Leslie Uggams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leslie Uggams
Uggams in 1997
Born	Leslie Marian Uggams (1943-05-25) May 25, 1943 (age 82) New York City, U.S.
Education	Juilliard School
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1951–present
Known for	Kizzy Reynolds – Roots
Spouse(s)	Grahame Pratt ​ (m. 1965)​
Children	2

Leslie Uggams is a famous American actress and singer. She started her career as a child in the early 1950s. She became well-known for her role in the Broadway musical Hallelujah, Baby!, winning a Tony Award in 1968.

Later, she gained even more fame playing Kizzy Reynolds in the TV show Roots in 1977. She was nominated for Golden Globe and Emmy Awards for this role. More recently, she has been recognized for playing Blind Al in the superhero movies Deadpool (2016), Deadpool 2 (2018), and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). She also appeared in the TV series Empire and Fallout.

Early Life and Education

Leslie Uggams was born on May 25, 1943, in Harlem, New York City. Her mother, Juanita Ernestine Smith, was a dancer. Her father, Harold Coyden Uggams, was a singer and worked as an elevator operator.

Leslie went to the Professional Children's School in New York. She also studied at the Juilliard School, a famous performing arts school. Her aunt, Eloise C. Uggams, who was also a singer, helped Leslie with her music training.

A Look at Her Career

Leslie Uggams has had a long and successful career in entertainment. She started performing when she was very young.

Early Performances

Uggams began her show business journey in 1951 as a child. She played the niece of Ethel Waters on the TV show Beulah. In the same year, she performed at the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem with Ella Fitzgerald.

She made her first professional appearance at age six on a show called "Stars And Stardust." Later, she was on "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts." Uggams got a big break on The Lawrence Welk Show. She also became a regular on Sing Along with Mitch, a show led by Mitch Miller. In 1954, when she was ten, she released her first record. Her songs "One More Sunrise" and "House Built on Sand" appeared on the Billboard music charts.

Television and Film Roles

Uggams in 1983

Leslie Uggams appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1965, singing a song by The Beatles. In 1969, she had her own TV show, The Leslie Uggams Show. This was important because it was the first network variety show hosted by a Black person since the 1950s.

She played a main role as Kizzy in the 1977 TV series Roots. This role earned her an Emmy nomination. In 1979, she starred as Lillian Rogers Parks in the Emmy-winning series Backstairs at the White House. She also made guest appearances on popular shows like I Spy, The Love Boat, and Magnum, P.I.. From 1996, Uggams played Rose Keefer on the soap opera All My Children. She won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1983 for hosting the game show Fantasy.

In films, she appeared in Skyjacked (1972) and Black Girl (1972). She also played Blind Al in the superhero movies Deadpool (2016), Deadpool 2 (2018), and Deadpool & Wolverine (2024). In 2016, she played Leah Walker on the TV series Empire. She was also in the TV film The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017).

In 2023, Uggams voiced a character named Grandma in the animated show My Dad the Bounty Hunter. She also appeared as Agnes in the movie American Fiction. In 2024, she played Betty Pearson in the TV series Fallout, which is based on a video game.

Stage Performances

Uggams performing in 1971

Leslie Uggams was chosen to star in the Broadway musical Hallelujah, Baby! in 1967. Her performance made her a big star, and she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

She has performed in many other Broadway shows. These include Blues in the Night (1982) and Jerry's Girls (1985). In 1989, she took over the role of Reno Sweeney in the musical Anything Goes. Later, she played Muzzy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (2003–2004) and Ethel Thayer in On Golden Pond (2005).

In 2001, she was nominated for another Tony Award for her role in the play King Hedley II. In 2014, she starred as Rose in Gypsy. She was the first African American woman to play this role in a professional show. In 2024, Uggams appeared in the musical Jelly's Last Jam in New York City.

Personal Life

Leslie Uggams married her manager, Grahame Pratt, in 1965. Their marriage was notable at the time because it was an interracial marriage. Leslie has said it was not as difficult as she expected, partly because Grahame was not an American white man. They met at the Professional Children's School and reconnected later when Leslie was performing in Australia.

After they married, they decided to live in New York City because it was more accepting of interracial relationships. They have two children: a daughter named Danielle, born in 1970, and a son named Justice, born in 1975.

Acting Roles

Leslie Uggams has appeared in many films and television shows.

Film Roles

Television Roles

Theatre Roles

Awards and Recognitions

Leslie Uggams has received many awards and nominations for her work.

• In 1979, Leslie Uggams was featured on a Supersisters trading card.

Honorary Degrees

• 2015: Received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Connecticut.
• 2019: Received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Michigan.

See also

In Spanish: Leslie Uggams para niños