Judyann Elder

Judyann Elder (born Judith Ann Johnson; August 18, 1948) is an American actress, director, and writer.

Judyann Elder
Elder, 2015.
Born	Judith Ann Johnson (1948-08-18) August 18, 1948 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Alma mater	Emerson College
Occupation	Actress director writer
Years active	1968–present
Spouse(s)	Lonne Elder III ​ ( m. 1969; div. 1994) [1][2] John Cothran, Jr. ( m. 1997)
Children	2, including Christian Edward Elder
Website	judyannelder.com

Elder played Nadine Waters on the FOX sitcom Martin. She also played Harriette Winslow on ABC's Family Matters for the final eight episodes of its final season after the departure of Jo Marie Payton. Elder is also a veteran of the stage who has appeared in scores of theatrical productions throughout the United States and Europe.[3]

Early life and career

Born in Cleveland, Elder is the daughter of Edward T. Johnson, PhD. and Camille Johnson (née Russell). Elder attended Shaker Heights High School and graduated from Emerson College in Boston as the first recipient of the Carol Burnett Award in the Performing Arts. Elder began her professional career in off-Broadway in New York as "Judyann Jonsson". A founding member and resident actor with the Tony Award-winning Negro Ensemble Company,[4][5] she originated roles in the premier productions of The Song of the Lusitanian Bogey, Daddy Goodness, Kongi's Harvest, and God is a (Guess What?).

In 1969, she played the role of Russell B. Parker's young love interest in Lonne Elder III's Ceremonies in Dark Old Men and toured with the company to London and Rome. She married the play's Pulitzer Prize nominated author early that same year, thus changing her name to Judyann Elder.[6] Elder and her husband moved to Los Angeles soon after, where she broadened her career to include roles on screen. She made guest star roles in series such as The Streets of San Francisco, Sanford and Son, Wonder Woman, and The White Shadow. In 1976, Elder made her Broadway debut at the Ambassador Theatre as Coretta King[7] opposite Billy Dee Williams in I Have a Dream[8][9] directed by Robert Greenwald. She subsequently portrayed the role of Bernette Wilson in the television mini-series A Woman Called Moses starring Cicely Tyson. Several roles on screen followed including Forget Paris with Billy Crystal, The Players Club directed by Ice Cube, and Seven Pounds with Will Smith.

In the 1991–92 season of TV’s Murphy Brown starring Candice Bergen, Elder portrayed Murphy Brown's obstetrician, Dr. Barton. Her recurring role culminated with the historic season finale where Dr. Barton delivered Murphy Brown's baby. She played Gina's mother, Nadine Waters, on Martin (1992—97), starring Martin Lawrence; Gina was played by Tisha Campbell.[10] In 1998, she replaced Jo Marie Payton as Harriette Winslow in the last episodes of the popular show Family Matters.[11]

Elder has frequently returned to the stage and last appeared at Arkansas Rep as Rose in August Wilson's Fences. She also has many theatre directorial credits including: The Book of the Crazy African (Skylight Theatre), The Meeting[12] (Inner City Cultural Center, LA and New Federal Theatre, NY), Ceremonies in Dark Old Men[13] (Beverly Canon Theatre), and A Private Act (Robey Theatre Company). Her direction of Matthew Lopez' The Whipping Man[14] starring Charlie Robinson at the Skirball Cultural Center for LA Theatre Works radio series was broadcast nationally in 2016. Elder is an alumna of the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women where she produced and directed the short film, Behind God's Back, based on an Alice Walker short story and starring Beau Bridges. She is also the recipient of a Screenwriting Fellowship with Walt Disney Studios. In 2005, Elder was honored with an NAACP Trailblazer Award. Elder is also a 2010 recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award from Emerson College.

Personal life

Elder has been married twice. Her first marriage was to actor and playwright Lonne Elder III from 1969 to 1994, with whom she had two children, including actor Christian E. Elder. Elder has been married to her second husband, actor John Cothran Jr. since 1997. Elder is a breast cancer survivor; and former legislative ambassador for the American Cancer Society. Elder resides in Los Angeles, California.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	−1972	"Sanford and Son"	Darlene	1972	Melinda	Gloria
1973	Blume in Love	Lulu
1978	A Woman Called Moses	Bernette Wilson	Television mini-series
1981	The Oklahoma City Dolls	Helen	Television movie
1982	In the Custody of Strangers	Marni Blake, Prosecutor	Television movie
1987	Right to Die		Television movie
1989	Those She Left Behind	Counselor	Television movie
1995	Forget Paris	Ivy
1997	Sweet Temptation	Teak	Television movie
1997	The Pest	Mrs. Kent
1998	The Players Club	Mrs. Armstrong
1998	Dead Man on Campus	Guidance Counselor
2008	Seven Pounds	Holly
2016	Viral	Mrs. Toomey

As director

• 1989: Behind God's Back – Short film (also narrator)
• 2013: A Private Act – Short film (also screenplay)

