Nell Carter (born Nell Ruth Hardy; September 13, 1948 – January 23, 2003) was an American actress and singer. Carter began her career in 1970, singing in the theater, and later began work on television. She was best known for her role as Nell Harper on the sitcom ''

Gimme a Break! ''Gimme a Break!'' 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. The series starred Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief ...

'', which aired from 1981 to 1987. Carter received two

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

and two

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 nominations for her work on the series. Prior to ''Gimme a Break!'', Carter won 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 ...

for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical in 1978 for her performance in the Broadway musical '' Ain't Misbehavin''' as well as a Primetime

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

for her reprisal of the role on television in 1982.

Early life

Nell Ruth Hardy was born on September 13, 1948 in Birmingham, Alabama, one of nine children born to Edna Mae and Horace Hardy. She was born into a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

family and raised

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

. Carter later self-identified as

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...

and as Jewish. At the age of two, Hardy witnessed her father's electrocution when he stepped on a live power line. As a child, she began singing on a local

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

radio show and was also a member of the church choir. At age 15, she began performing at area coffee houses, and later joined the Renaissance Ensemble that played at coffee houses and

gay bar A gay bar is a Bar (establishment), drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communi ...

s. On July 5, 1965 at the age of 16, Hardy was raped at gunpoint by a man whom she knew. She became pregnant as a result of the rape and gave birth to daughter Tracey the next year. Finding raising a baby alone too difficult, she sent her child to live with her older sister Willie. She later claimed that Tracey was the product of a brief marriage, but she revealed the truth in a 1994 interview.

Career

Broadway work

At age 19, Hardy changed her surname to Carter and left Birmingham, Alabama, moving to New York City with the Renaissance Ensemble, where she sang in coffee shops, nightclubs and bathhouses before landing her first Broadway role in 1971. Carter made her Broadway debut in the 1971 rock opera '' Soon'', which closed after three performances. She was the music director for the 1974

Westbeth Playwrights Feminist Collective The Westbeth Playwrights Feminist Collective was a group of professional women playwrights in New York active from 1971 to 1975. They wrote and produced feminist plays and were one of the first feminist theatre groups in the United States to do so ...

's production of ''What Time of Night It Is''. Carter appeared with

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

in the 1974 stage musical ''Miss Moffat'', based on Davis' earlier film ''

The Corn Is Green ''The Corn Is Green'' is a 1938 semi-autobiographical play by Welsh dramatist and actor Emlyn Williams. The play premiered in London at the Duchess Theatre in September 1938; with Sybil Thorndike as Miss Moffat and Williams himself portraying Mo ...

'', but the show closed before reaching Broadway. Carter became a star for her role in the musical '' Ain't Misbehavin'', for which she won a

in 1978. She later won an

for the same role in a televised performance in 1982. In 1978, Carter was cast as Effie White in the Broadway musical ''

Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. It is based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, and p ...

'' but departed the production during development to take a television role on ''

Ryan's Hope ''Ryan's Hope'' is an American soap opera created by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer, airing for 13 years on ABC from July 7, 1975, to January 13, 1989. It revolves around the trials and tribulations within a large Irish-American family in ...

''. When ''Dreamgirls'' premiered in late 1981, Jennifer Holliday had taken the lead role. Carter's additional Broadway credits include ''

Dude ''Dude'' is Regional vocabularies of American English, American slang for an individual, typically male. From the 1870s to the 1960s, dude primarily meant a male person who dressed in an extremely fashionable manner (a dandy) or a conspicuous ...

'' and the 20th-anniversary production of '' Annie'', in which she played Miss Hannigan.

Film and television

In 1979, Carter had a part in the

Miloš Forman Jan Tomáš "Miloš" Forman (; ; 18 February 1932 – 13 April 2018) was a Czech Americans, Czech-American film film director, director, screenwriter, actor, and professor who rose to fame in his native Czechoslovakia before emigrating to the Uni ...

-directed musical adaptation of ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...

'' and her voice is heard on the film's soundtrack. In 1981, she took a role on the NBC action

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

television series '' The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo'' before landing the lead role of Nell Harper on the sitcom ''

''.

''Gimme a Break!''

Carter became best known to audiences for her lead role in the NBC television series ''Gimme a Break!'', in which she played a housekeeper for a widowed police chief ( Dolph Sweet) and his three daughters. The show earned Carter nominations for a

and an

. A total of 137 episodes of ''Gimme a Break!'' were produced over a run of six seasons, airing from 1981 to 1987. In August 1987 after the cancellation of ''Gimme a Break!'', Carter returned to the nightclub circuit with a five-month national tour with comedian

Joan Rivers Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedienne, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona that w ...

Further television work

In 1989, Carter played the assistant to a banquet-hall owner in an unsuccessful

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...

for NBC titled ''Morton's by the Bay'', which aired as a one-time special that May. In October, she performed "

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort ...

" before Game 4 of the

1989 World Series The 1989 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1989 season. The 86th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Oakland Athletics and the ...

in San Francisco. In 1990, Carter starred in the CBS comedy '' You Take the Kids''. The series, which was perceived as the black answer to ''

Roseanne ''Roseanne'' is an American television sitcom created by Matt Williams (producer), Matt Williams that originally aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May ...

'' with its portrayal of a working-class black family, featured Carter as a crass, no-nonsense mother and wife. ''You Take the Kids'' faced poor ratings and reviews and only ran from December 1990 to January 1991. During the early 1990s, Carter appeared in low-budget movies, television specials and game shows such as '' Match Game '90'' and ''

To Tell the Truth ''To Tell the Truth'' is an American television panel show. Four celebrity panelists are presented with three contestants (the "team of challengers", each an individual or pair) and must identify which is the "central character" whose unusual ...

