Pam Grier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pam Grier
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Grier in 2022
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Pamela Suzette Grier
May 26, 1949 |
| Alma mater | Metropolitan State College |
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| Years active | 1970–present |
Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and martial artist. She is famous for being one of the first female action stars in movies. Director Quentin Tarantino has called her a true pioneer of action films.
Grier became a star in the 1970s. She was the lead in many action movies, including a type of film called blaxploitation, which featured strong Black heroes. She has been nominated for many major awards, including an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.
Her most famous early films include Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974). Decades later, she starred in Quentin Tarantino's popular crime movie Jackie Brown (1997). She has also appeared in many other movies like Mars Attacks! (1996), Jawbreaker (1999), and Poms (2019).
On television, Grier was a main character in the drama series The L Word from 2004 to 2009. She also co-starred in the comedy series Bless This Mess from 2019 to 2020.
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Early Life
Pam Grier was born on May 26, 1949, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Her mother, Gwendolyn, was a homemaker and nurse. Her father, Clarence, was a mechanic and a technical sergeant in the United States Air Force.
Because her father was in the military, her family moved around a lot. In 1956, they moved to Swindon, England. Grier said her family was one of the only Black families in the town. She remembered that they were treated well there. This was different from the unfair treatment, known as racism and segregation, that Black people often faced in the United States at the time.
She explained, "They didn't care that I was Black... In the U.S., especially in the South, we were never able to get buses to stop for us, we couldn't eat in certain restaurants, couldn't use certain bathrooms."
The family moved back to the U.S. in 1958 and settled in Denver, Colorado. Grier also spent time on her grandparents' farm in Wyoming. Her ancestors had traveled there using the Underground Railroad, a secret network that helped people escape slavery.
Grier went to East High School in Denver. She acted in school plays and entered beauty contests to earn money for college.
Career
In 1967, Grier moved to Los Angeles and got a job as a switchboard operator at a movie studio called American International Pictures (AIP). Director Jack Hill noticed her and cast her in movies like The Big Doll House (1971) and The Big Bird Cage (1972).
The First Female Action Hero
Grier quickly became a star in "blaxploitation" films of the 1970s. These movies were made for Black audiences and often had strong, heroic main characters. Grier played bold and confident women who weren't afraid to fight for what was right.
Her breakout role was in Coffy (1973). She played a nurse who takes on criminals. The movie was a huge success. Grier became the first African-American woman to be the main star of an action film. Before her, the heroes in these movies were always men.
Famous movie critic Roger Ebert praised Grier for her role in Coffy. He said she was a talented actress who brought a special energy to the screen. After Coffy, she starred in more action movies like Foxy Brown (1974) and Sheba, Baby (1975).
Later Roles and Television
In the 1980s, Grier took on different kinds of roles. She appeared in the movie Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) and was Steven Seagal's detective partner in Above the Law (1988). She also had roles in popular TV shows like Miami Vice and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
In the late 1990s, director Quentin Tarantino wrote the movie Jackie Brown (1997) specifically for her. Her performance in the title role was a huge success and earned her nominations for many awards. This movie paid tribute to her classic action films from the 1970s.
From 2004 to 2009, Grier played Kit Porter in the TV series The L Word. She also had a recurring role as the character Amanda Waller in the superhero show Smallville.
Recent Work and Community Projects
In 2010, Grier wrote a book about her life called Foxy: My Life in Three Acts. She continues to act in movies and on television.
Grier is also passionate about helping her community. She started the Pam Grier Community Garden and Education Center. The center teaches people about growing their own organic food, health, and nutrition.
In 2024, she was honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Toronto Black Film Festival for her important contributions to film culture.
Personal Life
Throughout her life, Grier has been in relationships with several famous people, including basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and comedians Freddie Prinze and Richard Pryor.
In 1988, Grier was diagnosed with a serious illness called cervical cancer. Doctors told her she did not have long to live. However, with treatment, she made a full recovery and has been healthy ever since. Her story has been an inspiration to many people.
Today, Grier lives on a ranch in New Mexico.
Selected Filmography
Grier has appeared in over 100 movies and television shows. Here are some of her most well-known roles.
- The Big Doll House (1971)
- Coffy (1973)
- Foxy Brown (1974)
- Sheba, Baby (1975)
- Fort Apache, The Bronx (1981)
- Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
- Above the Law (1988)
- Escape from L.A. (1996)
- Mars Attacks! (1996)
- Jackie Brown (1997)
- Jawbreaker (1999)
- Bones (2001)
- The L Word (TV Series, 2004–2009)
- Just Wright (2010)
- Larry Crowne (2011)
- Poms (2019)
- Bless This Mess (TV Series, 2019–2020)
See also
In Spanish: Pam Grier para niños
