There will never be another Carter Sisterz. This is why I LOVE DL. I seem to recall a very funny episode when Nell was in a bank just as it was about to get robbed. Nell returned to Alabama to attend Loretta's wedding and discovered that the marriage had upended her mother's living arrangement, requiring her to move in with Nell. She was lots of fun as a regular on the '90s version of MatchGame, stirring on-camera mischief with Judy Tenuta and Vicki Lawrence. With the exception of the dreadful last season with Rosie, the show still holds up and is very funny. Stay tuned for more throwback topics and updates on your favorite celebrities, films, and television shows. The performers will stipulated that no autopsy be performed, the Los Angeles Times reported. Please click here to get full access and no ads for $1.99 or less per month. I didn't hate her, but I didn't like the sassy stereotype roles she often played. I do remember seeing a photo of the girls at her funeral and they were so grief-stricken they had to hold each other up. [10][11] Carter self-identified as Pentecostal. Because we had to wait for her to die to find out she was a big fat lesbo. The gimme a break girls and Joey Lawrence have always had good things to say about her. Balancing Nell's easygoing charm was her employer, Carl Kanisky, a suburban California police chief and recent widower who honored his late wife's request to have Nell help raise their three daughters. In its fifth season, it jettisoned the majority of its cast and sent Nell to New York to begin a new life. His most recent work includes his own show titled "Melissa & Joey," with fellow then-teen sensation Melissa Joan Hart. A decade later, she faced a health scare. debuted on October 29, 1981, airing on NBC for 137 episodes over six seasons. WHAT? She sure does r131. I love Gimme a Break. She co-starred in Hangin' with Mr. Cooper from 1993 to 1995. Carter was married and divorced twice. I've read stories about her being high on the set and not being able to work. His final screen credit in the Steve Martin/Goldie Hawn remake of "The Out-of-Towners" was posthumous: Maher died of a brain tumor on July 17, 1998, at the age of 64. Between 1981 and her death in 2003, Nell was to star in 14 more motion pictures, including "Back Roads," "Waitress," "Modern Problems," "Swing," and "Back by Midnight . The show closed before making it to Broadway. [21], In 1990, Carter starred in the CBS comedy You Take the Kids. Wasnt Irene cara fired from the same production of aint misbehavin that Nell carter was in and won the tony for. charmed viewers with their quirky, blended family years ahead of programs like "The Cosby Show." Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. is an American television sitcom created by Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen, that aired on NBC for six seasons from October 29, 1981, to May 12, 1987. I wanna give her a big hug :) SitcomsOffline. The following is a spoiler-heavy list of the "Gimme a Break" actors you might not know passed away. R106, Telma was in show business longer than Nell and probably didn't tolerate her shit. Appearing opposite Cliff Arquette in Season 6's "Parents' Week" is actor Joseph Maher, who played Professor Dudley, a cranky educator at Sam's college. Joey Lawrence's acting career kicked off on "Gimme a Break." Carter's final onscreen appearance was in the comedy film Back by Midnight. Her other appearances include "Amen," "227," "Touched by an Angel," "Ally McBeal," "Reba," "Hair," and "The Grass Harp.". Our company was blessed to support her brilliant career. child actor Joey Lawrence). Before starring on the show, John Hoyt appeared in "Spartacus," "Attack of the Puppet People," "When Worlds Collide," "The Conqueror," and "Hogan's Heroes.". Amiable character actor Fred McCarren played Tim Donovan in "New Orleans," though another actor, Patrick Collins, reprised the role for his return in Season 6. Nell Carter was diabetic and did not regulate it well. I'm partial to the original super cheesy version myself. She was 54. Joey Lawrence, Nell Carter, Dolph Sweet, Lara Jill Miller . From the old SUMMER STOCK MEMORIES thread: During rehearsals for a workshop production of a new musical by Galt MacDermot (of HAIR fame), I was confronted by an angry Nell Carter. Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. Her quietly soulful number "Mean to Me" was a show highlight. Tell him to whip it out for a quick suck. wasnt Carters first gig in the entertainment industry. jimmies day dove lease, staten island jobs part time "Gimme a Break!" She played the dyke who lived next door to Nell, when the show moved to NYC. Gimme a Break! Loretta later returned in Season 5's "Family Reunion," which found her consulting Nell when her marriage hit a rocky patch. When he was 18 years old, he was named as one of the 'Most Beautiful People in the World' by 'People' magazine. Dolph Sweet and Nell Carter both died young. At the very beginning, Nell was addicted to blow, and had weight problems. After suffering a stroke in 1997, Morton died at the age of 71 on May 11 of that year. Two decades before her death, her Gimme a Break! Bonner, who suffered from Lewy body dementia, died of complications from the disease at the age of 79 on June 16, 2021. Bonner was best known for playing the sartorially challenged Tarlek on both the original 1978-1982 run of "WKRP" and its syndicated revival in 1991. Her brother Bernard died of complications due to AIDS in 1989.