Latest news with #227
Chicago Tribune
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Heights native Lynn Hamilton, who had roles in ‘Sanford and Son' and ‘227,' dies at 95
Actress and Chicago Heights native Lynn Hamilton worked steadily in TV for many years, with recurring roles in the hit shows 'Sanford and Son,' 'The Waltons' and '227.' 'She was a very good actress — it was (due to) the work that she put in,' said actress and Chicago native Marla Gibbs, 94, who starred in '227,' a sitcom that ran from 1985 to 1990. 'She (also) was a very nice person.' Hamilton, 95, died of natural causes on June 19, said her publicist, Calvin Carson. She had lived in Chicago since 2015 after moving to the city from Los Angeles. Born Alzenia Lynn Hamilton in Yazoo City, Mississippi, Hamilton moved with her family to Chicago Heights at age 4. She graduated in 1947 from Bloom High School, where she was a member of the drama club. 'From that point on, I was able to, as I grew up, I was fairly attractive, and I was able to get into the modeling profession, and at which point I discovered the Goodman Theatre, which is in Chicago, and I went to the Goodman Theatre for four years and got my B.A. degree,' Hamilton said in a video interview in 2009. 'I learned all I could about acting, because I felt that were I to become an actress, it was necessary that I know my craft, that I'm able to do everything. I felt that I needed to be versatile.' After receiving a bachelor's degree from the Goodman School of Drama at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Hamilton took roles in local productions. A December 1953 Tribune article listed Hamilton as one of the Skyloft Players — a Black acting company that had gained renown in the 1940s — performing alongside future radio star Herb Kent in a play. Skyloft performed in a former orphanage at 5120 S. Park Way — now Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive — in the South Side Washington Park neighborhood. The former orphanage was the home of the Park Way Community House, a social and cultural center for the South Side's Black community, and the Skyloft Players staged work from Black writers like Richard Wright and Langston Hughes. In the 2009 interview, Hamilton noted she was the only Black person in her class at the Goodman. 'And so there weren't any roles for me, and so I was able to supplement my experience by working in a Black theater company on Chicago's South Side, and that was the beginning,' she said. In the late 1950s, Hamilton moved to New York City, working for three years at the New York Shakespeare Festival and performing in four Broadway shows, including the short-lived 1959 play 'Only in America,' which starred Alan Alda. After about a dozen years in New York, Hamilton relocated to Seattle for a year to do repertory theater. She moved to Los Angeles in the late 1960s and pursued television and movie roles. In her first year in Los Angeles, Hamilton scored guest spots on well-known programs, including 'Mannix' and 'Gunsmoke.' Other roles followed, including on 'Hawaii Five-O' and 'Barnaby Jones.' Hamilton was hired for her most notable role in 1972, as a nurse who becomes engaged to wisecracking junk dealer Fred Sanford — played by Redd Foxx — on the sitcom 'Sanford and Son.' Hamilton appeared in 22 episodes of 'Sanford and Son,' and had a recurring role in 18 episodes of the historical drama series 'The Waltons.' Hamilton was initially cast as a landlady in 'Sanford and Son,' and she used her theatrical training to impress the show's producers. In her lone scene as a landlady, her character was asked to evict Lamont, Fred Sanford's son. 'They said you can be as big as you want to be and I thought, oh my God, I can use my stage stuff,' Hamilton said in the 2009 interview. 'And so that one scene, they were so impressed with that one scene that … a month or so later, they decided to give Fred Sanford a girlfriend, and I among, oh, I don't know 100 other actresses in Hollywood auditioned, and we had screen tests.' Red Foxx 'was impressed with my experience and he always said, 'You're so dignified, and I need somebody dignified opposite me.' He was aware of his earthiness, shall we say,' she said. Hamilton continued acting in small TV roles during the 1980s, including on shows like 'Highway to Heaven,' 'Riptide' and 'The New Leave It to Beaver.' She picked up a recurring role on '227' in 1996, appearing with Gibbs in five episodes. In the early 1990s, Hamilton acted in more than 50 episodes of a syndicated nighttime soap opera about female prisoners, 'Dangerous Women.' In a 2002 episode of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' she played the mother of comedian Wanda Sykes' character. After Hamilton's husband of 50 years, poet and playwright Frank Jenkins, died in 2014, she returned to live in the Chicago area. She was also preceded in death by a daughter. Hamilton is survived by four grandchildren. A service in Los Angeles is being planned. In the 2009 interview, Hamilton expressed optimism for the opportunities available for African Americans who are interested in pursuing a career in acting. 'If this is your desire, get the proper training, first and foremost, and go for it,' she said. 'Because I think that African-Americans can go straight to the top now. The opportunities are there. We have African-American producers and African-American writers and heads of studios. The opportunities are there.'
