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American actress (–)

For the character on Hannah Montana, see Roxy Roker.

Roxie Albertha Roker (August 28, – December 2, ) was an American actress. She was best known for her portrayal of Helen Willis on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons. In , she performed as Mattie Williams in the Broadway play The River Niger, and was nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Play at the 28th Tony Awards. Roker is the mother of rock musician Lenny Kravitz and grandmother of actress Zoë Kravitz.

Early life and education

Roker was born in Miami, Florida.^[1] Her mother, Bessie Roker (née Mitchell), was from Georgia and worked as a domestic. Her father, Albert Roker, was a porter and a native of Andros, the Bahamas.^[2] She grew up in Brooklyn, New York.^[3]

Roker studied drama at Howard University where she was a pupil of celebrated drama teachers Anne Cooke Reid and Owen Dodson. Some of her fellow drama students at Howard included novelist Toni Morrison, actress Zaida Coles, stage director and playwright Shauneille Perry, and actor Graham Brown; all of whom were members of the university's theatre troupe, the Howard Players. Roker toured with the Howard Players for performances in Norway in ; a trip sponsored by the United States Department of State, which was supported by Eleanor Roosevelt.^[4]

Career

She began her professional career with the Negro Ensemble Company and became a successful stage actress. She won an Obie Award in and was nominated for a Tony Award for her portrayal of Mattie Williams in The River Niger.^[3] She was a reporter on WNEW-TV in New York in the s and hosted a public affairs show for the station known as Inside Bed-Stuy, dealing with events in the Brooklyn neighborhood.^[3] Roker portrayed Helen Willis on The Jeffersons, breaking social barriers by becoming one half of the first Caucasian–African-American married couple (along with actor Franklin Cover) as regular cast member on prime-time TV. She appeared in guest starring roles on many other United States television shows from the s through the s, including "Stone in the River" starring Hal Miller for NBC, Punky Brewster, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, A Different World, Murder, She Wrote, The Love Boat, $weepstake$, , Beat the Clock, Fantasy Island and ABC Afterschool Specials. She had roles in the television miniseries Roots and in the movie Claudine. Roker was also a children's advocate who was cited by the city of Los Angeles for her community work.^[3]

Personal life

Roker was married to television producer Sy Kravitz in The couple had a son, singer-songwriter and actor Lenny Kravitz (b. May 26, ), and divorced in ^[3] Roker and weather anchor Al Roker are second cousins once removed.^[5]

Death

Roker died in Los Angeles, California, on December 2, , of breast cancer. She was ^[6]

Filmography

References

External links