[15]. Carter began her career in 1970, singing in the theater, and later crossed over to television. Amazing, talented genius, whose talents were brilliant. Ive laughed out loud a few times already and there are only 17 replies. Upon his return to the States, he studied English and drama at Columbia University and taught the latter at Barnard College before making his Broadway debut in 1961. The group races to save him and the elevator gets stuck. BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. Nell Carter, who played the stout, sassy housekeeper on the 1980s sitcom Gimme a Break! When her sugar was off, she was an absolute monster. Sherman also recorded a handful of comedy albums and briefly hosted a late-night horror TV showcase, "Sinister Cinema," on Los Angeles television. He is a former child actor, and has had an active career since the early 1980s. Shut up r74, or your tank will run out of oxygen. And Nell and her fat group made fun of him because he was now fat again, and he runs off crying and is going to jump off the roof (or from a high floor). Her 13-year-old son discovered her body that night. Joe (Joey Lawrence) is reunited with a neighbor from his childhood (guest star Nell Carter), who is now in dire need of a kidney and is scared to tell Joe.Joe (Joey Lawrence) is reunited with a neighbor from his childhood (guest star Nell Carter), who is now in dire need of a kidney and is scared to tell Joe.Joe (Joey Lawrence) is reunited with a neighbor from his childhood (guest star Nell Carter), who is now in dire need of a kidney and is scared to tell Joe. The popularity of the show and her brassy vocals brought her to the attention of television producers, who attempted to find a series suited to her outsized talents. Gimme a Break! [10][30] Per a provision in Carter's will, no autopsy was performed. A hit for NBC for much of its six-year run between 1981 to 1987, the sitcom "Gimme a Break!" Simpson was cut from the same cloth as many dimwitted but lovable second bananas on TV (see also: Ed Norton on "The Honeymooners"): though easily confused, he loved his job and remained resolutely loyal to his superiors. aired 137 episodes over six seasons, with its finale airing on May 12, 1987. With Nell Carter, Dolph Sweet, Kari Michaelsen, Lauri Hendler. The producers stated that the commercials, which were made during an earlier production, were too costly to reshoot. She graduated to character and guest roles in features and on television, including recurring roles on "The Partridge Family" and "Operation Petticoat." Carter also played the cruel orphanage operator Miss Hannigan in the 1997 revival of Annie and appeared in the movies The Grass Harp (1995), Modern Problems (1981) and Hair (1979). People did a similar hatchet job on Andy gibb r128 also in 1980. After the show's run, she starred in "You Take the Kids," followed by "Hangin' with Mr. Each time a member of the group would enter, everyone would sing "you're a disgusting fat-soooo"which I guess was supposed to be camaraderie? The woman who played her friend Angie in the early seasons (pre-Telma Hopkins) apparently didn't get along with her. She died at the age of 90 on March 17, 2002. The night of her Tony win, fellow Tony award winner for "The Act", Liza Minnelli introduced her to coke (lower case "c") and if she became difficult, it was likely the drugs. She was upset when commercials promoting the show used a different actress, white actress Marcia Lewis, as Miss Hannigan. I actually enjoyed the last seasons in New York. McCarren relocated to Pennsylvania in the late 1980s to raise his six children with wife Lisa. She had anger management issues to begin with (hence the weight), but when her sugar was off her anger was white hot and out of control. Though Hoyt appeared in numerous featuresfrom "Julius Caesar" with Marlon Brando and Stanley Kubrick's "Spartacus" to "Attack of the Puppet People" and the softcore parody "Flesh Gordon"television was his primary showcase. She broke into stardom in the musical Ain't Misbehavin, for which she won a Tony Award in 1978. ", Helen Hunt at the Opening Night performance afterparty for ENCORES! The stage, screen, and TV veteran, whose early years included membership in Orson Welles' famed Mercury Players and stints as a stand-up comic on the New York club circuit, played the Kanisky family's curmudgeonly grandfather, Stanley, as a recurring character in Season 1 before graduating to series regular from Seasons 2 through 6. Take a look at However, if Gimme a Break! Nell Carter (born Nell Ruth Hardy;[5][6] September 13, 1948 January 23, 2003) was an American singer and actress. We were close for years. Seriously. I don't know a single person who hated her. Nell caused Dolph Sweat's heart attack. Carters role as the lead was her first TV acting gig. Loved that Nell! Harper