Esther Rolle
29 movies · 15 TV shows
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Nov 8, 1920
- Died
- Nov 17, 1998 (age 78)
- Place of birth
- Pompano Beach, Florida USA
- Also known as
- Esther Elizabeth Rolle
Biography
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.
Read the full biography
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.
Profiles IMDb
Known for
Esther Rolle: movies and TV shows
Acting (44)
- 2005 Train Ride
as Dean of Students
- 1998 Down in the Delta
as Annie Sinclair
- 1997 Rosewood
as Aunt Sarah
- 1996 My Fellow Americans
as Rita
- 1996
- 1995 How to Make an American Quilt
as Aunt Pauline
- 1995 Nobody's Girls: Five Women of the West
as Clara Brown
- 1994
- 1994
- 1993 To Dance with the White Dog
as Neelie
- 1993 Message from Nam
as Queenie / Elizabeth McQueen
- 1993 House of Cards
as Adelle
- 1991 Cape Fear
as Woman Watching Cady Get Out from Under the Car (uncredited)
- 1990 The Kid Who Loved Christmas
as Esther Clayton
- 1990
- 1989 Age-Old Friends
as Mrs. Baker
- 1989 Driving Miss Daisy
as Idella
- 1989 The Mighty Quinn
as Ubu Pearl
- 1989 A Raisin in the Sun
as Lena 'Mama' Younger
- 1987 P.K. and the Kid
as Mim
- 1986 Ethnic Notions
as Narrator
- 1984
- 1984
- 1983 The Grand Baby
as Momma
- 1982
- 1982
- 1982 The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet
as Nurse
- 1981
- 1981 See China and Die
as Momma Sykes
- 1981
- 1979 I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
as Momma
- 1978 Summer of My German Soldier
as Ruth
- 1977
- 1977
- 1974
- 1973 Cleopatra Jones
as Mrs. Johnson
- 1973 Don't Play Us Cheap
as Miss Maybell
- 1972
- 1971 Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow!
as Maid
- 1969 The Learning Tree
as uncredited
- 1967 Up the Down Staircase
as Teacher
- 1964 Nothing But a Man
as Church Woman
- 1962 To Kill a Mockingbird
as uncredited role
- 1951
Talk shows and appearances (2)
- 1992
- 1976 Donny & Marie
1 episode