Rosalind Miles (actress)

Rosalind Beatrice Medlock (born January 15, 1940), known professionally as Rosalind Miles is an American former film and television actress and fashion model.[3] Miles is most known for her roles in film during the early to late 1970s. Miles appeared in mostly American blaxploitation films[4] such as; Shaft's Big Score!, The Black Six and Friday Foster.[5][6]

Rosalind Miles
Born
Rosalind Beatrice Medlock[1]

(1940-01-15) January 15, 1940
Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Other names
  • Rosalind Miles
  • Rosalind Miles–Davis
EducationTerrell High School
Alma materB.A. Howard University
Occupation
  • Actress
  • fashion model
Years active1967–1982
Known forArna Asby – Shaft's Big Score!
Spouse(s)
James W. Powell
​
(
m. 1963; div. 1966)

Robert L. Miles
​
(
m. 1968; div. 1969)

Todd A. Davis
​
(
m. 1979; died 2013)
[2]
Partner(s)Jim Kelly
(1973–1976)

Biography

Early life and education

Born Rosalind Beatrice Medlock in Fort Worth, Texas, Miles is the daughter of Roscoe and Johnnie Mae (née Chambers) Medlock, both educators. Miles grew up an only child and became a fashion model for the John Robert Powers modeling agency in 1956, appearing in ads featured in Ebony and Jet magazines. For high school, Miles attended Terrell High School; graduating in 1958. After high school, Miles received her B.A. from Howard University. Thereafter, Miles studied at Juilliard School, receiving a Master of Fine Arts in 1964.

Career

Miles moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue her career in acting. Miles worked as a waitress in a local restaurant when she was discovered by a talent scout. In 1971, Miles made her film debut in Russel Vincent's How's Your Love Life? as Julie. Miles had several television appearances before her most notable role. In 1972, Miles played Arna Asby, the girlfriend of Shaft in the action film Shaft's Big Score!.[7]After Shaft, Miles received a lead role as Erica in Al Adamson's 1974 crime film I Spit on Your Corpse (also known as Girls For Rent).[8][9] Miles had roles in such film as The Black Six (1973), The Manhandlers (1974).[10]

Miles appeared alongside Pam Grier as Cloris Boston, a fashion model, in 1975's blaxploitation film Friday Foster. In 1977, Miles auditioned for the role of Coretta Scott King for the NBC television mini-series based on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King, but the role was portrayed by Cicely Tyson.[11] Miles last acting role was in Ernest Tidyman's To Kill A Cop in 1978. Miles was a part of the production of Guys and Dolls with her husband Todd Davis in 1981. Miles retired from acting in 1982.

Personal life

Miles has been married three times and has no children. Her first marriage was to her high school sweetheart James W. Powell from August 28, 1963 to August 1966. From January 1968 until October 1969, Miles was married to Robert L. Miles and actor Todd Davis from March 1979 until his death in 2013.[12] Miles dated actor and martial artist Jim Kelly from 1973 to 1976. Miles currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1971 How's Your Love Life? Julie
1972 Shaft's Big Score! Arna Asby
1973 The Black Six Ceal
1974 I Spit on Your Corpse Erica
The Manhandlers Mo
1975 Attack on Terror: The FBI vs. the Ku Klux Klan Rose Jackson Television Movie
The Turning Point of Jim Malloy Bo-Peep Television Movie
Friday Foster Cloris Boston
1977 Benny and Barney: Las Vegas Undercover Alice Television Movie
1978 To Kill A Cop Ida Television Movie

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1971–1972 Here's Lucy Stewardess/Waitress Episode: Lucy Helps David Frost Go Night-Night
Episode: The Case of the Reckless Wheelchair Driver
1972 Columbo Nancy Episode: Short Fuse
1976 Starsky and Hutch Dorothy Nedloe Episode: Bounty Hunter
Baretta Big Mama Episode: Can't Win for Losin'
gollark: That is a *very* weird image.
gollark: There are open-source things like that, I assume.
gollark: Isn't that just smart lighting, which has already been done and commercialized?
gollark: I see.
gollark: If you're going to do random LED things, at least use an FPGA for it and implement your own weird CPU architecture.

References
  1. Ancestry – Rosalind Medlock
  2. Ocala Star-Banner - Mar 17, 1979
  3. The Battle Among The Beauties (Ebony Magazine – November, 1973)
  4. Blaxploitation cinema: the essential reference guide
  5. For One Week Only: The World of Exploitation Films
  6. Ebony, November 1973.Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  7. JET Magazine – March 30, 1972
  8. Rosalind Miles: Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television By Bob McCann
  9. New York Beat (Jet Magazine – March 30, 1972)
  10. Rosalind Miles Theiapolis: Rosalind Miles
  11. People Are Talking About (Jet Magazine – May 26, 1977)
  12. The Courier – April 21, 1979

Rosalind Miles on IMDb

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