Emmalyn Paulette Moody[citation needed] (born February 17, 1945),[note 1] known professionally as Lynne Moody, is an American film and television actress. Beginning her career in the early 1970s, Moody is best known her roles as Tracy Curtis–Taylor in the ABC television sitcom That's My Mama (1974–1975), Irene Harvey in Roots (1977), Roots: The Next Generations (1979),[6] and Patricia Williams in Knots Landing (1988–1990).

Lynne Moody
Moody with Georg Stanford Brown in Roots (1977).
Born
Emmalyn Paulette Moody[citation needed]

(1945-02-17) February 17, 1945 (age 79)
EducationEvanston Township High School
OccupationActress
Years active1972–2020
Known forTracy Curtis–Taylor – That's My Mama
Irene Harvey – Roots, Roots: The Next Generations
Patricia Williams – Knots Landing
Polly Dawson – Soap
Children1

Biography edit

Early life and education edit

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Moody was raised in Evanston, Illinois, a north suburb of Chicago, Illinois.[7] Moody's mother was a social worker, her father worked as a doctor for a Chicago-area hospital.[8] For high school, Moody attended Evanston Township High School, graduating in 1963.[5] Moody worked as a stewardess prior to relocating to Los Angeles for her acting career.[9]

Career edit

In 1970, Moody moved to Los Angeles where she was initially hired to work as a playboy bunny at a Playboy Club.[10][11][12] While working at the Playboy Club, Moody studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse.[9] (Moody later studied at Goodman Theatre and Hull House.)[9] In 1973, Moody landed her first role as Denny in the American blaxploitation horror film Scream Blacula Scream. Moody was the original Jenny Willis when the character was introduced in an episode of All in the Family titled "Lionel's Engagement" which was first broadcast the 9 February 1974. By the time the pilot episode of The Jeffersons aired in January 1975, the role was recast with Berlinda Tolbert replacing her as Jenny Willis.

In the fall of 1974, Moody landed the role of Tracy Curtis-Taylor in the ABC television series That's My Mama with Clifton Davis and Theresa Merritt. Moody portrayed the character throughout the series first season, later being replaced by Joan Pringle at the beginning of the second season. According to a 1975 JET article, Moody's manager Michael Kogg described Moody's exit from the show as "she didn't like the part anymore".[13][14] After her exit from That's My Mama, Moody received a starring role in women in prison exploitation television film Nightmare in Badham County, later released to theaters as Nightmare in 1976.[15][16]

In 1977, Moody portrayed Irene Harvey in Alex Haley's ABC television mini-series Roots.[17] Moody later reprised her role in Roots: The Next Generations which aired in February 1979.[18] From 1979 until 1980, Moody portrayed Polly Dawson in the ABC program Soap.[19] Moody had other television roles such as, Patricia Williams in Knots Landing,[1][20] and Nurse Julie Williams in E/R.[19][21] In 2000, Moody had a recurring role on the hit ABC daytime drama series, General Hospital as Florence Campbell.

Other ventures edit

In the 1990s, Moody participated in public service radio spots for Africare to help improve the livelihood of Africans, along with fellow Roots cast members Georg Stanford Brown and Louis Gossett Jr.[22]

Personal life edit

Moody has never married and has one child. Moody gave birth to a daughter on December 10, 1964, whom she gave up for adoption. In June 2018, Moody was reunited with her daughter, Lisa Wright.[23] Wright found Moody by doing a 23andMe DNA test with the aid of Moody's brother. Prior to being reunited with her daughter, Moody spent years searching for her daughter, even enlisting the help of Alex Haley.[4]