became a mother figure to the children and eventually took in a foster child, Joey, played by 90s teen idol Joey Lawrence in one of his first major acting roles. I loved her on Gimme A Break. which originally aired from 1981 to 1987. Some of Carters favorite performers included Doris Day and Johnny Mathis. In addition to her Tony for Ain't Misbehavin', Carter received an Emmy in 1982 for a TV broadcast of the show, which was a revue of Fats Waller songs. The coroner also ruled out foul play, and tests indicated she had no illegal drugs in her system. ^ How can someone be so knowledgeable yet so weird. Nell Carter, who played the stout, sassy housekeeper on the 1980s sitcom "Gimme a Break!" and won a Tony Award in 1978 for her sultry turn in the Broadway musical "Ain't Misbehavin'," died Thursday, January 23rd 2003 at 54. She kind of surprised everyone because she had bleached her hair blond and looked like she could barely walk. He was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross and The Purple Heart for his service. co-star Dolph Sweet, who played Chief Carl Kanisky, died while the series was still on the air. Very sweet, very down to earth and self-effacing. Nell always had a good comeback. No one hated her. The singer-actress collapsed in her Beverly Hills home and was found by one of her 13-year-old sons, spokesman Roger Lane . I think right before it went to broadway she hadnt shown up for a performance and the producers found her strung out in her bathroom and replaced her. The star has enjoyed a steady career in film and television over the years following his time on the hit '80s sitcom. [37] She divorced Larocque the next year. Meet Adelia Clooney, the Smartest of the Clooney Family According to Her Father, Anupama Nadella Is 'An Amazing Woman' Facts about Satya Nadella's Wife, Ron Howard Was Most Concerned about His Kids' Values Inside His Decision to Protect Them, Chrissy Metz's Ex-husband Martyn Eaden Filed for Divorce in 2014 Her Love Life Flourished after They Split, Tom Brady & Pregnant Bridget Moynahan Split - She Wed Husband at Secret Ceremony 9 Years Later, Lisa Ann Walter Is a Mother of 4 Children Including Identical Twins - Meet Her Family. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. Telma hopkins is the only other living long term semi regular from the show still living and I've never heard her speak ill of her. [23] After service in the Army, he began appearing on television and Broadway, which provided him with an opportunity to showcase his singing abilities. The gimme a break girls and Joey Lawrence have always had good things to say about her. Carter declared bankruptcy in 1995 and again in 2002. Jesus, hed be what214-years-old by now? Somewhere in America, Joey Lawrence is in mourning. Immensely and according to the people who knew her extraordinarily kind and generous, Carter was also extremely self destructive. Joe (Joey Lawrence) is reunited with a neighbor from his childhood (guest star Nell Carter), who is now in dire need of a kidney and is scared to tell Joe. Before landing the eldest daughter's role on "Gimme a Break!," Michaelsen already had seven on-screen acting credits to her name. Even today. Nell Carter and David Crosby were the only two cokeheads in the history of the world who were the size of blimps. premiered on NBC on October 29, 1981, IMDb reports. was a Syndication sitcom that was created by Mort Lachman & Sy Rosen, starring Nell Carter in the lead role. Right up there with Gia, Lauren Hutton and Beverly Johnson. With Nell Carter, Lara Jill Miller, Lauri Hendler, Kari Michaelsen. Once again I was surprised and startled, and once again I said nothing. Otherwise, you'll just have to find some other site "I hate myself." Cookies help us deliver our Services. Carter died in 2003, at age 54. . Sweet died in 1985, at age 64, while the show was still in production. Oh good lord did I laugh my ten year old little ass off at that, back in the day. Besides her work with dawn she was a highly sought after backup singer (she did the shut yo mouth part on the theme from shaft and backed up johnnie Taylor on disco lady). Nell Carter (born Nell Ruth Hardy; September 13, 1948 - January 23, 2003) was an American singer and actress.. Carter began her career in 1970, singing in the theater, and later crossed over to television. She longed to sing opera, then aspired to be a belter. Actress Lynne Thigpen, who played Loretta, was a seasoned stage performer with a handful of film and television credits, including "The Warriors," for which she provided the velvety tones of the DJ commenting on the action. Her roles were largely supporting turns that orbited Nell and her charges; for example, Wilder and former comedy partner Jack Colvin (Jack McGee from the '70s "Incredible Hulk" series) were feuding archaeologists in Season 6's two-parter "The Window." John Hoyt who played the chiefs father died in 1991. Which probably stemmed from the childhood trauma of being raped at gunpoint and giving birth to child who was the product of that rape. Because she insisted she deserved to be given a break, and no one else thought so.
joey lawrence on nell carter death