Actress. She is best remembered for her recurring portrayal of the eccentric yet lovable Stella the Storyteller on the live-action children's show "Barney & Friends." After attaining her degree in theatrical arts from The University of Texas, she began her career in the theater appearing in stage productions of "Cabin in the Sky," "Porgy and Bess," and "A Raisin in the Sun". Relocating to Los Angeles, California, in the early 1990s, she began a secondary career as a character actress in film appearing in over 30 features; often typecast as mothers, wives, best friends, kindly neighbors, doctors, nurses, secretaries, educators, and businesswoman. She became a household name appearing in leading roles in such films as "Steele's Law" (1992), "Hexed" (1993), "Hollywood Deadbeat" (1995), "Night Vision" (1997), "Finding North" (1998), "The Beautiful Country" (2004), and "Miss Juneteenth" (2020). On television, she appeared in various guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "Walker, Texas Ranger," "Chase," and "Queen on the South". During her career, she was state president of the Future Homemakers of Americas, a secretary for the National Honor Society, served as the team-board vice-president for JCPenney, was a regular parishioner of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, was a theatrical instructor for the Tyler Civic Theater, and was an honorary chairwoman with the Texas State Democratic Committee. After appearing in her last major film role in "Garden of Lies" (2021), she died from complications of liver cancer.
Actress. She is best remembered for her recurring portrayal of the eccentric yet lovable Stella the Storyteller on the live-action children's show "Barney & Friends." After attaining her degree in theatrical arts from The University of Texas, she began her career in the theater appearing in stage productions of "Cabin in the Sky," "Porgy and Bess," and "A Raisin in the Sun". Relocating to Los Angeles, California, in the early 1990s, she began a secondary career as a character actress in film appearing in over 30 features; often typecast as mothers, wives, best friends, kindly neighbors, doctors, nurses, secretaries, educators, and businesswoman. She became a household name appearing in leading roles in such films as "Steele's Law" (1992), "Hexed" (1993), "Hollywood Deadbeat" (1995), "Night Vision" (1997), "Finding North" (1998), "The Beautiful Country" (2004), and "Miss Juneteenth" (2020). On television, she appeared in various guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "Walker, Texas Ranger," "Chase," and "Queen on the South". During her career, she was state president of the Future Homemakers of Americas, a secretary for the National Honor Society, served as the team-board vice-president for JCPenney, was a regular parishioner of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, was a theatrical instructor for the Tyler Civic Theater, and was an honorary chairwoman with the Texas State Democratic Committee. After appearing in her last major film role in "Garden of Lies" (2021), she died from complications of liver cancer.
Bio by: Lowell Thurgood
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