American actress (1937–2021)
Fran Bennett
Born August 14, 1937 Died September 12, 2021 (aged 84) Occupation Actress Years active 1961–2021 Employers
CalArts School of Theater, 1996-2003
Antaeus Theatre Company
Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company
London Academy of Dramatic Art
Notable work Lead in "King Lear", Center for New Theater, Los Angeles, 2002 Television
The Bold and the Beautiful
Diff'rent Strokes
Guiding Light
Quantum Leap
Roots: The Next Generations
Scandal
Honours
NAACP Theatre Award
AEA/AFTRA/SAG Diversity Award
Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, inducted 2005
Fran Bennett (August 14, 1937[citation needed ] – September 12, 2021) was an American actress, known for her works in theater and on television. She portrayed the role of Mother Olivia Jefferson in a re-creation of the pilot episode of The Jeffersons in Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons .
Life and career
Bennett was born in Malvern, Arkansas .[ 1] She made her acting debut in theater, and her television debut on the daytime soap opera, Guiding Light .[citation needed ] Bennett later had guest-starring roles in Roots: The Next Generations , Lou Grant , Dallas , Falcon Crest , Knots Landing , L.A. Law , and Dynasty .
Bennett had a regular role in the short-lived NBC medical drama Nightingales in 1989. She also had recurring roles in the daytime soap operas General Hospital , The Bold and the Beautiful and Sunset Beach . In prime time, she had recurring roles in Quantum Leap , In the Heat of the Night , Crisis Center and The Book of Daniel .[ 2] In recent years, she appeared in Boston Legal , ER , Becker and Scandal . She played the coroner in an episode of Remington Steele January 14, 1986.
Bennett had appeared in a number of films, including Promises in the Dark (1979), How I Got Into College (1989), The Doctor (1991), Plymouth (1991), New Nightmare (1994), Foxfire (1996), The Next Best Thing (2000) and Jessabelle (2014).
From 1996 to 2003, she was head of the performance program in the School of Theater at the California Institute of the Arts .[ 3]
In 2019, she portrayed the role of Mother Olivia Jefferson in a re-creation of the pilot episode of The Jeffersons in Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons alongside Jamie Foxx as George , Wanda Sykes as Louise as well as Kerry Washington and Will Ferrell as Helen and Tom Willis respectively.[ 4]
Bennett died in Los Angeles on September 12, 2021, at the age of 84.[ 5] [ 6]
Filmography
Film
Television
Year late 50s or early 60s
Title Hitch hiker, High way Patrol with Broderick Crawford
Role wife of Hitch hiker
Notes
1960
To Tell the Truth
Herself
1965–1966
Guiding Light
Mrs. Matson
1978
Diff'rent Strokes
Mrs. Thompson
"The Social Worker"
1979
Roots: The Next Generations
Trixie
"1.6"
Friendships, Secrets and Lies
Clarissa
TV film
1980
Here's Boomer
Dr. Joyce Clarke
"Molly"
1980
The Righteous Apples
Evelyn
"Convictions"
1980
Knots Landing
Bev Tolner
"Let Me Count the Ways"
1981
The Violation of Sarah McDavid
Ms. Merriam
TV film
1981
Lou Grant
Sarah / Chaney
"Boomerang", "Wedding"
1982
Knots Landing
Kimya Haman
"Abby's Choice"
1983
Matt Houston
Lucille
"The Ghost of Carter Gault"
1983
General Hospital
Flora Johnston
3 episodes
1984
Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter
Miss Deal
TV film
1984
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Sookey
TV film
1984
Trapper John, M.D.
Mrs. Ramsey
"School Nurse"
1985
Falcon Crest
Nurse
"Cold Comfort", "Confessions"
1985
Shadow Chasers
Dr. Frolov
"Spirit of St. Louis"
1986
St. Elsewhere
Nurse Julie Attucks
"To Tell the Truth"
1986
Simon & Simon
Wanda Tale
"The Blue Chip Stomp"
1986
Benson
Sen. Williams
"Secret Love"
1986
Foley Square
Dr. Charney
"Nobody's Perfect"
1986
Cagney & Lacey
Judge Hansen
"Family Connections"
1987
A Year in the Life
Mrs. Caldwell
"Don't I Know You from Somewhere?"