Scottish Sun
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Sanford and Son and The Waltons star dies aged 95 as heartbroken family pay tribute to ‘extraordinary life'
STAR GONE Sanford and Son and The Waltons star dies aged 95 as heartbroken family pay tribute to 'extraordinary life' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GOLDEN Girls and The Waltons star Lynn Hamilton has died aged 95. The actress died of natural causes on Thursday at her home in Chicago. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 2 Lynn Hamilton appearing in the ABC tv series 'ABC Afterschool Specials' Credit: Getty 2 The actress died of natural causes on Thursday Credit: Getty The star's former manager and publicist Rev. Calvin Carson announced the tragic news on social media. He said: "With profound gratitude and admiration, we celebrate the extraordinary life of iconic actress Alzenia 'Lynn' Hamilton-Jenkins, whose remarkable legacy continues to uplift and inspire. "Her illustrious career, spanning over five decades, has left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment, motivating audiences across the globe through her work as a model, stage, film and television actress." Hamilton was known for her roles including Donna Harris, Fred Sanford's girlfriend and later fiance on the sitcom Sanford and Son. She appeared in this between 1972 to 1977. The star also played Verdie Grant Foster in The Waltons from 1973 to 1981. In the 1979 miniseries Roots: The Next Generations, she played Cousin Georgia Anderson. Hamilton has also appeared in various other series like Good Times, 227, Dangerous Women, and The Golden Girls. More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos. Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Marla Gibbs Celebrates Her 94th Birthday, Honors Herself with Her 'Own' Social Media Tribute (Like the Icon She Is!)
Marla Gibbs celebrated her 94th birthday on June 14 The Jeffersons alum marked the occasion by sharing her own social media tribute in her honor Gibbs said she is still open to more acting opportunities during an event earlier this yearHappy birthday, Marla Gibbs! The actress celebrated her 94th birthday on Saturday, June 14, and she marked the occasion by sharing her own social media tribute in her honor. Posting a throwback photograph of herself, Gibbs wrote in her caption, "Thank you all for the love." "Remember God loves you and so do I. ❤️❤️❤️ #marlagibbs #nevertoolate," she continued. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Gibbs began her legendary career in the entertainment industry in the early 1970s. She was later cast in her breakout role of family maid Florence Johnston in The Jeffersons in 1975. During the decade that the CBS sitcom aired, Gibbs received five Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! Gibbs also starred on The Jeffersons spinoff Checking In, and she later had a role in the NBC sitcom 227, which she also co-produced and sang the theme song for. Some of the star's other credits include Station 19, Grey's Anatomy, The Meteor Man, Lost & Found, The Visit, The Brothers and Madea's Witness Protection, to name a few. Earlier this year, as she received the Hollywood Legacy Award at the American Black Film Festival Honors in Los Angeles, Gibbs said she is open to more acting opportunities, stating, "I'm ready to do some more." Gibbs added that she has "been so blessed" throughout her life, and gave advice for others who want to be successful in the entertainment industry as well. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! 'I had some ladies come to me, and they said, 'Marla, I've always wanted to act. Do you think it's too late?' I said, 'Are you still breathing?' They said, 'Yes,' " she said. 'It's not too late. As long as you're here and you're still breathing," continued the actress. Read the original article on People
