Esther Rolle is truly a matriarch among ForgottenDivas. She was an embodiment of the Divine Mother. Though she appeared in "Cleopatra Jones" (proof of her Diva status) she didn't gain the fame she deserved until the mid-70s, playing strong-willed maid Florida Evans, first on "Maude" (an archetypal ForgottenDiva showcase), and then on "Good Times". Though she was the solid foundation that kept the Evans family together, she eventually left the show, feeling that it furthered negative racial stereotypes. Ironically, it is for "Good Times" that whe will always be remembered. Though she later hosted some rather sad infomercials (sad because she was so much better than that!), throughout the 90s she built a strong body of film work, including "Romeo + Juliet", "Down in the Delta", "How to Make an American Quilt", and a particularly stirring performance in "Rosewood". She died on November 19,1998, at age 78.........ESTHER ROLLE: A DIVA NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN!!!
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