Estelle Evans
American actress (1906–1985)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Estelle Rolle Evans (October 1, 1906 – July 20, 1985) was a Bahamian-American actress during the 20th century. Some of her more famous appearances were in the movies The Quiet One (1948), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), and The Learning Tree (1969).
October 1, 1906
Estelle Evans | |
|---|---|
Evans in The Quiet One, 1948 | |
| Born | Estelle Rolle October 1, 1906 |
| Died | July 20, 1985 (aged 78) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1919–1984 |
| Spouse | Walter Evans |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Rosanna Carter Esther Rolle (sisters; both deceased) |
| Awards | 1969 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture The Learning Tree |
Evans was the older sister of actresses Rosanna Carter and Esther Rolle.
Biography
Evans was born Estelle Rolle on October 1, 1906, in Exuma, Bahamas[1] to parents Jonathan and Elizabeth Iris Rolle (née Dames). She was the oldest of 18 children.[2][3] Her father moved to Florida to work for the railway;[2] the family followed[2] in 1920.[1]
Evans attended Florida Memorial College[3] or Florida A&M University[1] and became a teacher at Pompano Beach Elementary School.[1][3] She married to Walter Evans, an architectural draftsman and the couple moved to New York City[1] in 1935.[3] Evans worked as a teacher at PS 156 in Manhattan.[4][5]
In New York, Evans studied drama at Hunter College, and at American Negro Theater[5] alongside Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte.[1]
Evans played the mother in The Quiet One[3] and Calpurnia in the 1962 film version of To Kill a Mockingbird[2] and acted in several other major movies and television shows. For her work in The Learning Tree, she received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.[6]
Evans died on July 20, 1985, in New York City,[3] and she was buried in Westview Community Cemetery in Pompano Beach, Florida.[1] She was age 76.[1] She was survived by 1 son and 1 daughter.[1]
Filmography
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daddy-Long-Legs | 1919 | Uncredited | |
| The Quiet One | 1948 | The Mother | documentary |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | 1962 | Calpurnia | |
| Naked City | 1963 | Crossing Guard | TV series |
| The Learning Tree | 1969 | Sarah | |
| The Jeffersons | 1975 | Mary | TV series |
| Good Times | 1975 | Alice | TV series |
| A Piece of the Action | 1977 | Alberta Ballard | |
| See China and Die | 1981 | 1st Maid | TV movie |
| The Clairvoyant | 1982 | Francine | |
| Tales of the Unknown South | 1984 | TV movie, segment "The Half-Pint Flask" |
