Bebe Drake (born Beatrice Drake;
[) (born September 28, 1940) is an American actress.
]
Early life
Bebe Drake was born on September 28, 1940 in the USA. Drake is one of four children born to Beatrice Lillian Hayes, a teacher, social worker and community activist, and Carl Everett Drake, a postal worker who later became the first African American practicing psychiatrist in Sacramento.[Young, Maija-Liisa (March 22, 2008)]
"Beatrice Drake, 93, social worker, community activist"
''The Sacramento Bee''. p. B4. Retrieved March 13, 2024. "Mrs. Drake's children became high-achieving professionals. Two sons are doctors, including one who is also a chancellor at University of California, Irvine. Her daughter is an actress and another son is a broadcast engineer. ..Survived by: Husband, Carl Drake, Sr. of Sacramento, sons, Carl Drake, Jr. of Hillsborough, Michael Drake of Irvine, Barry Drake of Sacramento; daughter, Beatrice 'Bebe' Drake of Reseda." She attended C. K. McClatchy High School
C. K. McClatchy High School, also known as McClatchy High School, is a high school in the Sacramento City Unified School District. It is located in the Land Park area of Sacramento, California. Established in 1937, it is the oldest operating h ...
, Sacramento City College
Sacramento City College (SCC) is a public community college in Sacramento, California. SCC is part of the Los Rios Community College District and had an enrollment of 25,307 in 2009. It is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community ...
, and California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento (CSUS, Sacramento State, or informally Sac State) is a public university in Sacramento, California, United States. Founded in 1947 as Sacramento State College, it is part of the California State Universit ...
.[Gorman, Bertha (September 8, 1974)]
"The Long, Long Trek to the Stage"
''The Sacramento Bee''. p. S1. Retrieved March 13, 2024. "The only performing Bebe Drake Hooks did in public until six years ago was creating hairdos. ..'Eight plays in two years—that is pretty good for an actress who did not enter the theater until she was 30 and had four children.' ..How did a C. K. McClatchy High School, Sacramento City College and CSUS graduate reap such acclaim?"
Career
Drake made her Broadway debut in the 1975 Leslie Lee's play ''The First Breeze of Summer'' and the following year appeared in ''Great Performances
''Great Performances'' is a television anthology series dedicated to the performing arts; the banner has been used to televise plays, musicals, opera, ballet, concerts, as well as occasional documentaries. It is produced by the PBS member statio ...
'' production. She later was regular cast member on the two short-lived sitcoms: '' Snip'' (1976) and ''Sanford Arms
''Sanford Arms'' is an American sitcom television series produced as a Spin-off (media), spin-off and continuation of ''Sanford and Son'', that aired on NBC from September 16 to October 14, 1977.
After six seasons, Redd Foxx left ''Sanford and S ...
'' (1977).
During her career, Drake appeared in more than 70 films and television series. She made her big screen debut in 1975 appearing in films ''Report to the Commissioner
''Report to the Commissioner'' is a 1975 American crime drama film based on James Mills' 1972 novel. It involves a rookie cop ( Michael Moriarty) in the New York City Police Department who is assigned a special missing person case, which in fact ...
'' and '' Friday Foster'', and in 1977 had supporting role opposite Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Known for reaching a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, he is widely regarded ...
in the comedy film ''Which Way Is Up?
''Which Way is Up?'' is a 1977 American comedy film starring Richard Pryor and directed by Michael Schultz. It is an American version of the 1972 Italian comedy film '' The Seduction of Mimi''. Richard Pryor plays three roles: an orange picker wh ...
''. In 1979 she co-starred in the miniseries ''Backstairs at the White House
''Backstairs at the White House'' is a 1979 NBC television miniseries based on the 1961 book '' My Thirty Years Backstairs at the White House'' by Lillian Rogers Parks (with Frances Spatz Leighton). The series, produced by Ed Friendly Producti ...
'' and the made-for-television movie ''The Cracker Factory
''The Cracker Factory'' is an American television film directed by Burt Brinckerhoff. The teleplay by Richard Shapiro is based on the best-selling 1977 novel by Joyce Rebeta-Burditt. The film was broadcast by ABC on March 16, 1979.
Synopsis
Al ...
''. She made guest-starring appearances on television series such as ''Good Times
''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans (actor), Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was televis ...
'', ''Welcome Back, Kotter
''Welcome Back, Kotter'' is an American sitcom starring Gabe Kaplan as a high-school teacher in charge of a racially and ethnically diverse remedial education class nicknamed the Sweathogs. Recorded in front of a live studio audience, the ser ...
'', ''The Love Boat
''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series pre ...
'', ''The Jeffersons
''The Jeffersons'' is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985. Lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes, ''The Jeffersons'' is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history ...
'', ''Highway to Heaven
''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred its creator and co-director Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth to help peo ...
'', ''Thirtysomething
''Thirtysomething'' is an American drama television series created by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz for United Artists Television (under MGM/UA Television) and aired on ABC from September 29, 1987, to May 28, 1991."The 'don't trust a ...
'', ''L.A. Law
''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher for NBC. It ran for eight seasons and List of L.A. Law episodes, 172 episodes from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994.
The series cente ...
'', ''The Jamie Foxx Show
''The Jamie Foxx Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Jamie Foxx and Bentley Kyle Evans for The WB. It premiered on August 28, 1996, and ended on January 14, 2001, with a total of 100 episodes over the course of five seasons.
A ...
'', ''The Steve Harvey Show
''The Steve Harvey Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Winifred Hervey and directed by Stan Lathan that aired on The WB from August 25, 1996 to February 17, 2002, with a total of 122 half-hour episodes spanning six seasons.
Syn ...
