kids encyclopedia robot

Margaret Avery facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Margaret Avery
Margaret Avery, 1986.jpg
Avery in 1986
Born
Occupation Actress, singer
Years active 1972–present
Spouse(s)
Robert Gordon Hunt
(m. 1974; div. 1980)
Children 1

Margaret Avery is an American actress and singer. She began her career appearing on stage and later had starring roles in films including Cool Breeze (1972), Which Way Is Up? (1977), Scott Joplin (1977), and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979).

Avery is best known for her performance as Shug Avery in the 1985 period drama film The Color Purple for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She continued appearing in films including Blueberry Hill (1988), White Man's Burden (1995), Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008), Meet the Browns (2008), and Proud Mary (2018). From 2013 to 2019, Avery starred as Helen Patterson, lead character's mother, in the BET drama series Being Mary Jane.

Early life

Margaret Avery was born in Mangum, Oklahoma and raised in San Diego, California, where she attended Point Loma High School. She then attended San Francisco State University where, in 1965, she earned a degree in education. While working as a substitute teacher in Los Angeles, Avery began making singing and acting appearances.

Career

Among the plays Avery appeared in were Revolution and The Sistuhs. In 1972, she received the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actress for her performance in Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?. In the television movie Something Evil (1972), a horror story with Sandy Dennis and Darren McGavin, Avery was directed by Steven Spielberg. That same year she made her theatrical motion picture debut as Lark in the crime film Cool Breeze with Thalmus Rasulala and Judy Pace. In this blaxploitation remake of The Asphalt Jungle, Avery played the Marilyn Monroe part.

Avery received NAACP Image Awards for her performance in the 1976 film Louis Armstrong - Chicago Style. In the 1977 film Which Way Is Up?, directed by Michael Schultz, Avery gave a comedic performance as Annie Mae, the wife of Richard Pryor's character. That same year, she played Belle Joplin, wife of the ragtime composer Scott Joplin, opposite Billy Dee Williams in the title role in film Scott Joplin, receiving NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture nomination. In 1979, she appeared in The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.

Avery made guest appearances on many television series during 1970s and 1980s, including The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Kojak, Marcus Welby, M.D., Sanford and Son, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Rookies, five appearances on Harry O, A.E.S. Hudson Street, T. J. Hooker, Murder, She Wrote, Miami Vice, Spenser: For Hire, and The Cosby Show.

In 1985, Avery played the role of Shug Avery in the period drama film The Color Purple directed by Steven Spielberg. Her performance in this screen adaptation of Alice Walker's prize-winning novel The Color Purple was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Avery was the last character to be cast in the film. In her Essence interview she said: "I had been singing in Indonesia and came back to find all these messages on my answering service from other actors saying, ‘Hey Margaret, you’ve got to get your agent on The Color Purple.’ My agent at the time had tried to get me an audition but was told that I wasn't right for the role— they wanted a singer, not an actor. I knew Ruben Cannon, who was casting at that time, because he'd cast me in so many television things before, so I wrote him a note. I had read the book and was drawn to Shug Avery. Ruben allowed me to put my reading for the role on tape. Because of him, I was able to get my work seen by Steven Spielberg. Alice Walker said that she had seen a lot of tapes of other actors, but when my audition came up, she just kind of woke up. She couldn't take her eyes off me. That was like a beautiful introduction to getting the role."

After The Color Purple and Oscar nomination, Avery did not work on film or television for two years. She said, "The fact that I didn’t work for a couple years after The Color Purple is not unique. It not only happens to White actors sometimes, but with Black actors, too, but more so for women of color. At the time, most women of color who were in the business were limited to Black film; whereas my counterpart like Danny Glover, went on to Lethal Weapon One, Two, and Three. He didn’t have to be limited to a Black film; he didn’t have to be married to a family, or related to somebody, like we women have to. I didn’t work for a couple years after The Color Purple. What saved me was the college lecture circuit. I kind of got a backlash for two reasons; one, no one would even think of me for a television role because they figured she’s too big to do TV now. That was the pattern."

In 1988, Avery starred in the period drama film Blueberry Hill, and the following year appeared in action film Riverbend. In 1990, she appeared in The Return of Superfly, another blaxploitation film. In 1992, Avery starred in the ABC miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream as Martha Scruse, mother of Katherine Jackson, who was played by Angela Bassett. In 1995, she co-starred opposite Harry Belafonte in the drama film White Man's Burden. The following years, she guest-starred on number of television series, including Walker, Texas Ranger, JAG, and Bones. In 2008, Avery played Mama Jenkins in Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, opposite Martin Lawrence and James Earl Jones, and Sarah Brown in Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns, which also stars Angela Bassett.

