Jonelle Allen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jonelle Allen
|
|
|---|---|
Jonelle R. Allen in 2016
|
|
| Born | July 8, 1948 New York City, New York, U.S.
|
| Education | Professional Children's School |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1967–present |
| Spouse(s) |
John Sharpe
(m. 1978; div. 1992)Richard Grimmon
(m. 1998; div. 2001)Leigh Eaton
(m. 2003; died 2020) |
Jonelle R. Allen, born on July 8, 1948, is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She started her professional career in the late 1960s. Jonelle has starred in movies, Broadway shows, and television series.
In 1972, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. This was for her amazing performance in the musical Two Gentlemen of Verona. She also appeared in films like Come Back Charleston Blue (1972) and The River Niger (1976). Many people know her from TV shows like Generations (1989–1991) and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993–1998).
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jonelle Allen was born in New York City. She grew up in the Sugar Hill area of Harlem. Her mother, Marion, worked for the postal service, and her father, Robert, worked for NYC transit.
Jonelle began performing when she was just four years old. She went to the Professional Children's School, which helps young performers with their studies. As a child, she often appeared on a local children's TV show called The Merry Mailman.
A Look at Her Career
Jonelle Allen made her first appearance on Broadway when she was six. This was in a play called The Wisteria Trees. It was an American version of The Cherry Orchard and starred the famous actress Helen Hayes.
Broadway Success
Jonelle returned to Broadway in a new version of Finian's Rainbow. She was also in the first off-Broadway show of Hair in 1968. She then appeared in George M!.
Her performance in Two Gentlemen of Verona brought her a lot of praise. She was nominated for a Tony Award and won several other awards. Even with all this success, it was her last Broadway show for a long time.
Movies and TV Shows
Jonelle Allen has been in many films. These include Cotton Comes to Harlem, The Hotel New Hampshire, and The River Niger. For The River Niger, she won an NAACP Image Award.
She also made guest appearances on many popular TV shows. Some of these were Match Game, Barney Miller, The Love Boat, All in the Family, Trapper John, M.D., Hill Street Blues, Cagney and Lacey, ER, and Girlfriends. In 1975, she played a prison inmate in the TV movie Cage Without a Key.
Famous Roles
Two of Jonelle's most well-known roles are Grace and Doreen Jackson. Grace was a café owner in the Old West on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Jonelle played this role for seven years. She also played Doreen Jackson on the NBC soap opera Generations. Another notable role was Lucinda Cavender, a vampire witch, in the horror comedy film The Midnight Hour. Before Generations, she was Stacey Russell on the show Berrenger's.
In 2007, Jonelle Allen played the legendary Harlem jazz singer Florence Mills in a show called Harlem Renaissance. This show was part of the 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Recent Work
More recently, Jonelle Allen has been leading new play projects at Saddleback College. She writes and directs new shows that she calls "plays with music." These have been shown at Saddleback. Two of her works include an adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and The Journey. Both were created with composer David Jayden Anthony.
In 2017, Jonelle appeared in the film The Divorce. It was released on Amazon. The same year, she starred in Hello, Dolly! at Saddleback's CLO. She also worked on an updated version of her one-woman show about Florence Mills. She wrote this with Stevi Meredith and David Jayden Anthony.
In 2020, Jonelle Allen played Felicia Richardson in the audio drama Forever and a Day. She started as a recurring character, but by the third season, she became a main character.
Personal Life
Jonelle Allen has been married three times. She married John Sharpe on December 19, 1978, and they divorced in 1992. She then married Richard Grimmon on January 9, 1998, and they divorced in 2001. Her most recent marriage was to Leigh Eaton, from 2003 until his passing in 2020.
Images for kids
-
Jonelle R. Allen in 2016
See also
In Spanish: Jonelle Allen para niños
