TV in New York in the 1970s and hosted a public affairs show for the station known as Inside Bed-Stuy, dealing with events in the Brooklyn neighborhood.[1]
She appeared in guest starring roles on many United States television programs from the 1970s through the 1990s, including Punky Brewster, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, A Different World, Murder, She Wrote, The Love Boat, 227, and Beat the Clock. She also had a small role in the television miniseries Roots and in the movie Claudine.
Roker was also a children’s advocate who was cited by the city of Los Angeles for her community work.[1]
Roker was married to television producer Sy Kravitz from 1962 to 1985, and had a son, Lenny Kravitz.[1]
Roker died in Los Angeles on December 2, 1995 of breast cancer at the age of 66.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Roxie Roker, 66, Who Broke Barrier In Her Marriage on TV's 'Jeffersons'". New York Times. Associated Press. December 6, 1995. http://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/06/nyregion/roxie-roker-66-who-broke-barrier-in-her-marriage-on-tv-s-jeffersons.html. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
- ^ Robbins, Fred, "Roxie Roker: Her Life is Not Just the Hollywood Life", The Modesto Bee, Wednesday, December 26, 1984
- ^ Santoski, Teresa (December 2, 2009). "Death anniversary of groundbreaking Bahamian American actress Roxie Roker". Nashua Telegraph. http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/462717-196/daily-twip--death-anniversary-of-groundbreaking.html. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
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