''. She costarred in '' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper'' from 1993 to 1995. In the mid-1990s, Carter appeared on Broadway in a revival of '' Annie'' as Miss Hannigan. She was upset when commercials promoting the show used white actress Marcia Lewis as Miss Hannigan. The producers stated that the commercials, which were created during an earlier production, were too costly to reshoot. However, Carter felt that racism played a part in the decision. She told the ''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...

'': "Maybe they don't want audiences to know Nell Carter is black. ... It hurts a lot. I've asked them nicely to stop it—it's insulting to me as a black woman." Carter was later replaced by

Sally Struthers Sally Anne Struthers (born July 28, 1947) is an American actress and activist. She played Gloria Stivic, the daughter of Archie Bunker, Archie and Edith Bunker in ''All in the Family'', for which she won two Emmy Awards, and Babette on ''Gilmor ...

Later years

In 2001, Carter appeared as a special guest star on the pilot episode of '' Reba'' and continued with the show, making three appearances in Season 1. The following year, Carter made two appearances on ''

Ally McBeal ''Ally McBeal'' is an American legal comedy-drama television series created by David E. Kelley that originally aired on Fox from September 8, 1997, to May 20, 2002. It revolves around Calista Flockhart in the title role as a lawyer working ...

'' and a guest appearance on

Blue's Clues ''Blue's Clues'' is an American interactive educational television, educational children's television series created by Traci Paige Johnson, Todd Kessler, and Angela Santomero, Angela C. Santomero. It premiered on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block ...

. In 2002, she rehearsed for a production of ''

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 ...

'', a stage musical based on ''

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 ...

'' in Long Beach, California. She appeared in the 2003 film '' Swing''. Her final onscreen appearance was in the comedy film ''Back by Midnight'', released in 2005, two years after her death. Nell's final recording project was a duet with Jay Levy, produced by Jay Levy for the 1998 Warner/Rhino Album To Life!: Songs of Chanukah and Other Jewish Celebrations.

Death

On January 23, 2003, at the age of 54, Carter collapsed and died at her home in Beverly Hills. Her son Joshua discovered her body that night. Per a provision in Carter's will, no autopsy was performed. Using blood tests, X-rays and a cursory physical examination, the Los Angeles County coroner's office ruled that Carter's death was the likely result of "probable arteriosclerotic heart disease, with diabetes a contributing condition." Carter's partner Ann Kaser inherited her property and custody of her two sons. Carter is interred at

Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery The Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery is a Jewish cemetery in Culver City, California, United States. Many Jewish people from the entertainment industry are buried there. The cemetery is known for Al Jolson's elaborate tomb (designed by Los Angeles ...

in Los Angeles.

Personal life

Carter attempted suicide in the early 1980s, and around 1985 she entered a drug-detoxification facility to break a longstanding cocaine addiction. Her brother Bernard died of complications from AIDS in 1989. Carter married mathematician and lumber executive George Krynicki, and she converted to

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

in 1982. She filed for divorce from Krynicki in 1989 and the divorce was finalized in 1992. Carter had three children: daughter Tracey and sons Joshua and Daniel. She adopted both Joshua and Daniel as newborns over a four-month period. She attempted to adopt twice more, but both adoptions failed. In her first attempt, she allowed a young pregnant woman to move into her home with the plan that she would adopt the child, but the mother decided to keep the baby. Carter also had three miscarriages. In 1992, Carter had surgery to repair two aneurysms. She married Roger Larocque in June 1992 but divorced him the next year. Carter declared bankruptcy in 1995 and again in 2002.

Stage credits

*'' Soon'' (1971), Broadway *'' The Wedding of Iphigenia'' (1971), off-Broadway *''

'' (1972), Broadway *'' Miss Moffat'' (1974), closed on the road *''Be Kind to People Week'' (1975), off-Broadway *''Tom Eyen's Dirtiest Musical'' (1975), off-Broadway *'' Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope'' (1976), San Francisco *'' Ain't Misbehavin''' (1978), Manhattan Theatre Club, Broadway and U.S. national tour *'' One Night Only'' (1979), workshop *''Black Broadway'' (1979),

Avery Fisher Hall David Geffen Hall is a concert hall at Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The 2,200-seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic. The facility, designed by Max Abramovitz, was o ...

*''Black Broadway'' (1980), The Town Hall *'' Ain't Misbehavin''' (1988), Broadway *'' Hello, Dolly!'' (1991), Long Beach Civic Light Opera *'' Annie'' (1997), Broadway and U.S. national tour *'' South Pacific'' (2001),

Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (Pittsburgh CLO) is a nonprofit professional theater company based in the Cultural District of Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Despite its name, the organization presents musical theatre classics rather tha ...

*'' The Vagina Monologues'' (2001),

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Nell 1948 births 2003 deaths 20th-century African-American actresses 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 21st-century African-American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Beverly Hills, California Actresses from Birmingham, Alabama 20th-century African-American women singers African-American feminists African-American former Christians African-American Jews American film actresses American former Christians American musical theatre actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American voice actresses American bisexual actresses American bisexual musicians American LGBTQ singers Bisexual feminists Bisexual women musicians Bisexual singers Converts to Judaism from Protestantism Drama Desk Award winners LGBTQ people from Alabama African-American LGBTQ people American feminist musicians Former Presbyterians Musicians from Beverly Hills, California Singers from Birmingham, Alabama Obie Award recipients Primetime Emmy Award winners Singers from California Theatre World Award winners Tony Award winners 20th-century American LGBTQ people 21st-century American LGBTQ people LGBTQ women singers Deaths from diabetes in California Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery