Claudia Mae McNeil (August 13, 1917 – November 25, 1993) was an American actress known for premiering the role of

matriarch Matriarchy is a social system in which positions of power and privilege are held by women. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege, and control of property. While those definitions apply in general English, ...

Lena Younger in both the stage and screen productions of ''

A Raisin in the Sun ''A Raisin in the Sun'' is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" (also known as "A Dream Deferred") by Langston Hughes. The story tells of a black family's experiences in south Ch ...

''. She later appeared in a 1981 production of the musical version of the play, ''

Raisin A raisin is a Dried fruit, dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and South Afri ...

'' presented by Equity Library Theater. She was twice nominated for a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

, first for her onstage performance in ''A Raisin in the Sun'' (1959), and again for the play '' Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright'' in 1962. She was also nominated for a

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...

Award and a

BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to f ...

for the screen version of ''A Raisin in the Sun'' in 1961.

Life and career

McNeil was born in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, to Marvin Spencer McNeil, who was black, and Annie Mae (Anderson) McNeil, an

Apache The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...

woman. The family moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

soon after her birth. She was raised by her mother after her father left the family. At the age of 12, McNeil began working for The Heckscher Foundation for Children. There she met a Jewish couple who later adopted her, and McNeil became fluent in

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

. She was advised by

Ethel Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her no ...

to begin acting, and made her New York stage debut in 1953, understudying Jacqueline Andre in the role of Tituba in ''

The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1692 to 1693. Miller wrote ...

'' at the Martin Beck Theater. She first went on in the role in mid-March 1953. Claudia McNeil A Raisin in the Sun 1959

In 1961, McNeil recreated her 1959 stage role in the film ''

'' and became so identified with the part of the matriarch that she said, “There was a time when I acted the role.…Now I live it.” ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' journalist Eric Pace summarized McNeil's performance explaining that she had a "commanding presence." Pace continued, "On the screen, Miss McNeil was stolid, voluminous and serene as a mother trying to control her son (played by

Sidney Poitier Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was a Bahamian-American actor, film director, activist, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. Among his ot ...

) and wanting to buy her family a respectable home." She acted in more films, including ''

The Last Angry Man ''The Last Angry Man'' is a 1959 American drama film that tells the story of a television producer who profiles the life of a physician. It stars Paul Muni (in his last film appearance), David Wayne, Betsy Palmer, Billy Dee Williams (in his fil ...

'' (1959), '' There Was a Crooked Man...'' (1970), and '' Black Girl'' (1972). In 1980, she and

Sam Levene Sam Levene (born Scholem Lewin; August 28, 1905 – December 28, 1980) was an American Broadway theatre, Broadway, films, radio, and television actor and Television director, director. In a career spanning over five decades, he appeared in over ...

starred in a summer stock and national tour of Henry Denker's comedy, ''Horowitz & Mrs. Washington''. McNeil appeared in many TV series, including ''

The DuPont Show of the Month ''DuPont Show of the Month'' was a 90-minute television anthology series that aired monthly on CBS from 1957 to 1961. The DuPont Company also sponsored a weekly half-hour dramatic anthology series hosted by June Allyson, ''The DuPont Show with Ju ...

'' (1957), '' The Nurses'' (1962), ''

Profiles in Courage ''Profiles in Courage'' is a 1956 volume of short biographies describing acts of bravery and integrity by eight United States senators. The book, authored by John F. Kennedy with Ted Sorensen as a ghostwriter, profiles senators who defied th ...

'' (1965), and '' Roots: The Next Generations'' (1979).

Personal life

McNeil was married when she was 19 to a husband whom she described as a "very wonderful man", whose name she wouldn't disclose. They had two sons. Her husband died in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Both her sons were reportedly killed in the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. Her second marriage (to Herman McCoy) ended in divorce after two years in 1964. She studied Judaism, the religion of her adoptive parents, in youth. Though she maintained a great respect for it, even saying she carried a copy of both the Talmud and the Bible with her wherever she went, she converted to Catholicism in 1952 and was said to have been devout.

Retirement and death

She retired in 1983 and two years later moved into the Actors’ Fund Nursing Home in

Englewood, New Jersey Englewood is a city in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Englewood was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township and the remaining portions of Engle ...

. McNeil died there on November 25, 1993, aged 76, from complications related to

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

Selected filmography

Film

* ''

'' (1959) - Mrs. Quincy * ''

'' (1961) - Lena Younger * '' There Was a Crooked Man...'' (1970) - Madam * '' Black Girl'' (1972) - Mu' Dear

Television

* ''

'' (1957) - Bernice Sadie Brown * '' The Nurses'' (1963) - Mrs. Hill * ''

'' (1965) - Mrs. Haines * '' Moon of the Wolf'' (1972) - Sara * ''

Cry Panic ''Cry Panic'' is a 1974 American made-for-television mystery film A mystery film is a film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth ...

'' (1974) - Ethel Hanson * '' Roots: The Next Generations'' (1979) - Sister Will Ada * '' The Doctors'' (May 1980) - Mrs. Johnson

References

External links

* *
ISU Play Concordances
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20071215120041/http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/2506/A_true_acting_talent_Claudia_McNeil The African American Registry {{DEFAULTSORT:McNeil, Claudia 1917 births 1993 deaths 20th-century African-American actresses 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Maryland Actresses from New York City African-American Catholics 20th-century African-American women singers African-American librarians American adoptees Burials at Kensico Cemetery Deaths from diabetes in New Jersey Musicians from Baltimore Actresses from Englewood, New Jersey Singers from New York City American torch singers American vaudeville performers Yiddish-speaking people American television actresses American film actresses American musical theatre actresses American stage actresses American librarians American women librarians 20th-century American singers Converts to Roman Catholicism from Judaism Singers from Maryland 20th-century American women singers Catholics from New Jersey