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Dorothy Meyer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dorothy Meyer
in Sanford and Son (1973)
Born(1924-11-06)November 6, 1924
DiedSeptember 24, 1987(1987-09-24) (aged 62)
OccupationActress
Years active1931–1987

Dorothy Meyer (November 6, 1924 – September 24, 1987) was an American character actress of film and television who made a name for herself portraying wisecracking maids, neighbors, friends, nurses, and church ladies throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

Life and career

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Meyer was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on November 6, 1924, the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, a religion to which she adhered to throughout her entire life. During her childhood, Meyer initially began her career as an actress singing and dancing in numerous Christian themed productions on The Bible Belt and was later inspired to further pursue acting following the Oscar win of African-American actress Hattie McDaniel in Gone with the Wind. During World War II, Meyer's worked as both a secretary and typist in a steel factory in her native Indiana during the daytime and later started appearing in amateur theatre during nights and her weekends off. In the early 1950s, she moved to California and began her career modeling, appearing in advertisements for such popular brand names as Maxwell House Coffee, Hallmark Greeting Cards, Westinghouse, Walgreens, Sears Roebuck, and Hersey's Chocolates. After two decades of advertisement modeling, she made her small screen debut in a 1971 episode of The Bill Cosby Show. Between 1971 and 1987, she would have 42 credits to her resume, including appearances on such syndicated programs as That's My Mama, Sanford and Son, The Waltons, Starsky & Hutch, The Jeffersons, Lou Grant, Hill Street Blues, Murder, She Wrote, and 227. She enjoyed a successful career and appeared alongside such notables as Linda Blair, Richard Pryor, and Muhammad Ali.[1]

Aside from acting, Meyer was also noted as being a staunch liberal Democrat and African American rights activist, who was very supportive of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and spoke on numerous occasions regarding civil liberties in low-income communities. She also had a great deal of support and admiration for the administrations of John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter. Meyer died in Los Angeles, California on September 24, 1987, from undisclosed causes, at the age of 62. As per her last will and testament, Meyer was cremated with her ashes scattered at sea. She was unmarried, had no children, and her only survivors were distant cousins, two older brothers, one sister, and a few nieces and nephews. Two films she had made, Moving (1988) and Wildfire (1988), were released posthumously.

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1971 The Bill Cosby Show Gloria's Mother Episode: "The Green-Eyed Monster"
1972 The New Temperatures Rising Show Admissions Clerk Episode: "The Spy"
1972 Circle of Fear Woman Episode: "Time of Terror"
1973 The Waltons Mrs. Blankfort Episode: "The Chicken Thief"
1973 A Dream for Christmas Cousin Clara TV movie, Uncredited
1973-1975 Sanford and Son Aunt Flossie / Mrs. Walker 3 episodes
1974 Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law Mrs. Green Episode: "I've Promised You a Father: Part 2"
1974 The Family Kovack Nurse TV movie
1974 Airport 1975 Passenger Uncredited
1974 That's My Mama Ruby Lester 3 episodes
1975 Miles to Go Before I Sleep Hattie TV movie
1975 The Blue Knight Shopper Episode: "Pilot"
1975 The Rookies Nadine Brooks Episode: "Reign of Terror"
1975 Insight Nora Episode: "Hunger Knows My Name"
1976 Grady Ernestine Johnson Episode: "Night School"
1976 Helter Skelter Housekeeper TV movie
1976 Having Babies Admitting Nurse TV movie
1977 The Greatest Odessa Clay
1977 Panic in Echo Park TV movie
1977 Rafferty Mrs. Greener Episode: "A Point of View"
1977 Sanford Arms Sarah Calvin Episode: "The Grandparents"
1977 Starsky & Hutch Mrs. Walters / Mrs. Marlowe 2 episodes
1978 The Jeffersons Cassie Kincaid Episode: "Florence's Union"
1979 How the West Was Won Hattie Episode: "The Scavengers"
1979 H.O.T.S. Ezzetta
1979 Lou Grant Lady Episode: "Gambling"
1979 Roller Boogie Ada
1979 Diff'rent Strokes Mrs. Keith Episode: "The Dog Story"
1981 Flamingo Road Episode: "Trapped"
1981 Whose Life Is It Anyway? 2nd Nurse
1982 King's Crossing Willa Bristol 10 episodes
1983 Newhart Nurse Episode: "Ricky Nelson, Up Your Nose"
1983 Ryan's Four Episode: "Ryan's Four"
1983-1985 Hill Street Blues Witness / Cook 2 episodes
1984 Gimme a Break! Sarah Banks Episode: "Valentine"
1985 Do You Remember Love? Social Director TV movie
1986 Hollywood Vice Squad Heavyset Woman
1986 Cobra Nurse #1
1986 Murder, She Wrote Nurse O'Hanlon Episode: "Deadline for Murder"
1987 227 Ruby Jenkins Episode: "Happy Twentieth"
1988 Moving Grandma
1988 Wildfire Esther (final film role)

References

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  1. ^ "Dorothy Meyer | Biography and Filmography". www.hollywood.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017.
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