Paula Kelly (actress) explained

Paula Kelly
Birth Name:Paula Alma Kelly
Birth Date:21 October 1942
Birth Place:Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Death Place:Whittier, California, U.S.
Nationality:American
Education:Juilliard School of Music
Years Active:1964 - 2008
Children:1

Paula Alma Kelly (October 21, 1942 – February 8, 2020)[1] [2] was an American actress, singer, dancer and choreographer in films, television and theatre. Kelly's career began during the mid–1960s in theatre, making her Broadway debut as Mrs. Veloz in the 1964 musical Something More!, alongside Barbara Cook. Kelly's other Broadway credits include The Dozens (1969), Paul Sills' Story Theatre (1971), Ovid's Metamorphoses (1971), and Sophisticated Ladies (1981), based on the music of Duke Ellington, appearing with Gregory Hines and Phyllis Hyman.

Early life and education

Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Kelly was one of three daughters born to Ruth and Lehman Kelly,[3] a jazz musician.[4] By age six, Kelly's family had relocated to Harlem neighborhood of New York City. For high school, Kelly attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, majoring in music. Kelly continued her studies at the Juilliard School of Music, where she majored in dance under Martha Hill. Graduating in 1964 with an M.S. degree, Kelly performed as a soloist with major modern dance companies such as Martha Graham, Donald McKayle, and Alvin Ailey.

Career

Kelly performed as guest artist and sometimes assistant choreographer for numerous television musical specials, including Sammy and Friends (starring Sammy Davis Jr.); co-choreographer of the BBC production of Peter Pan, in which she also performed the role of Tiger-Lily; Quincy Jones' TV tribute to Duke Ellington, We Love You Madly; The Richard Pryor Show; and Gene Kelly's New York, New York, in which the two Kellys performed a duet.

Kelly performed a dance solo at the 41st Academy Awards for the nominated title song from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). She appeared on the London stage in Sweet Charity with dancer and actress Juliet Prowse, for which Kelly won the London Variety Award for Best Supporting Actress. She starred in the record-breaking west coast premiere of Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope at the Mark Taper Forum, for which she was awarded the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, Variety, and the first of three NAACP Image Awards.[5] Kelly's film credits include the Bob Fosse-directed film Sweet Charity; Soylent Green; The Spook Who Sat by the Door; The Andromeda Strain; Uptown Saturday Night; Lost in the Stars, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling; Drop Squad; and Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored.

Kelly had a regular role as Liz Williams on the first season of the sitcom Night Court, for which she received an Emmy Award nomination. Kelly also guest-starred in a variety of television movies and sitcoms, including Sanford and Son, Kojak, Police Woman, Golden Girls, Good Times, Any Day Now and in the Oprah Winfrey-produced TV mini-series The Women of Brewster Place (based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Gloria Naylor), in which she portrayed one half of a lesbian couple (with Lonette McKee) struggling against homophobia in an inner-city ghetto. Kelly was nominated for a second Emmy for her role in The Women of Brewster Place.

Personal life and death

On September 15, 1985, Kelly married British film director Don Chaffey. Chaffey died in November 1990.[6]

Her partner since 2003 was George Parkington.

Kelly died of heart failure on February 8, 2020, at age 77.[7]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRole
1969Sweet CharityHelene
1971Karen Anson
1972Cool BreezeMartha Harris
1972Top of the HeapBlack Chick
1972Trouble ManCleo
1973Soylent GreenMartha
1973Dahomey Queen
1974Three Tough GuysFay
1974Lost in the StarsRose
1974Uptown Saturday NightLeggy Peggy/Mrs. Lincoln
1976DrumRachel
1986Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is CallingSatin Doll
1993Bank RobberMother
1994Drop SquadAunt Tilly
1995Once Upon a Time...When We Were ColoredMa Pearl

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1973Dance InstructorEpisode: "6.22”
1970WilmaEpisode: "A Busload of Bishops"
1970Medical CenterEllie JamesEpisode: "The Rebel in White"
1973Sanford and SonOlayiaEpisode: "Lamont Goes African"
1974Medical CenterAmesEpisode: "Saturday's Child"
1975CannonCora BloomEpisode: "The Wedding March"
1975CarolEpisode: "Men Will Die"
1975–77Police WomanLinda Summers3 episodes
1976A. ChamberlainEpisode: "The Thrill Killers: Parts 1 & 2"
1976Peter PanTiger LilyTV movie
1976, 1981InsightGrace (Holy Ghost),
Vilma Johnson
2 episodes
1977Betty 'Satin Doll'Episode: "1.1"
1977KojakJanet CarlisleEpisode: "The Queen of Hearts Is Wild"
1979Good TimesDr. KellyEpisode: "Where Have All the Doctors Gone?"
1980Inez KrowderTV short
1981Trapper John, M.D.Betty SimonsEpisode: "Straight and Narrow"
1983ChiefsLiz WattsMiniseries, episode: "Part 3"
1983Feel the HeatSally Longunsuccessful television pilot
1984Night CourtLiz WilliamsMain cast (season 1)
1984Hot PursuitConnieEpisode: "Portrait of a Lady Killer"
1984–85Santa BarbaraGinger JonesRecurring role
1985Hill Street BluesMrs. EagletonEpisode: "Davenport in a Storm"
1985Finder of Lost LovesAlice Taylor-HancockEpisode: "Aftershocks"
1986St. ElsewhereSylviaEpisode: "Cheek to Cheek"
1986AmenLeonaEpisode: "Rolly Falls in Love"
1987Uncle Tom's CabinCassyTV movie
1987CBS Summer PlayhouseLt. Lois PooleEpisode: "Kung Fu: The Next Generation"
1987Marguerite BrownEpisode: "The Housekeeper"
1989TheresaMiniseries
1989Mission: ImpossiblePepper LeveauEpisode: "Bayou"
1990American PlayhouseunknownEpisode: "Zora Is My Name!"
1991Baby TalkClaire3 episodes
1992Room for TwoDiahnn Boudreau2 episodes
1994South CentralSweets4 episodes
1995University HospitalDr. Leslie BauerEpisode: "Shadow of a Doubt"
1996Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers StoryMrs. DeversTV movie
1999Any Day NowunknownEpisode: "Family Is Family"

Notes and References

  1. https://deadline.com/2020/02/paula-kelly-dead-obituary-night-court-women-of-brewster-place-actress-1202857661/ Paula Kelly Dies: ‘Night Court’ & ‘Women Of Brewster Place’ Emmy Nominee Was 77
  2. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/12/theater/paula-kelly-dead.html Paula Kelly, Who Danced From Stage Onto the Screen, Dies at 77
  3. Web site: Paula Kelly. . July 7, 2022.
  4. News: Burrell. Walter. Paula Kelly Is Star Bound. The Pittsburgh Courier . The Pittsburgh Courier. April 20, 1968. 13. Newspapers.com. October 13, 2015.
  5. Web site: Archived copy . 2007-12-14 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20071214043820/http://www.centertheatregroup.org/_pdf/MTF_Awards.doc . December 14, 2007 .
  6. News: Don Chaffey; Directed Films, TV, Disney Features . https://web.archive.org/web/20200213152105/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-19-mn-3526-story.html. 2020-02-13. Staff writers . . 1990-11-19 . 2019-11-09.
  7. News: Smith . Harrison . 2020-02-10 . Paula Kelly, Emmy-nominated actress, dancer and singer, dies at 77 . en-US . Washington Post . 2022-11-09 . 0190-8286.