Filmography edit

Year Title Role Notes
1973 Scream Blacula Scream Denny
1973 The F.B.I. Linda Episode: "The Confession"
1974 All in the Family Jenny Willis Episode: "Lionel's Engagement"
1974–1975 That's My Mama Tracy Curtis Taylor 22 episodes
1975 Las Vegas Lady Carol
1976 S.W.A.T. Ellen Jeffers Episode: "Any Second Now"
1976 Nightmare in Badham County Diane Emery Television film
1977 Roots Irene Harvey TV miniseries
1977 Quincy, M.E. Laura Stokes Episode: "A Blow to the Head... A Blow to the Heart"
1978 The Evil Felicia Allen
1979 Charleston Minerva Television film
1979 Roots: The Next Generations Irene Harvey TV miniseries
1979–1980 Soap Polly Dawson 10 episodes
1980 Tenspeed and Brown Shoe Lola Marshall Episode: "The Sixteen Byte Data Chip and the Brown-eyed Fox"
1980 Willow B: Women in Prison Lynn Television film
1981 A Matter of Life and Death Harley Television film
1981 The Oklahoma City Dolls Arvelle Television film
1981 Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood Melanie Foster Television film
1981 The White Shadow Luann Mackey Episode: "Burnout"
1981 Fly Away Home Television film
1981 Strike Force Annie / Jossy Episode: "The Victims"
1981 Lou Grant Sharon McNeil Episode: "Rape"
Episode: "Risk"
1981 Trapper John, M.D. Karen Episode: "'Tis the Season"
1982 Some Kind of Hero Lisa Keller
1982 The Love Boat Ellen Pozelle Episode: "Pal-I-Mony-O-Mine"
1982 The Jeffersons Maggie Episode: "A Small Victory"
1982 White Dog Molly
1982 Magnum, P.I. Bebe Kiamonni Episode: "Black on White"
1982 T. J. Hooker Susan McNeil Episode: "The Protectors"
1982–1984 Hill Street Blues Marty Nichols 7 episodes
1983 Wait till Your Mother Gets Home! Marion Television film
1983 Benson Jennifer Episode: "Love in a Funny Phase"
1983 A Caribbean Mystery Victoria Jackson Television film
1983 Just Our Luck Alana Episode: "Wedding Bell Shablues"
1984 The Toughest Man in the World Leslie Television film
1984 T. J. Hooker Dr. Pamela Carter Episode: "Death on the Line"
1984–1985 E/R Nurse Julie Williams 22 episodes
1985 The Atlanta Child Murders Selena Cobb TV miniseries
1985 T. J. Hooker Nadine Episode: "The Chicago Connection"
1985 Lost in London Janet Williams Television film
1986 The Redd Foxx Show Rachel Adams Episode: "Pilot"
1986 A Fight for Jenny Alice Martin Television film
1986 Foofur (voice) 3 episodes
1986 Amen Jill Crawford Episode: "Reuben's Romance"
1987 Houston Knights Janice Halstead Episode: "Scarecrow"
1987 Outlaws Episode: "Orleans"
1987 Murder, She Wrote Pam Collins Episode: "Death Takes a Dive"
1987 21 Jump Street Rhonda Patterson Episode: "Two for the Road"
1988 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (voice) TV series
1988–1990 Knots Landing Patricia Williams 46 episodes
1990 MacGyver Dr. Marion Skinner Episode: "Lesson in Evil"
1991 Amen Amy Cassidy Episode: "Three's a Crowd"
1992 Civil Wars Episode: "His Honor's Offer"
1993 Last Light Hope Whitmore Television film
1994 Ray Alexander: A Taste for Justice Elizabeth Butler Television film
1994 Chicago Hope Yvette White Episode: "Over the Rainbow"
1995 Chicago Hope Yvette White Episode: "Every Day a Little Death"
1995 Ray Alexander: A Menu for Murder Elizabeth Butler Television film
1995 Escape to Witch Mountain Lindsay Brown Television film
1996 Walker, Texas Ranger Shelly Preston Episode: "Patriot"
1997 Trials of Life Penny Television film
1997 The Ditchdigger's Daughters Kathryn Television film
1997 Beverly Hills, 90210 Vanessa Markley Episode: "Aloha Beverly Hills
1997 Clueless Tess Davenport Episode: "The Intruder"
1997 Ellen Foster Mrs. Douglas Television film
1999 Chicago Hope Dr. Rachel Kleema Episode: "And Baby Makes 10"
2000 Arli$$ Vera Moore Episode: "Comings and Goings"
2000 General Hospital Florence Campbell 1 episode
2002 General Hospital Florence Campbell 1 episode
2005 Alias Rosemary Episode: "The Index"
2005 The Reading Room Helen Television film
2007 Crossing Jordan Helene Coleman Episode: "Faith"
2009 Mrs. Washington Goes to Smith Dr. Twineman Television film