From 2013 to 2019, Avery played the role of Helen Patterson in the BET drama series, Being Mary Jane. She played Taraji P. Henson' mother in the 2018 action film Proud Mary. She later guest-starred on Grey's Anatomy and Better Things.

Personal life

In January 1974, Avery married Robert Gordon Hunt. They have one daughter, Aisha Hunt, and divorced in 1980.

Avery lives in Los Angeles, and remains active in show business. While continuing to act, she also works with at-risk teenagers and battered women of the greater Los Angeles area. She was interviewed by Melody Trice on The Melody Trice Show about her activism.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1972 Something Evil Irene
Cool Breeze Lark
Terror at Red Wolf Inn Edwina
1973 An Eye for an Eye Nurse
Magnum Force
An Eye for an Eye Nurse
Hell Up in Harlem Sister Jennifer
1976 Louis Armstrong - Chicago Style Alma Rae NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
1977 Which Way Is Up? Annie Mae
Scott Joplin Belle Joplin Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
1979 Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, TheThe Fish That Saved Pittsburgh Toby Millman
1980 Sky Is Gray, TheThe Sky Is Gray Rosemary
Lathe of Heaven, TheThe Lathe of Heaven Heather LeLache
1985 Color Purple, TheThe Color Purple Shug Avery Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
1988 Blueberry Hill Hattie Cale
1989 Riverbend Bell Coleman
Single Women Married Men Grace Williams
1990 Heat Wave Roxie Turpin
Return of Superfly, TheThe Return of Superfly Francine
1993 Lightning in a Bottle Dr. Sierheed
Night Trap Miss Sadie
1994 Cyborg 3: The Recycler Doc Edford
1995 Set-Up, TheThe Set-Up Olivia Dubois
White Man's Burden Megan Thomas
1998 Love Kills Moon
2002 Waitin' to Live Pearline Loggins
Second to Die Insurance agent
2007 Lord Help Us Dorinda Thomas
Exodus Robbed Tourist
2008 Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins Mama Jenkins
Meet the Browns Sarah Brown
2009 Extrospection Anna
2018 Proud Mary Mina
2019 Grand-Daddy Day Care Millie
2022 We Are Gathered Here Today Estelle Wyatt
Block Party Janice Sommers Also executive producer
2023 The Nana Project Gladys

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1973 The New Dick Van Dyke Show Pam Harris / Nurse Wilkinson Episode: "What Your Best Friend Doesn't Know"
Ironside Bartender Episode: "The Last Payment"
1974 Kojak Lula Episode: "You Can't Tell a Hurt Man How to Holler"
Marcus Welby, M.D. Julie Episode: "The 266 Days"
1975 Sanford and Son Denise Episode: "Strange Bedfellows"
Kolchak: The Night Stalker Ruth Van Galen Episode: "The Sentry"
1982 The Powers of Matthew Star April Episode: "Accused"
1983 For Us the Living: The Medgar Evers Story Dottie
1985 Murder, She Wrote Dixie Episode: "Jessica Behind Bars"
1987 Rags to Riches Celia Richards (Cee Cee Smith)
Miami Vice Sally Cordova Episode: "The Afternoon Plane"
1992 Jacksons: An American Dream, TheThe Jacksons: An American Dream Martha Scruse
The Cosby Show Leah Episode: "Clair's Reunion"
Roc Helen Episode: "The Lady Killer"
1998 Wie stark muss eine Liebe sein Mary McMillian
2005 JAG Indira Diamond Episode: "Unknown Soldier"
Bones Ivy Gillespie Episode: "The Man in the Fallout Shelter"
2012 Single Ladies Josephine Episode: "Ex Factor"
2013–2019 Being Mary Jane Helen Patterson Main role; 34 episodes
2017 The Librarians Eleanor Darnell Episode: "And the Silver Screen"
2019 Grey's Anatomy Lucille Reed Episode: "I Walk the Line"
Better Things Esther Episode: "Easter"
2021 The Neighborhood Aunt Desiray Episode: "Welcome to the Family"

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Margaret Avery para niños

kids search engine
Margaret Avery Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.