Fran Bennett

Fran Bennett (August 14, 1937^{[citation needed]} – September 12, 2021) was an American actress, known for her works in theater and on television. She portrayed the role of Mother Olivia Jefferson in a re-creation of the pilot episode of The Jeffersons in Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons.

Fran Bennett
Born	August 14, 1937 Malvern, Arkansas, U.S.
Died	September 12, 2021 (aged 84) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1961–2021
Employers	CalArts School of Theater, 1996-2003 Antaeus Theatre Company Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company London Academy of Dramatic Art
Notable work	Lead in "King Lear", Center for New Theater, Los Angeles, 2002
Television	The Bold and the Beautiful Diff'rent Strokes Guiding Light Quantum Leap Roots: The Next Generations Scandal
Honours	NAACP Theatre Award AEA/AFTRA/SAG Diversity Award Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, inducted 2005

Life and career

Bennett was born in Malvern, Arkansas.^[1] She made her acting debut in theater, and her television debut on the daytime soap opera, Guiding Light.^{[citation needed]} Bennett later had guest-starring roles in Roots: The Next Generations, Lou Grant, Dallas, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing, L.A. Law, and Dynasty.

Bennett had a regular role in the short-lived NBC medical drama Nightingales in 1989. She also had recurring roles in the daytime soap operas General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful and Sunset Beach. In prime time, she had recurring roles in Quantum Leap, In the Heat of the Night, Crisis Center and The Book of Daniel.^[2] In recent years, she appeared in Boston Legal, ER, Becker and Scandal. She played the coroner in an episode of Remington Steele January 14, 1986.

Bennett had appeared in a number of films, including Promises in the Dark (1979), How I Got Into College (1989), The Doctor (1991), Plymouth (1991), New Nightmare (1994), Foxfire (1996), The Next Best Thing (2000) and Jessabelle (2014).

From 1996 to 2003, she was head of the performance program in the School of Theater at the California Institute of the Arts.^[3]

In 2019, she portrayed the role of Mother Olivia Jefferson in a re-creation of the pilot episode of The Jeffersons in Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons alongside Jamie Foxx as George, Wanda Sykes as Louise as well as Kerry Washington and Will Ferrell as Helen and Tom Willis respectively.^[4]

Bennett died in Los Angeles on September 12, 2021, at the age of 84.^[5][6]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1979	Promises in the Dark	ER Nurse
1985	The Dancing Bulrushes	Narrator	Short
1989	How I Got into College	Mrs. Cook
1994	Wes Craven's New Nightmare	Dr. Christine Heffner
1996	Foxfire	Judge Holifield
1997	Leave It to Beaver	Dr. Beawoot
1999	Unbowed	Miss Bennett
2000	The Next Best Thing	Judge Tracey Bennett
2001	Maple	Grandmother	Short
2001	The Sky Is Falling	Mrs. Quinn
2002	Crazy as Hell	Mrs. Ada Barnett
2009	Star Trek	Vulcan Midwife	Scenes cut
2014	Jessabelle	Mrs. Davis
2016	Growing Up	Lenora	Short
2021	The Manor	Ruth

