From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
Teresa Graves |
| Born |
January 10, 1948(1948-01-10)
Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Died |
October 10, 2002 (aged 54)
Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Other name(s) |
Theresa Graves |
| Years active |
1967 – 1983 |
| Spouse(s) |
William D. Reddick (1977 – divorced) |
Teresa Graves (January 10, 1948 – October 10,
2002) was an American actress
and singer. As the star of Get Christie
Love!, Graves is credited as being the first African
American woman to star in her own hour long drama
television series.[1]
Early life
and career
Born in Houston, Texas, Graves began her career
singing with The Doodletown
Pipers.[2]
She soon turned to acting and became a regular in the two variety
flops Our Place
(1967) and Turn On
(1969). She then became a regular on Rowan & Martin's
Laugh-In during its third season.[3] Graves
appeared in a number of films before her pivotal role in the 1974
television
movie Get Christie Love!. She reprised the role of
police investigator "Christie Love" in a short-lived TV series of
the same name which featured Charles Cioffi and Jack
Kelly as Lieutenants Reardon and Ryan, respectively, Love's
supervisors. Jet magazine described Graves as
"television's most delightful detective, the epitome of a tough
lady cop with more feminine features than Venus".[4]
Graves was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1974, and
almost immediately began using her celebrity to bring international
awareness to the persecution of Witnesses
in Malawi under then-leader Hastings Kamuzu
Banda's "one-party rule".[5] In
1983, she retired from show business to devote her time to the
religion. For the rest of her life, Graves resided in the Hyde Park neighborhood in
Los Angeles,California and took care
of her mother.[2]
Death
On October 10, 2002, Graves' home caught fire. She was found
unconscious in a bedroom before being rushed to the hospital where
she later died.[6]
Filmography
| Film |
| Year |
Film |
Role |
Notes |
| 1973 |
That Man Bolt |
Samantha Nightingale |
| 1974 |
Vampira |
Countess Vampira |
Alternative titles: Old Dracula
Old Drac |
| Black Eye |
Cynthia |
| Television |
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 1969 |
Turn-On |
Regular Performer |
1 episode |
| 1969-1970 |
Rowan & Martin's
Laugh-In |
Regular Performer |
5 episodes |
| 1971 |
The Funny
Side |
Minority Wife |
Unknown episodes |
| 1972 |
Keeping Up with the Joneses |
|
Television movie |
| The New Dick Van Dyke
Show |
Nurse Allen |
1 episode |
| 1973 |
The
Rookies |
Susan Davis |
1 episode |
| 1974 |
Get Christie Love! |
Christie Love |
Television movie |
| Get Christie Love! |
Christie Love |
21 episodes |
Awards
and nominations
References
- ^
Levine, Elana (2007). Wallowing in
Sex: The New Sexual Culture of 1970s American Television. Duke
University Press. p. 134. ISBN
0-822-33919-6.
- ^ a
b
"`Get Christy Love' TV star
Teresa Graves, 54, dies in fire". Jet. 2002-10-28. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_19_102/ai_93457203. Retrieved
2008-01-04.
- ^
Erickson, Hal (1999). From
Beautiful Downtown Burbank: A Critical History of Rowan and
Martin's Laugh-in, 1968-1973. McFarland. p. 204. ISBN
0-786-40766-2.
- ^
"TV's Tough Lady Copy", Jet magazine, November 14, 1974,
cover and pages 58-60, Online
- ^
"Choosing Between Two Loves in My Life" as told by Teresa Graves,
Awake!, April 22, 1977, page 19
- ^
"Teresa Graves, 53, Of 'Get
Christie Love'". The New York Times. 2002-10-16. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F03EEDF163DF935A25753C1A9649C8B63&n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FSubjects%2FD%2FDeaths%20(Obituaries). Retrieved
2008-11-02.
External
links
| Persondata |
| NAME |
Graves, Teresa |
| ALTERNATIVE
NAMES |
Graves, Theresa |
| SHORT
DESCRIPTION |
Actress, singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH |
January 10, 1948 |
| PLACE OF
BIRTH |
Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| DATE OF DEATH |
October 10, 2002 |
| PLACE OF
DEATH |
Los
Angeles, California, U.S. |
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