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1968	NYPD	Barmaid	Episode: "Deadly Circle of Violence"
1971	Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law		Episode: "Nothing Personal"
1972	Sanford and Son	Darlene	Episode: "A Pad for Lamont"
1973	The Streets of San Francisco	Vi Hoskin	Episode: "No Badge for Benjy"
1978	Wonder Woman	Marge	Episode: "Light-fingered Lady"
1978	Lou Grant	Mrs. Hatch	Episode: "Babies"
1979	The White Shadow	Dr. Chatton	Episode: "Me?"
1982	Today's F.B.I.		Episode: "Bank Job"
1982	Benson	Patty Stiles	Episode: "Quest for Retire"
1982	The Devlin Connection		Episode: "Allison"
1984	The Yellow Rose		Episode: "Land of the Free"
1984	Matt Houston	Ann Hoyt	Episode: Vanished"
1984	Webster	Irene Chambers	Episode: "Knock, Knock"
1985	V	Mrs. Caniff	Episode: "The Hero"
1985	St. Elsewhere	Elodie Haber	Episode: "Santa Clause is Dead"
1986	The Young and the Restless	Karen Olsen	6 episodes
1988	Amen	Sarah Crawford	Episode: "The Minister's Wife"
1989	Hard Time on Planet Earth	Mrs. Tillman	Episode: "All That You Can Be"
1989	Paddington Bear	Voice	13 episodes
1990	Star Trek: The Next Generation	Lt. Ballard	Episode: "The Offspring"
1990	Captain Planet and the Planeteers	Voice
1990	Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone	Voice	13 episodes
1991	Roc		Pilot
1991—1992	Murphy Brown	Dr. Barton	3 episodes
1992	The Powers That Be	Estelle	Episode: "How Sharper Than a Servant's Tooth"
1994	Beverly Hills, 90210	Nora Touissant	Episode: "Hate Is Just a Four Letter Word"
1996	In the House	Florence	Episode: "To Die For"
1992—1997	Martin	Nadine Waters	6 episodes
1997	The Steve Harvey Show	Ms. Crabtree	Episode: " I'm Not a Chauvinist, Piggy"
1998	Home Improvement	Diane Peck	Episode: "From Top to Bottom"
1994; 1998	Family Matters	Harriette Winslow / Sister Bernadette	9 episodes
1996—1999	Mad About You	Nurse Lily	4 episodes
2001	Family Law	Judge	Episode: "The Quality of Mercy"
2001	Becker	Judge Miriam Reinhold	2 episodes
2002	First Monday	Darla Collins	Episode: "Court Date"
2003	Wanda at Large	Mrs. Hawkins	Episode: "Alma Mater"
2004	That's So Raven	Nana Loretta	Episode: "Leave It to Diva"
2005	ER	Debra Graham	Episode: "Refusal of Care"
2005	Blind Justice	Judy Dwyer	Episode: "In Your Face"
2006	NCIS	Marny Mathers	Episode: "Escaped"
2007	Desperate Housewives	Dr. Brody	Episode: "Gossip"
2008	Cold Case	Cecilia	Episode: "Sabotage"
2011	Love That Girl!	Phyliss	Episode: "Break of Dawn"
2014	Castle	Melinda Parish	Episode: "Bad Santa"
2012—2017	Family Time	Beverly Stallworth	10 episodes
2016	Grey's Anatomy	Angelica Paulson	Episode: "You’re Gonna Need Someone on Your Side"

References

1. JET Magazine – 10 Inducted Into Black Filmmakers Hall Of Fame In Oakland – March 15, 1979
2. New York Times – Lonne Elder, 69, Pioneering playwright dies – June 13, 1996
3. The A to Z of African-American Television – Judyann Elder – By Kathleen Fearn-Banks
4. "Negro Ensemble Company, The (1967– )", BlackPast.org.
5. "About the Negro Ensemble Co.", American Masters, August 18, 2004.
6. Lonne Elder III (December 15, 1972). "Mastermind with Marionettes". Life.
7. "Billy Dee Williams Scores in 'I Have a Dream' Play". Jet magazine. April 22, 1976.
8. "Billy Dee Williams Plays M. L. King in Hit Stage Play". Jet magazine. June 3, 1976.
9. "The Theater: A King in Darkness", Time, October 4, 1976, retrieved January 3, 2009
10. Donald Bogle (2001). Primetime Blues: African Americans on Network Television – Martin Mania: The Rise of Martin Lawrence. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 0-374-52718-0.
11. "Family Matters: Was JoMarie Payton Really in the Finale? How About a Reunion?". tvseriesfinale.com. July 28, 2010.
12. Woodie King, Jr., ed. (1995), The National Black Drama Anthology: Eleven Plays from America's Leading African-American Theaters, Applause, ISBN 1-55783-219-6
13. Janice Arkatov (February 5, 1988). "'Ceremonies' Marks Tribute to Black History Month : Judyann Elder Directs Husband's Classic Play That Offers Sad but Hopeful Statement". Los Angeles Times.
14. LA Theatre Works: The Whipping Man, latw.org

External links

• Judyann Elder at the Lortel Archives – The Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Judyann Elder on IMDb