Virginia Capers

Eliza "Virginia" Capers (September 22, 1925 – May 6, 2004) was an American actress.[1] She won the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical in 1974 for her performance as Lena Younger in Raisin, a musical version of Lorraine Hansberry's play A Raisin in the Sun.

Virginia Capers
Born
Eliza Capers

(1925-09-22)September 22, 1925
Sumter, South Carolina, U.S.
DiedMay 6, 2004(2004-05-06) (aged 78)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1957–2003
Children1

Career

She made her Broadway debut in the musical Jamaica in 1957 as a replacement for Adelaide Hall in the role of Grandma Obeah, taking over the role when Hall left the musical.[2][3][4][5][6] Capers went on to appear in Saratoga[7] and Raisin.[8]

Capers was a familiar face to television audiences. In addition to a recurring role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Hattie Banks, she appeared in many television shows, including Have Gun Will Travel, Dragnet, Marcus Welby, M.D., My Three Sons, Mannix, The Waltons, Mork & Mindy, Highway to Heaven, St. Elsewhere, Murder, She Wrote, Evening Shade, The Golden Girls, Unsub, Booker, Married... with Children, The Practice and ER.

Capers appeared in such films as Norwood (1970), The Great White Hope (1970), Lady Sings the Blues (1972), The North Avenue Irregulars (1979), The Toy (1982), Teachers (1984), Howard the Duck (1986), Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), Beethoven's 2nd (1993) and What's Love Got to Do with It (1993).

Capers founded the Lafayette Players, a Los Angeles repertory theatre company for African-American performers. She was the recipient of the National Black Theatre Festival Living Legend Award, the Paul Robeson Pioneer Award, and the NAACP Image Award for theatre excellence.

Capers provided the narration for the adventure game Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers.[9]

Death

Capers died on May 6, 2004, of complications from pneumonia in Los Angeles, California, aged 78.[10]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1962House of WomenSarah
1967The Ride to Hangman's TreeTeresa MorenoUncredited
1969The Lost ManTheresa
1970There Was a Crooked Man...CookUncredited
1970NorwoodErnestine
1970The Great White HopeSister Pearl
1971Support Your Local GunfighterEffie
1971Big JakeDelilah
1971The Late LizMartha
1972Lady Sings the BluesMama Holiday
1972Trouble ManMacy
1973The World's Greatest AthleteNative Woman
1973Five on the Black Hand SideRuby
1979The North Avenue IrregularsCleo
1982The ToyRuby Simpson
1984TeachersLandlady
1985Da CapoDa Capo
1986Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is CallingEmma Ray
1986Ferris Bueller's Day OffFlorence Sparrow
1986Howard the DuckCora Mae, Secretary
1987Off the MarkVelma
1988BackfireMaxine
1990Pacific PalisadesShirley
1993What's Love Got to Do with ItChoir Mistress
1993Beethoven's 2ndMiss Linda Anderson
1995A Last GoodbyeThe Principal
1999Bad City BluesMrs. Green
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References
  1. "Virginia Capers, an actress with a musical touch | African American Registry". Aaregistry.org. 1925-09-22. Archived from the original on 2013-02-06. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  2. Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television - Bob McCann - Google Books. Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  3. "Virginia Capers, 78, Actress Who Won a Tony for 'Raisin' - New York Times". Nytimes.com. 2004-05-12. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  4. "Tony Winner Virginia Capers is Dead at 78 - Theater News - May 15, 2004". Theatermania.com. 2004-05-15. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  5. Jet - Google Books. Books.google.co.uk. 1959-04-16. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  6. "Other works for Nat Horne". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  7. Ken Mandelbaum, Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops, St. Martin's Press (1991), pp. 230-33 (ISBN 0-312-06428-4).
  8. "Raisin | IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information". IBDB. Retrieved 2013-10-14.
  9. "Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers (1993 Video Game); IMDb". IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  10. Sisario, Ben (2004-05-12). "Virginia Capers, 78, Actress Who Won a Tony for 'Raisin'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-25.
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