Roxie Roker

Roxie Albertha Roker (August 28, 1929 – December 2, 1995) was an American actress who portrayed Helen Willis on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons (1975–1985), half of the first interracial couple to be shown on regular prime time television.[1] She was the mother of rock musician Lenny Kravitz and the grandmother of actress Zoë Kravitz.

Roxie Roker
Roker in 1976.
Born	Roxie Albertha Roker (1929-08-28)August 28, 1929 Miami, Florida, U.S.
Died	December 2, 1995(1995-12-02) (aged 66) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Howard University
Occupation	Actress television personality news anchor
Years active	1974–1995
Spouse(s)	Sy Kravitz ​ ( m. 1962; div. 1985)
Children	Lenny Kravitz
Family	Zoë Kravitz (granddaughter) Al Roker (first cousin once removed)

Early life

Roker was born in Miami, Florida. Her mother, Bessie Roker (née Mitchell), was from Georgia and worked as a domestic. Her father, Albert Roker, was a native from Andros, The Bahamas and a porter.[2] She grew up in Brooklyn, New York.[1]

Career

Roker portrayed Helen Willis on The Jeffersons. She began her professional career with the Negro Ensemble Company and became a successful stage actress. She won an Obie Award in 1974 and was nominated for a Tony Award for her portrayal of Mattie Williams in The River Niger.[1] She was a reporter on WNEW-TV in New York in the 1970s and hosted a public affairs show for the station known as Inside Bed-Stuy, dealing with events in the Brooklyn neighborhood.[1] She appeared in guest starring roles on many United States television shows from the 1970s through the 1990s, including "Stone in the River" starring Hal Miller for NBC, Punky Brewster, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, A Different World, Murder, She Wrote, The Love Boat, 227, Beat the Clock, Fantasy Island, and ABC Afterschool Specials. She had roles in the television miniseries Roots and in the movie Claudine. Roker was also a children’s advocate who was cited by the city of Los Angeles for her community work.[1]

Personal life

Roker graduated from Howard University, where she was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She was married to television producer Sy Kravitz in 1962. The couple had a son, singer-songwriter and actor Lenny Kravitz (born May 26, 1964), and divorced in 1985.[1] Weather anchor Al Roker and Roxie Roker are first cousins once removed.[3]

Death

Roker died in Los Angeles, California, on December 2, 1995, of breast cancer at the age of 66.[4]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1974	Change at 125th Street	Eloise Morse	TV movie
1974	Claudine	Mrs. Winston
1975-1985	The Jeffersons	Helen Willis
1977	Roots	Malizy	Episode: "Part V"
1977	Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid	Mrs. Peoples	TV movie
1979	The Bermuda Triangle	Bohamiar Radio Operator	Documentary
1982	Fantasy Island	Emily Carlisle	Episode: "The Kleptomaniac/Thank God, I'm a Country Girl"
1983	Making of a Male Model	Madge Davis	TV movie
1983-1987	ABC Afterschool Specials	Phyllis Brooks / Aunt Helen	2 episodes
1987	Amazon Women on the Moon	Female Republican	(segment "Blacks Without Soul")
1990	Penny Ante: The Motion Picture

References

1. "Roxie Roker, 66, Who Broke Barrier In Her Marriage on TV's 'Jeffersons'". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 6, 1995. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
2. Robbins, Fred, "Roxie Roker: Her Life is Not Just the Hollywood Life", The Modesto Bee, Wednesday, December 26, 1984
3. "Al, Lenny Kravitz discuss being distant cousins". Today. September 2, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
4. Santoski, Teresa (December 2, 2009). "Death anniversary of groundbreaking Bahamian American actress Roxie Roker". Nashua Telegraph. Retrieved July 3, 2010.

External links

• Roxie Roker on IMDb
• Roxie Roker at the Internet Broadway Database
• Roxie Roker at Find a Grave