Starletta DuPois
American actress (born 1941)
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Starletta DuPois (born July 18, 1941) is an American actress. She has appeared in more than 90 films and television shows during her career. She received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in The Mighty Gents (1978).
Starletta DuPois | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 18, 1941[1] Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1974–present |
Life and career
DuPois, who is of African American heritage, was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated from University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 1968, and received her M.F.A. in Theatre Arts from UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.[2] She made her Broadway debut appearing in 1974 short-lived play What the Wine-Sellers Buy.[3] Later that year, she had minor roles in films Death Wish and The Gambler. In 1976, she starred in the Off-Broadway production of So Nice, They Named it Twice.[4]
In 1978, DuPois received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in the original production of The Mighty Gents opposite Dorian Harewood.[5][6] She later played Ruth Younger in the Union Square Theatre's A Raisin in the Sun, and appeared in Longacre Theatre's musical Don't Get God Started.[7][8] At the same time, DuPois began appearing on television, playing guest-starring roles on The Jeffersons, Little House on the Prairie, Knots Landing, Hill Street Blues, CHiPs and St. Elsewhere. In 1989, she received NAACP Image Award for American Playhouse production of A Raisin in the Sun.[2] She later returned to play, but in role of Lena Younger, in the Royal Exchange Theatre 2010 production receiving positive review from The Guardian.[9] Her other theatre credits including Intimate Apparel, Before It Hits Home, King Hedley II, Miss Evers Boys, Fences, The Piano Lesson and Joe Turner's Come and Gone.[2]
During her career, DuPois played supporting roles in a more that 50 movies. She appeared in Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), Odd Jobs (1986), Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Ricochet (1991), The Waterdance (1992), South Central (1992), The Thing Called Love (1993), and Wolf (1994). She starred opposite James Earl Jones in the 1991 Western film Convicts[10] and played Whitney Houston' character mother in the 1995 comedy-drama film, Waiting to Exhale.[2] She later appeared in films 3 Strikes (2000), Big Momma's House (2000), Friday After Next (2002), The Notebook (2004), First Sunday (2008), True to the Game trilogy (2017–2021), and Charming the Hearts of Men (2021).
On television, DuPois appeared in made-for-television movies, include The Kid with the 200 I.Q. (1983), Wes Craven's Chiller (1985), Runaway Father (1991), Strapped (1993), The Road to Galveston (1996), Full Circle (1996) and Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland (2017). From 2017 to 2021 she starred in the streaming television comedy series, The Rich and the Ruthless opposite Victoria Rowell. Her other television credits including guest appearances on The Steve Harvey Show, Chicago Hope, The District, Lost, Cold Case and Black Jesus.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Death Wish | Lady at Police Station (uncredited) |
| 1974 | The Gambler | Monique (uncredited) |
| 1980 | The Torture of Mothers | Mother |
| 1985 | Pee-wee's Big Adventure | Sgt. Hunter |
| 1986 | Odd Jobs | Dwight's Mom |
| 1987 | Hollywood Shuffle | Bobby's Mother |
| 1991 | Ricochet | Mrs. Styles |
| 1991 | Convicts | Martha Johnson |
| 1991 | Last Breeze of Summer | Sarah Davis |
| 1992 | The Waterdance | Florence |
| 1992 | South Central | Nurse Shelly |
| 1993 | Let's Get Bizzee | Mrs. Baker |
| 1993 | The Thing Called Love | Selma |
| 1994 | Wolf | Victim's Mother |
| 1995 | Waiting to Exhale | Savannah's Mother |
| 1997 | The Maker | Technician |
| 2000 | 3 Strikes | Moms Douglas |
| 2000 | Big Momma's House | Miss Patterson |
| 2002 | Friday After Next | Sister Sarah |
| 2004 | The Notebook | Nurse Esther |
| 2005 | Duck | Social Worker |
| 2005 | Family Reunion | Mabel Green |
| 2008 | First Sunday | Grandmother |
| 2009 | The Least Among You | Bessie Benton |
| 2012 | Dead Money | Delores |
| 2012 | A Beautiful Soul | Deaconess |
| 2016 | Mosaic | Aunt Nell |
| 2017 | True to the Game | Gah-Git |
| 2017 | A Teacher's Touch | Narvie Harris |
| 2020 | Death of a Telemarketer | Mrs. Gordon |
| 2020 | Magic Max | Mrs. Chambers |
| 2020 | True to the Game 2 | Gah-Git |
| 2021 | Charming the Hearts of Men | Mattie |
| 2021 | True to the Game 3 | Gah-Git |
| 2023 | A Haitian Wedding | |
| 2023 | Soul Mates | Allison's Grandmother Marie |
| 2023 | Heart for the Holidays | |
| 2024 | No More Goodbyes | |
| 2025 | One Battle After Another | Gramma Minnie |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Jeffersons | Donna | 1 episode |
| 1981 | Little House on the Prairie | Freda | Episode: "Make a Joyful Noise" |
| 1981 | Hill Street Blues | 2nd Neighbor / 2nd Woman | 2 episodes |
| 1981 | CHiPs | Lauren Collier | 1 episode |
| 1983–1992 | Knots Landing | Chip's Nurse / Nurse Benson | 2 episodes |
| 1984 | St. Elsewhere | Dora Chambers | 2 episodes |
| 1987 | The Equalizer | Female Detective | Episode: "Inner View" |
| 1982 | Games Mother Never Taught You | Ann | TV movie |
| 1983 | The Kid with the 200 I.Q. | Minna Newell | TV movie |
| 1985 | Deadly Intentions | Security Lady | TV movie |
| 1985 | Wes Craven's Chiller | Nurse | TV movie |
| 1989 | American Playhouse | Ruth Younger | TV movie: A Raisin in the Sun |
| 1991 | Runaway Father | Ruth | TV movie |
| 1993 | Frogs! | Principal Caverly | TV movie |
| 1993 | Strapped | Diquan's Mother | TV movie |
| 1994 | A Passion for Justice: The Hazel Brannon Smith Story | Ruth | TV movie |
| 1996 | The Road to Galveston | Sally, Jordan's Blind Friend | TV movie |
| 1996 | Full Circle | Miriam Black | TV movie |
| 1997 | Alone | Lois | TV movie |
| 1998 | The Steve Harvey Show | Ms. Pittman | 1 episode |
| 1998 | Chicago Hope | Arlene | 1 episode |
| 2003 | The District | Kay Gilson | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Lost | Mrs. Dawson | 2 episodes |
| 2008 | Cold Case | Mrs. Harris | 1 episode |
| 2014–2019 | Black Jesus | Protester #1 / Miss Evans | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland | Katherine Jackson | TV movie |
| 2017–2019 | The Rich and the Ruthless | Grandma Jones | 18 episodes |
| 2026 | Bass X Machina | Etta (voice) | Upcoming series[11] |