1987
The Bold and the Beautiful
Judge Madeline Collins
Recurring role
1987–1988
L.A. Law
Judge Hillary Miller Johnson
"The Douglas Fur Ball", "Hand Roll Express"
1988
Highway to Heaven
Flora
"Back to Oakland"
1988
Dynasty
Gloria Wilby
"The Trial", "The Proposal"
1988
Nightingales
Lenore Ritt, RN
TV film
1988
Roots: The Gift
Mammy May
TV film
1989
Nightingales
Head Nurse Lenore Ritt
Main role
1989
ALF
Mrs. Watson
"Happy Together"
1989
Tour of Duty
Mrs. Johnson
"Green Christmas"
1990
Mancuso, F.B.I.
Anna Sims
"Conspiracy"
1990
Amen
Judge Wilde
"Deacon's Dilemma"
1990
The Knife and Gun Club
Nurse Mary Falk
TV film
1990
Matlock
Betty Harding
"The Personal Trainer"
1990–1991
WIOU
Leonara Gates
"The Inquisition", "Labored Relations"
1990–1992
In the Heat of the Night
Ruda Gibson
"Family Matters", "Ruda's Awakening", "Last Rights"
1991
Plymouth
Debra
TV film
1991
Crazy from the Heart
Judge Sandra Farrell
TV film
1991
Quantum Leap
Ada Simpson
"Justice"
1991
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Fleet Adm. Shanthi
"Redemption II "
1992
Jake and the Fatman
Thornton
"Last Dance"
1992
Breaking the Silence
Judge Richards
TV film
1992
Quantum Leap
Marie Billings
"Trilogy: Parts 1, 2 & 3"
1992
Melrose Place
Dr. Miller
"Jake vs. Jake"
1994
Murder, She Wrote
Det. MacKenzie
"Proof in the Pudding"
1994
Once in a Lifetime
Dr. Liz Wells
TV film
1994
A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor
Judge Donna Andrews
TV film
1996
Arliss
Amelia Halimon
"Negotiating: It's Never Personal"
1996
ER
Phyllis
"Union Station"
1996
What Love Sees
Bessie Hays
TV film
1997
Crisis Center
Tess's Mother
Recurring role
1997
Sunset Beach
Chief Harris
Recurring role
1997
Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal
Grandma Williams
"4 Points"
1997
Chicago Hope
Dr. Andrea Porter
"Second Chances"
1998
Team Night Rider
Miss Barrett
"Angels in Chains"
1998
Tempting Fate
Nurse Lorenzo
TV film
1999
Early Edition
Judge A. Harding Joseph
"Pinch Hitters"
2000
Chicago Hope
Dr. Odelia Wilkes
"Letting Go"
2000
City of Angels
Hattie Brewster
"Prototype", "Weenis Between Us"
2000
Becker
Enid Connelly
"Sight Unseen"
2001
The Jennie Project
Judge
TV film
2002
Any Day Now
Mrs. Raymond
"Just the Beginning: Part 1"
2002
Days of Our Lives
Judge Ross
1 episode
2003
Boomtown
Beatrice Rahming
"The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang"
2006
The Book of Daniel
Rainy
Regular role
2006
Boston Legal
Judge Diane Avent
"Shock and Owww!"
2008
ER
Michelle
"Owner of a Broken Heart"
2008
Grave Misconduct
Mrs. Crutch
TV film
2009
Numbers
Estelle Brown
"Shadow Markets"
2010
Community
Nana Barnes
"Basic Genealogy "
2015
Scandal
Lois
"Run"
2015
The Fosters
Iris
"Going South", "Idyllwild"
2019
Live in Front of a Studio Audience
Mother Olivia Jefferson
Episode: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons
References
^ "Encyclopedia of Arkansas" . Encyclopedia of Arkansas . Retrieved August 18, 2019 .
^ "Fran Bennett" . TVGuide.com . Retrieved February 1, 2015 .
^ "Fran Bennett" . Archived from the original on June 15, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2017 .{{cite web }}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link )
^ Mason, Charlie (May 22, 2019). "The Jeffersons Live Recap: Did the Cast Make It Look Weezy… Er, Easy?" . TVLine . United States: TVLine Media, LLC. (Penske Media Corporation ). Retrieved May 23, 2019 .
^ McGuigan Guerrero, Diana (September 13, 2021). "In Memoriam: Fran Bennett" . CalArts . Retrieved September 14, 2021 .
^ Fran Bennett, Actress and Longtime CalArts Voice and Acting Teacher, Dies at 84 /
External links