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Hattie Winston

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Hattie Winston
Born (1945-03-03) March 3, 1945 (age 79)
Lexington, Mississippi, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1965–present
SpouseHarold Wheeler
Children1

Hattie Winston (born March 3, 1945) is an American film, television and Broadway actress. She is known for her roles as Margaret Wyborn on Becker, Lucy Carmichael in Rugrats, The Rugrats Movie, and the spin off series All Grown Up! and as a cast member of the PBS children's series The Electric Company.

Early life

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Winston was born in Lexington, Mississippi[1] on March 3, 1945,[2] the daughter of Roosevelt Winston and Selena (née Thurmond).[3] She was raised in Greenville, Mississippi, where Winston attended local schools, which were segregated at the time.[4] She left the South at the age of 14 and settled in Manhattan, New York, graduating high school there.[5] Winston attended Howard University for two years, where she majored in music.[5]

Career

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Broadway and stage

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She began her career on stage in New York City in 1965,[5] and was an original member of the Negro Ensemble Company.[6] By the late 1960s, she had begun acting on Broadway. Winston portrayed Nell in musical The Me Nobody Knows (1970−71)[5][7] before landing the role of Sylvia in Shakespearean comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1972−73), replacing Jonelle Allen.[8] She had previously served as Allen's understudy in the production. Winston then appeared as Cleo in musical I Love My Wife (1979), with Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs playing her character's husband.[9]

Winston portrayed the lead, Billie Holiday, in play Lady Day (1981).[10] She starred in the Broadway hit The Tap Dance Kid (1983−84) as Ginnie, her latest Broadway production to date.[11] Winston received two Obie Awards for her roles in Mother Courage and Her Children and The Michigan.[12] She co-wrote the musical Nativity: A Life Story alongside James Stovall, which has been performed frequently since its inception.[13]

The Electric Company

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In 1973, Winston joined the cast of PBS children's series The Electric Company during its third season,[14] produced by the Children's Television Workshop.[5] She replaced Lee Chamberlin on the series after Chamberlin’s departure at the end of the show’s second season in 1973. Winston's most notable character was Valerie the Librarian, the girlfriend of Easy Reader (portrayed by Morgan Freeman).[15] She also played many villainess roles versus Spider-Man on the Spidey Super Stories sketches, such as the Fox, the Thumper, the Queen Bee, and the Queen of Diamonds.[16] Winston remained with the show until it ended in 1977.[17]

Film and television

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While appearing on The Electric Company, Winston was Veronique on soap opera The Edge of Night (1976).[18] Winston appeared regularly as nurse Toni Gillette in Nurse from 1981 to 1982.[19] She performed alongside Dorian Harewood in the television film The Hope Division (1987).[20] Winston was Pauline in the unsuccessful pilot Coming to America (1989), based on the film of the same name.[21] In 1990, Winston portrayed Nurse Flowers in Sesame Street Home Video Visits the Hospital.

In 1991, she won the role of housekeeper Gloria Davis in Homefront, and continued playing the character until 1993.[22] For her work on Homefront, Winston was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 1994.[23] She recurred on soap opera Port Charles as Alice Morgan,[18] and acted in the Western The Cherokee Kid (1996).[24]

She provided the voice of Lucy Carmichael on the popular Nickelodeon cartoon Rugrats,[25] as well as in the 1998 film version, The Rugrats Movie.[18] Winston reprised the role in the spin-off series All Grown Up!, which ran from 2003 through 2008.[18] During the 2000s, she played Margaret Turk, the mother of Dr. Christopher Turk (Donald Faison), on the NBC (later ABC) sitcom Scrubs.[26]

From 1998 through 2004, she portrayed nurse Margaret Wybourn on the CBS sitcom Becker, starring Ted Danson.[27] John Crook described Winston as a "valuable cog" on Becker.[28] In 2001, Winston received her second NAACP Image Award nomination, in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series as Margaret.

Following her run on Becker, Winston made guest appearances on ER, Cold Case, Castle and Mike & Molly. She had a recurring role as Sister Coriann Pearly in sitcom The Soul Man.

In film, Winston portrayed Mrs. Todd in Beverly Hills Cop III (1994),[1] Simone in Jackie Brown (1997)[29] and Angela Russel in True Crime (1999), the latter opposite Clint Eastwood.[18] Winston had a minor role as a hospital nurse in Living Out Loud (1998).[30]

Personal life

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Winston is married to Harold Wheeler,[31] who served as musical director for Dancing with the Stars.[32] The couple have one daughter, Samantha.[31]

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1973 Broadway Herself Television film
1974 Ann in Blue Officer Jessie Waters Television film
1974 Out to Lunch Herself / Various Television film
1979 Hollow Image Ivy Television film
1980 Nurse Toni Gillette Television film
1981 Les uns et les autres Unknown
1983 Without a Trace Reporter
1986 Good to Go Mother
1987 The Hope Division Lilah Reynolds Television film
1988 Clara's Heart Blanche Loudon
1989 Runaway Aunt Anna Mae Television film
1990 A Show of Force Foster
1990 Sesame Street Home Video Visits The Hospital Nurse Flowers VHS
1994 One Woman's Courage Unknown Television film
1994 Beverly Hills Cop III Mrs. Todd
1996 Sunset Park Judge Meyer
1996 The Cherokee Kid Mrs. Elizabeth Peel Television film
1997 Jackie Brown Simone Hawkins
1998 Living Out Loud Hospital Nurse
1998 The Rugrats Movie Dr. Lucy Carmichael Voice
1998 Meet the Deedles Jo-Claire
1999 True Crime Angela Russel
1999 Unbowed Mother
1999 After All Mother of Defendant Television film
2003 The Battle of Shaker Heights Principal Holmstead