'', ''The Parent 'Hood
''The Parent 'Hood'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on The WB from January 18, 1995, to July 25, 1999. The series starred Robert Townsend and Suzzanne Douglas. Originally to be titled ''Father Knows Nothing'' (a parody of t ...
'' and ''The Bernie Mac Show
''The Bernie Mac Show'' (often shortened to ''Bernie Mac'' in syndication) is an American sitcom television series created by Larry Wilmore, that aired on Fox for five seasons from November 14, 2001, to April 14, 2006. The series featured Ber ...
''.
Drake appeared in films such as ''The Last Married Couple in America
''The Last Married Couple in America'' is a 1980 comedy film released in the US.
It was directed by Gilbert Cates, whose most successful film ''Oh, God! Book II'', was released in the same year. The film starred George Segal and Natalie Wood a ...
'' (1980), '' Xanadu'' (1980), ''Oh, God! Book II
''Oh, God! Book II'' is a 1980 American comedy film, directed by Gilbert Cates from a script co-written by Josh Greenfeld, Hal Goldman, Fred S. Fox, Seaman Jacobs, and Melissa Miller. The movie is a sequel to '' Oh, God!'' (1977), and the seco ...
'' (1980), ''First Monday in October
''First Monday in October'' is a 1978 play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. The title refers to the day on which the United States Supreme Court traditionally convenes following its summer recess.
Productions
The play premiered on Broadway ...
'' (1981), ''Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling
''Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling'' is a 1986 American biographical comedy-drama film directed, produced by and starring Richard Pryor, who also wrote the screenplay with Paul Mooney and Rocco Urbisci. ''Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling'' ...
'' (1986), ''Alien Nation
''Alien Nation'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Rockne S. O'Bannon (later known for ''Farscape''), comprising film, television, and other media productions about alien refugees living on Earth. The series began with ...
'' (1988), ''House Party
A house party is a type of party held at the home of the party's host.
Organization
A house party might be organized several months or just a few hours in advance. News of a party may be spread by personal invitations, word of mouth, pos ...
'' (1990), '' Across the Tracks'' (1991), ''Boomerang
A boomerang () is a thrown tool typically constructed with airfoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from Australian Aborigin ...
'' (1992), ''Jason's Lyric
''Jason's Lyric'' is a 1994 American romance film, romantic psychological drama, psychological Drama (film and television), drama film, written by Bobby Smith Jr., directed by Doug McHenry, who co-produced the film with George Jackson (producer), ...
'' (1994), ''Space Jam
''Space Jam'' is a 1996 American live-action animated sports comedy film directed by Joe Pytka and written by Leo Benvenuti, Steve Rudnick, Timothy Harris, and Herschel Weingrod. The first film produced by Warner Bros. Feature Animation ...
'' (1996), ''How to Be a Player
''Def Jam's How to Be a Player'' is a 1997 American sex comedy film, starring Bill Bellamy, Natalie Desselle and Bernie Mac. The film was directed by Lionel C. Martin, and written by Mark Brown and Demetria Johnson.
The '' How to Be a Player S ...
'' (1997), '' Anywhere But Here'' (1999), ''Leprechaun in the Hood
''Leprechaun in the Hood'' (also known as ''Leprechaun 5'' or ''Leprechaun 5: In the Hood'') is a 2000 American black comedy-horror film directed by Rob Spera and the fifth installment in the '' Leprechaun'' series. The film follows Warwick Davi ...
'' (2000), ''Friday After Next
''Friday After Next'' is a 2002 American stoner comedy film directed by Marcus Raboy and starring Ice Cube (who also wrote the film), Mike Epps (in a dual role), John Witherspoon, Don "D.C." Curry, Anna Maria Horsford, and Clifton Powell. It ...
'' (2002), ''Wild Hogs
''Wild Hogs'' is a 2007 American biker road comedy film directed by Walt Becker and starring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy. It was released nationwide in the United States and Canada on March 2, 2007 to negativ ...
'' (2007) and ''Influence
Influence may refer to:
*Social influence, in social psychology, influence in interpersonal relationships
**Minority influence, when the minority affect the behavior or beliefs of the majority
Science and technology
*Sphere of influence (astrody ...
'' (2020).
Drake appeared in the 1980 made-for-television drama '' Scared Straight! Another Story'', the 1987 thriller ''Billionaire Boys Club
The Billionaire Boys Club, or BBC, was an investing and social club organized by Joseph Henry Hunt (born Joseph Henry Gamsky) in Southern California between 1983 and 1989. It was originally simply named "BBC", the initials of Bombay Bicycle Club ...
'', and the 1989 miniseries '' The Women of Brewster Place'' She was regular cast member in the 1990 short-lived sitcom '' New Attitude''. From 1989 to 1993 she had recurring role on ''A Different World
''A Different World'' is an American sitcom television series and a spin-off of '' The Cosby Show''. It aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987, to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable ( Lisa Bonet) an ...
'' playing Velma Gaines and later had recurring roles on ''Martin Martin may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land
* Port Martin, Adelie Land
* Point Martin, South Orkney Islands
Europe
* Martin, Croatia, a village
* Martin, Slovakia, a city
* Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain
* M ...
'' and ''Another Period
''Another Period'' is an American period sitcom television series created by and starring Natasha Leggero and Riki Lindhome. It followed the lives of the Bellacourts, the first family of Newport, Rhode Island, at the turn of the 20th century. Li ...
'' playing Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Ross, – March 10, 1913) was an American abolitionist and social activist. After escaping slavery, Tubman made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people, including her family and friends, us ...
.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Alexia
Living people
1930s births
American film actresses
American television actresses
American stage actresses
20th-century African-American actresses
21st-century African-American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Sacramento City College alumni
California State University, Sacramento alumni
Year of birth missing (living people)