Esther Rolle

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Esther Elizabeth Rolle November 8 1920 November 17 1998 was a Bahamian American actress Rolle is best known for her role as Florida Evans on the CBS television sitcom Maude for two seasons 19721974 and its spinoff series Good Times for five seasons 197477 197879 for which Rolle was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1976 Rolle is best known for her television role as Florida Evans the character she played on two 1970s sitcoms The character was introduced as Maude Findlays housekeeper on Maude and was spun off in the shows second season into Good Times a show about Floridas family Rolle was nominated in 1975 for the Best Actress in a MusicalComedy Golden Globe Award for her role in Good Times Rolle was 19 years older than the actor John Amos who played her husband James Evans The James Evans character was only added after Esther Rolle fought hard for a father figure and husband to be added to the show Rolle had fought for the father character on the show more relevant themes and scripts and was unhappy when the success of Jimmie Walkers character JJ Evans took the show in a frivolous direction John Amos agreed with Rolle about Walkers character and was fired from the show after the third season ended Later on in a standoff with Good Times producer Norman Lear Rolle also quit when her contract ended Although the show continued without her for the fifth season she returned for the shows final season In 1979 she won an Emmy for her role in Summer of My German Soldier a madefortelevision movie Among her guest star roles was one on The Incredible Hulk in an episode entitled Behind the Wheel where she played a taxicab business owner In the 1990s Rolle was a surprise guest on RuPauls VH1 talk show Her Maude costar Bea Arthur was the guest and Rolle was brought out to surprise Arthur The two had not seen each other in years Arthur said and embraced warmly Rolle also appeared in a series of psychic hotline TV commercials in the 1990s Tell them Esther sent you was her trademark line