Television
Year Title Role Notes
1973-1977 The Electric Company Sylvia / Valerie The Librarian 520 episodes
1976 The Edge of Night Veronique
1980 3-2-1 Contact Jessica 2 episodes
1981-1982 Nurse Toni Gillette 25 episodes
1987 Ryan's Hope Carol Bruce 1 episode
1989 CBS Summer Playhouse Pauline Mackey 1 episode
1991-1993 Homefront Gloria Davis 42 episodes
1994 The Little Mermaid Mommy Crab Voice, 1 episode
1995 Step by Step Saleslady 1 episode
1996 Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher Irene 1 episode
1997 Duckman voice 1 episode
1997 The Parent 'Hood Ms. Washington 1 episode
1997 Malcolm & Eddie Mrs. Brooks 1 episode
1997 Arsenio Mom 1 episode
1997-1998 Port Charles Alice Morgan 19 episodes
1998 Smart Guy Felicia Vanowen 1 episode
1998-2003 Becker Margaret Wyborn 129 episodes
1999-2001 Rugrats Lucy Carmichael Voice, 7 episodes
2001 The Proud Family Gertie Dinkins Voice, 1 episode
2003-2008 All Grown Up! Lucy Carmichael Voice, 17 episodes
2002-2004 Scrubs Margaret Turk 2 episodes
2004 ER Singing Woman 1 episode
2005 Girlfriends Nurse Helen 1 episode
2008 Numb3rs Eileen 1 episode
2008 The Game Miss Leola 1 episode
2009 Cold Case Regina Reynolds 1 episode
2009 Castle Sally Niedermeyer 1 episode
2011 Reed Between the Lines Elizabeth 'Liz' Reed 1 episode
2012-2015 The Soul Man Sister Coriann Pearly Recurring
2012 Mike & Molly Rose 1 episode

References

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  1. ^ a b "Most famous actresses from Mississippi". WREG-TV. January 26, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  2. ^ "Today's birthdays". The Free-Lance Star. March 3, 2002. p. A2.
  3. ^ "Hattie Winston Wheeler". The History Makers. October 7, 2005. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  4. ^ Hattie Winston Biography (1945-)
  5. ^ a b c d e "Broadway actress joins TV's 'Electric Company'". The Pittsburgh Courier. November 3, 1973. p. 14.
  6. ^ Ferguson, Karen (June 27, 2013). Top Down: The Ford Foundation, Black Power, and the Reinvention of Racial Liberalism. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 181. ISBN 9780812245264.
  7. ^ Dietz, Dan (September 3, 2015). The Complete Book of 1970s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 41. ISBN 9781442251663.
  8. ^ Wilford, Win (April 1, 1973). "New York and Other Points". Natchez News Leader. p. 2-C.
  9. ^ Sharbutt, Jay (May 17, 1979). "'I Love My Wife' gets all-black cast". The Day. p. 31.
  10. ^ MacVickar, Kitty (September 4, 1981). "Hattie Winston Brings Billie Holiday Back". The Hour. p. 20.
  11. ^ Dietz, Dan (February 18, 2016). The Complete Book of 1980s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 200. ISBN 9781442260924.
  12. ^ Hill, Anthony D.; Barnett, Douglas Q. (September 2, 2009). The A to Z of African American Theater. Scarecrow Press. p. 372. ISBN 9780810870611.
  13. ^ "'Black Nativity' to be in New York for holidays". Indianapolis Recorder. November 7, 2003. p. C8.
  14. ^ "Classroom TV Stars New Face In Reading Role". The Press-Courier. October 16, 1973. p. 18.
  15. ^ Walker, Jesse (September 19, 1978). "... and now a word". Baltimore Afro-American. p. 16.
  16. ^ "The Electric Company", Retro Junk website
  17. ^ sesameworkshop.org Archived 2009-10-16 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ a b c d e McCann, Bob (October 30, 2009). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland & Company. p. 369. ISBN 9781476691404.
  19. ^ "Learned To Star: In New TV-Movie". Ludington Daily News. January 11, 1980.
  20. ^ Terrace, Vincent (January 17, 2020). Encyclopedia of Television Pilots: 2,470 Films Broadcast 1937-2019 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Company. p. 824. ISBN 9781476638102.
  21. ^ Hanauer, Joan (July 4, 1989). "'Coming to America' going nowhere". The Deseret News. p. C5.
  22. ^ Boedeker, Hal (July 28, 1992). "Tonight's 'lost' 'Homefront' is powerful drama". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  23. ^ "26th NAACP Image Award Announces Nominees". Indianapolis Recorder. January 1, 1994. p. B5.
  24. ^ Pitts, Michael R. (December 21, 2012). Western Movies: A Guide to 5,105 Feature Films (2nd ed.). McFarland & Company. p. 59. ISBN 9780786463725.
  25. ^ "Hattie Winston (visual voices guide)". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  26. ^ "John Ritter acts parental". The Day. March 21, 2002. p. A7.
  27. ^ "Winston is a happy woman: Hattie loves her role on the CBS sitcom ""Becker""". The Deseret News. February 28, 1999. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  28. ^ Crook, John (June 24, 2001). "Viewers can find hidden gems amid summer TV doldrums". Santa Cruz Sentinel. p. 2.
  29. ^ Ebert, Roger (February 2008). Roger Ebert's Four-Star Reviews 1967–2007. Andrews McMeel Publishing. p. 370. ISBN 9780740792175.
  30. ^ Monush, Barry; Willis, John (April 2000). Screen World 1999. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 151. ISBN 9781557834119.
  31. ^ a b Scott, Vernon (October 14, 1992). "Hattie Winston is an African-American actress- singer". United Press International. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  32. ^ "Hattie Winston to support the arts with LA show". American Broadcasting Company. February 8, 2012. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
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