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1960	To Tell the Truth	Herself
1965–1966	Guiding Light	Mrs. Matson
1978	Diff'rent Strokes	Mrs. Thompson	"The Social Worker"
1979	Roots: The Next Generations	Trixie	"1.6"
	Friendships, Secrets and Lies	Clarissa	TV film
1980	Here's Boomer	Dr. Joyce Clarke	"Molly"
1980	The Righteous Apples	Evelyn	"Convictions"
1980	Knots Landing	Bev Tolner	"Let Me Count the Ways"
1981	The Violation of Sarah McDavid	Ms. Merriam	TV film
1981	Lou Grant	Sarah / Chaney	"Boomerang", "Wedding"
1982	Knots Landing	Kimya Haman	"Abby's Choice"
1983	Matt Houston	Lucille	"The Ghost of Carter Gault"
1983	General Hospital	Flora Johnston	3 episodes
1984	Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter	Miss Deal	TV film
1984	Cat on a Hot Tin Roof	Sookey	TV film
1984	Trapper John, M.D.	Mrs. Ramsey	"School Nurse"
1985	Falcon Crest	Nurse	"Cold Comfort", "Confessions"
1985	Shadow Chasers	Dr. Frolov	"Spirit of St. Louis"
1986	St. Elsewhere	Nurse Julie Attucks	"To Tell the Truth"
1986	Simon & Simon	Wanda Tale	"The Blue Chip Stomp"
1986	Benson	Sen. Williams	"Secret Love"
1986	Foley Square	Dr. Charney	"Nobody's Perfect"
1986	Cagney & Lacey	Judge Hansen	"Family Connections"
1987	A Year in the Life	Mrs. Caldwell	"Don't I Know You from Somewhere?"
1987	The Bold and the Beautiful	Judge Madeline Collins	Recurring role
1987–1988	L.A. Law	Judge Hillary Miller Johnson	"The Douglas Fur Ball", "Hand Roll Express"
1988	Highway to Heaven	Flora	"Back to Oakland"
1988	Dynasty	Gloria Wilby	"The Trial", "The Proposal"
1988	Nightingales	Lenore Ritt, RN	TV film
1988	Roots: The Gift	Mammy May	TV film
1989	Nightingales	Head Nurse Lenore Ritt	Main role
1989	ALF	Mrs. Watson	"Happy Together"
1989	Tour of Duty	Mrs. Johnson	"Green Christmas"
1990	Mancuso, F.B.I.	Anna Sims	"Conspiracy"
1990	Amen	Judge Wilde	"Deacon's Dilemma"
1990	The Knife and Gun Club	Nurse Mary Falk	TV film
1990	Matlock	Betty Harding	"The Personal Trainer"
1990–1991	WIOU	Leonara Gates	"The Inquisition", "Labored Relations"
1990–1992	In the Heat of the Night	Ruda Gibson	"Family Matters", "Ruda's Awakening", "Last Rights"
1991	Plymouth	Debra	TV film
1991	Crazy from the Heart	Judge Sandra Farrell	TV film
1991	Quantum Leap	Ada Simpson	"Justice"
1991	Star Trek: The Next Generation	Fleet Adm. Shanthi	"Redemption II"
1992	Jake and the Fatman	Thornton	"Last Dance"
1992	Breaking the Silence	Judge Richards	TV film
1992	Quantum Leap	Marie Billings	"Trilogy: Parts 1, 2 & 3"
1992	Melrose Place	Dr. Miller	"Jake vs. Jake"
1994	Murder, She Wrote	Det. MacKenzie	"Proof in the Pudding"
1994	Once in a Lifetime	Dr. Liz Wells	TV film
1994	A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor	Judge Donna Andrews	TV film
1996	Arliss	Amelia Halimon	"Negotiating: It's Never Personal"
1996	ER	Phyllis	"Union Station"
1996	What Love Sees	Bessie Hays	TV film
1997	Crisis Center	Tess's Mother	Recurring role
1997	Sunset Beach	Chief Harris	Recurring role
1997	Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal	Grandma Williams	"4 Points"
1997	Chicago Hope	Dr. Andrea Porter	"Second Chances"
1998	Team Night Rider	Miss Barrett	"Angels in Chains"
1998	Tempting Fate	Nurse Lorenzo	TV film
1999	Early Edition	Judge A. Harding Joseph	"Pinch Hitters"
2000	Chicago Hope	Dr. Odelia Wilkes	"Letting Go"
2000	City of Angels	Hattie Brewster	"Prototype", "Weenis Between Us"
2000	Becker	Enid Connelly	"Sight Unseen"
2001	The Jennie Project	Judge	TV film
2002	Any Day Now	Mrs. Raymond	"Just the Beginning: Part 1"
2002	Days of Our Lives	Judge Ross	1 episode
2003	Boomtown	Beatrice Rahming	"The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang"
2006	The Book of Daniel	Rainy	Regular role
2006	Boston Legal	Judge Diane Avent	"Shock and Owww!"
2008	ER	Michelle	"Owner of a Broken Heart"
2008	Grave Misconduct	Mrs. Crutch	TV film
2009	Numbers	Estelle Brown	"Shadow Markets"
2010	Community	Nana Barnes	"Basic Genealogy"
2015	Scandal	Lois	"Run"
2015	The Fosters	Iris	"Going South", "Idyllwild"
2019	Live in Front of a Studio Audience	Mother Olivia Jefferson	Episode: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons