Claudia McNeil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Claudia McNeil
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publicity photo, 1960
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| Born | August 13, 1917 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
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| Died | November 25, 1993 (aged 76) Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1953–1983 |
Claudia McNeil (born August 13, 1917 – died November 25, 1993) was an amazing American actress. She was most famous for playing Lena Younger, the strong mother figure, in the play and movie A Raisin in the Sun. This role was very important in her career.
She was nominated for many awards, including two Tony Awards for her stage work. She also received nominations for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award for her role in the film version of A Raisin in the Sun.
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Life and Career Highlights
Claudia McNeil was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Her father was black, and her mother was an Apache woman. Her family moved to New York City shortly after she was born. Her mother raised her after her father left.
When she was 12, Claudia started working for The Heckscher Foundation for Children. There, she met a Jewish couple who later adopted her. Because of them, she became very good at speaking Yiddish.
Early Career and Singing
Claudia first became a licensed librarian. But she soon found her passion for performing! She started singing in vaudeville theaters and nightclubs in places like Harlem and Greenwich Village. She even sang for the famous Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe during their tour in South America.
Becoming an Actress
A famous actress named Ethel Waters encouraged Claudia to try acting. Claudia made her first New York stage appearance in 1953. She was an understudy for a role in the play The Crucible.
Four years later, the well-known writer Langston Hughes chose her to sing in his musical play Simply Heavenly. Claudia received great praise for her performance in this show.
A Raisin in the Sun
In 1961, Claudia McNeil played her famous stage role in the film A Raisin in the Sun. She became so well-known for playing Lena Younger that she once said, "There was a time when I acted the role.…Now I live it." A journalist from The New York Times described her as having a "commanding presence." He said she was "stolid, voluminous and serene as a mother trying to control her son (played by Sidney Poitier) and wanting to buy her family a respectable home."
Other Roles
Claudia McNeil acted in several other films. These included The Last Angry Man (1959), There Was a Crooked Man... (1970), and Black Girl (1972).
She also starred in many other plays. Some of these were Tiger Tiger Burning Bright (1962) and James Baldwin's The Amen Corner (1965). She also appeared in plays like Something Different (1967) and Contributions (1970).
Claudia also appeared in many TV shows. These included The DuPont Show of the Month (1957), The Nurses (1962), and Roots: The Next Generations (1979).
In 1978, when she sang at Michael's Pub in Manhattan, she had lost a lot of weight. She said she had "lost a whole person," showing her amazing transformation.
Personal Life
Claudia McNeil was married at age 19 to a man she called "very wonderful." His name was not shared publicly. They had two sons. Sadly, her husband died during World War II. Both of her sons also passed away during the Korean War.
Her second marriage ended in divorce in 1964.
Claudia studied Judaism, the religion of her adoptive parents, when she was young. She always respected it and even carried copies of both the Talmud and the Bible. However, she converted to Catholicism in 1952 and was a very devoted Catholic.
Retirement and Death
Claudia McNeil retired from acting in 1983. Two years later, she moved into the Actors’ Fund Nursing Home in Englewood, New Jersey. She passed away there on November 25, 1993, at the age of 76. Her death was due to health problems related to diabetes.
Selected Filmography
Film
- The Last Angry Man (1959) - Mrs. Quincy
- A Raisin in the Sun (1961) - Lena Younger
- There Was a Crooked Man... (1970) - Madam
- Black Girl (1972) - Mu' Dear
Television
- The DuPont Show of the Month (1957) - Bernice Sadie Brown
- The Nurses (1963) - Mrs. Hill
- Profiles in Courage (1965) - Mrs. Haines
- Moon of the Wolf (1972) - Sara
- Cry Panic (1974) - Ethel Hanson
- Roots: The Next Generations (1979) - Sister Will Ada
