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Beah Richards
Highest Rated: 96% In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Lowest Rated: Not Available
Birthday: Jul 12, 1920
Birthplace: Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA
A veteran stage performer and character player, Beah Richards is perhaps best remembered by movie audiences for her Oscar-nominated portrayal as Sidney Poitier's proud, knowing mother in Stanley Kramer's "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" (1967). Like Angela Lansbury, Richards was often called on to portray the mother of actors not much younger than herself (e.g., she was a mere seven years older than Poitier and 11 years older than James Earl Jones who portrayed her son in 1970's "The Great White Hope"). TV aficionados will recall her from her many appearances ranging from Bill Cosby's mother on his first sitcom (NBC, 1970-71) to a recurring role as the ailing mother of Dr. Benton (Eriq LaSalle) on "ER" (NBC, 1994-95).
Photos
Filmography
Movies
| Credit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72% | 70% | Beloved | Baby Suggs, aka Grandma Baby (Character) | $22.8M | 1998 |
| No Score Yet | 89% | Out of Darkness | Mrs. Cooper (Character) | - | 1994 |
| 0% | 37% | Homer & Eddie | Linda Cervi (Character) | - | 1989 |
| 60% | 59% | Big Shots | Miss Hanks (Character) | $2.9M | 1987 |
| No Score Yet | 50% | As Summers Die | Elvira Backus (Character) | - | 1986 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Acceptable Risks | Sally Framm (Character) | - | 1986 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Generation | Edna (Character) | - | 1985 |
| No Score Yet | 79% | Banjo the Woodpile Cat | Unknown (Character) | - | 1982 |
| No Score Yet | 40% | A Christmas Without Snow | Wendell's Grandma (Character) | - | 1980 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ring of Passion | Lilly Brooks (Character) | - | 1978 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Countdown to the Big One | Lilly Brooks (Character) | - | 1978 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Just an Old Sweet Song | Grandma (Character) | - | 1976 |
| 29% | 76% | Mahogany | Florence (Character) | - | 1975 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Dream for Christmas | Grandma Bessie (Character) | - | 1973 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Outrage | Thelma (Character) | - | 1973 |
| No Score Yet | 50% | The Biscuit Eater | Charity Tomlin (Character) | - | 1972 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Footsteps | Jessie Blake (Character) | - | 1972 |
| 43% | 67% | The Great White Hope | Mama Tiny (Character) | - | 1970 |
| 71% | 85% | Guess Who's Coming to Dinner | Mrs. Prentice (Character) | - | 1967 |
| 96% | 92% | In the Heat of the Night | Mama Caleba (Character) | - | 1967 |
| 22% | 29% | Hurry Sundown | Rose Scott (Character) | - | 1967 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Gone Are the Days | Idella Landy (Character) | - | 1963 |
| 96% | 88% | The Miracle Worker | Viney, Keller Maid (uncredited) (Character) | - | 1962 |
| No Score Yet | 87% | Take a Giant Step | May Scott (Character) | - | 1959 |
TV
| Credit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Practice | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2000 |
| No Score Yet | 85% | ER | Mae Benton (Guest Star) | 1994-1995 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Matlock | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1993 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Designing Women | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1990 1993 |
| No Score Yet | 89% | Murder, She Wrote | Emma Coop (Guest Star) | 1988 1991 |
| 100% | No Score Yet | Brewster Place | Bernice Sands (Guest Star) | 1990 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 227 | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1986-1987 1990 |
| No Score Yet | 86% | Beauty and the Beast | Narcissa (Guest Star) | 1987-1989 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Facts of Life | Grandmother (Guest Star) | 1988 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Frank's Place | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1987 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hunter |
Pockets / |
1986-1987 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Hitchhiker | Unknown (Character) | 1986 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Punky Brewster | Mrs. Carney (Guest Star) | 1985 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Highway to Heaven | Mrs. Baldwin (Guest Star) | 1985 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1984 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Benson | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1981 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Apple's Way | Mrs. Thaxter (Guest Star) | 1974 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Sanford and Son | Aunt Ethel (Character) | 1972 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Room 222 | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1969 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | I Spy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1967 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dr. Kildare | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1966 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Big Valley | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1965 |