Roxie Roker

  • Roxie Roker
  • Roxie Roker
  • Roxie Roker
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Roxie Roker Biography

Roxie Roker (August 28, 1929 – December 2, 1995) was an American actress of Bahamian heritage who was best known for her groundbreaking role as Helen Willis on the sitcom The Jeffersons, half of one of the first interracial couples to be shown on regular prime time television. She also had a small role in the television miniseries Roots.

Roxie Roker was born in Miami, Florida, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She attended Howard University, where she was a member of the drama club and Alpha Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She 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.

Roker was a reporter on WNEW-TV in New York in the 1970s. She hosted a public affairs show for the station known as Inside Bed-Stuy, dealing with events in the Brooklyn neighborhood.

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.

Roker was also a children’s advocate who was cited by the city of Los Angeles for her community work.

Roker was married to television producer Sy Kravitz from 1962 to 1985 and is the mother of musician Lenny Kravitz and the former mother-in-law of actress Lisa Bonet. She was a cousin of television news personality Al Roker.

Roker died in California on December 2, 1995 of breast cancer at the age of 66. She was survived by her son, musician Lenny Kravitz.

Biography Credit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roxie_Roker
 

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Snapshot

    Name Roxie Roker
    (Roxie Albertha Roker)
    Build Slim
    Eye Color Brown - Dark
    Hair Color Black
    Date of Birth August 281929
    Birthplace Miami, FL
    Star Sign Virgo
    Died December 21995 (Aged 66)
    Location of Death Los Angeles, California, USA
    Cause of Death (breast cancer)
    Nationality American
    Ethnicity Black
    Religion Christian
    Occupation Performance Artist
    Celebrity Index Ro
    Claim to Fame The Jeffersons

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  • Son Lenny Kravitz wrote the song "Thinking of You" after her departure. In the video he was singing behind a photo of the mother, when young.
    (imdb.com)
  • Grandmother of Zoë Kravitz. Cousin of Al Roker.
    (imdb.com)
  • Roxie Roker died on December 2, 1995, only a day after her granddaughter `Zoe Kravitz``s birthday. The family worried about when Roxie would finally be at peace because they did not want to celebrate Zoe`s birthday on the same day as the funeral for her grandmother.
    (imdb.com)
  • Was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
    (imdb.com)
  • She is the grandmother of `Zoe Kravitz` who was born to Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet on December 1, 1988.
    (imdb.com)
  • Was nominated for Broadway`s 1974 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Dramatic) for "The River Niger."
    (imdb.com)
  • Roxie once hosted a local community television show in the late 60s
    (imdb.com)
  • As wife Helen Willis on "The Jeffersons," she and white actor Franklin Cover broke barriers by becoming the first Caucasian-African American married couple on prime time TV.
    (imdb.com)
  • Received her BFA from Howard University and was an active member in the Howard Players. She later became a member of the Negro Ensemble Company in New York.
    (imdb.com)
  • Born in Miami and raised in Brooklyn, her father was a emigre from the Bahamas.
    (imdb.com)
  • A children`s advocate, her service included being a board member of the Inter Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect. She earned two citations from the Los Angeles City Council for her work.
    (imdb.com)
  • Former mother-in-law of Lisa Bonet, who played Denise Huxtable on the Cosby Show.
    (imdb.com)
  • When she auditioned for her role in "Jeffersons, The" (1975), the producer mentioned to her that he wasn`t sure she looked believable as a African American woman married to a white man. In response, she produced a family picture with her husband who was white. As a result, she was immediately cast.
    (imdb.com)
  • She won an Obie in 1970 for "The River Niger"
    (imdb.com)
  • Mother of rock star Lenny Kravitz
    (imdb.com)
  • Spouse: Sy Kravitz (1962 - 1985) (divorced) 1 child
    (imdb.com)
  • Born in Miami, Florida
    (imdb.com)
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