Notes edit

  1. ^ Moody's year of birth is disputed. 1950 is claimed on majority of the sources.[2][1][3] 1945 and 1946 are implied due to an article published by the Sedona Red Rock News about her reuniting with daughter, citing she had given birth in December 1964 at age 18 (or 19).[4] A birth year of 1945 can also be implied due to her high school graduation occurring in 1963.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Lynne Moody – Sun Sentinel, September 11, 1988
  2. ^ WorldCat – Moody, Lynne (1950-)
  3. ^ Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema, By S. Torriano Berry, Venise T. Berry, 2015
  4. ^ a b Eland, Ron (December 18, 2019). "Mother meets her daughter 54 years later". Sedona Red Rock News. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Evanston Township High School (Evanston, Illinois) '1963 Yearbook
  6. ^ Jet, May 11, 1978
  7. ^ Jet, Feb 1, 1988
  8. ^ Working Actors, The Craft of Television, Film, and Stage Performance, Page 57, By Richard A. Blum, Laurence Frank, 1989
  9. ^ a b c Witbeck, Charles (December 14, 1974). "Lynne Moody likes comedy roles". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  10. ^ Sanello, Frank (January 14, 1988). "Lynne Moody is 'Knots' newcomer". Key West Citizen. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  11. ^ Playboy Celebrates 50th Anniversary of the World-Famous Playboy Club and Iconic Playboy Bunny, Year-long Festivities to Include the Largest Playboy Party of All Time in the Form of 50 Playboy Club-Themed Events Around the World, All on the Same Night; Limited Edition Products; Retail Partners; an Art Exhibition; and More, NEWS PROVIDED BY Playboy Enterprises, Inc. Feb 26, 2010, 10:20 ET
  12. ^ EBONY, March 1985
  13. ^ "TV's New Hit Family Show". Jet. October 17, 1974. p. 60. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  14. ^ "Joan Pringle Replaces Moody In That's My Mama". Jet. August 28, 1975. p. 62. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  15. ^ "Actress Deborah Raffin Dies At 59". CBS Los Angeles. November 23, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  16. ^ David Deal (April 30, 2014). Television Fright Films of the 1970s. McFarland. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-7864-5514-0. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  17. ^ Meredith Blake (May 26, 2016). "For the original cast of 'Roots,' it was a mind-blowing series". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  18. ^ "Mixed Marriage, Tom's Plight, Spark 'Roots II'". Jet. May 11, 1978. p. 24. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  19. ^ a b Kathleen Fearn-Banks (August 4, 2009). The A to Z of African-American Television. Scarecrow Press. p. 289. ISBN 978-0-8108-6348-4. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  20. ^ "First Black Family Joins Cast Of TV's 'Knots Landing'". Jet. February 1, 1988. p. 58. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  21. ^ "What's Ahead in the New TV Season". Ebony. September 1984. p. 68. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  22. ^ Penelope Campbell (November 1, 2013). Africare: Black American Philanthropy in Africa. Transaction Publishers. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-4128-5254-8. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  23. ^ LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 21: Lynn Moody and daughter Lisa Wright attend the grand opening of The Alcott Center Mental Health Services at The Alcott Center on October 21, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)

External links edit