Lillian Hayman
| Lillian Irene Hayman | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 17, 1922 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died |
October 25, 1994 (aged 72) Hollis, Queens, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
Lillian Irene Hayman (July 17, 1922 – October 25, 1994) was an American actress and singer.
Biography
Career
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Hayman graduated from Wilberforce University with a BA before she began her career in the Broadway theatre. She won the 1968 Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, playing the mother of Leslie Uggams's character in the play Hallelujah, Baby!.[1] This performance attracted the casting agents for One Life to Live, who cast her as Sadie Gray. Hayman played Sadie Gray from 1968 until 1986, when her option was not picked up by then-executive producer Paul Rauch. According to co-star Ellen Holly's 1998 memoir, One Life: The Autobiography of an African American Actress, Hayman didn't even know that she had been fired until Rauch's assistant told her in the parking garage as she left the studio, "Mr. Rauch wants you to know that you just worked your last day."[2] The role of Sadie was briefly played by Esther Rolle in 1971 when Hayman was temporarily unavailable.[3] Hayman briefly left the cast of One Life to Live to appear in the primetime musical comedy series The Leslie Uggams Show. Ms. Hayman also appeared in the 1971 Broadway production of the Kander and Ebb musical "70, Girls, 70."
Hayman portrayed Lucrezia Borgia in the 1975 film Mandingo, and made her final feature film appearance in the film's 1976 sequel, Drum.
Death
On October 25, 1994, Hayman died of a heart attack at her home in Hollis, Queens, New York. She was 72 years old.[4]
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1968 | The Night They Raided Minsky's | Singer in Speakeasy Sings: "Damn You!" | Alternative title: The Night They Invented Striptease |
| 1975 | Mandingo | Lucrezia Borgia | |
| 1976 | Drum | Lucrezia Borgia | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1968–1986 | One Life to Live | Sadie Gray | 1968–1986 Original Cast Member |
| 1969 | The Leslie Uggams Show | Regular cast member | 10 episodes |
| 1970 | Barefoot in the Park | Episode: "Somethin' Fishy" | |
| The Mod Squad | 1 episode | ||
| 1972 | Love, American Style | Gloria | 1 episode |
| The Corner Bar | 1 episode | ||
References
- ↑ "Services held in NY for 'One Life to Live' actress Lillian Hayman, 72, who died of heart attack". Jet. 1995-01-09. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
- ↑ Holly, Ellen (1996). One Life: The Autobiography of an African American Actress. Kodansha International. pp. 254–255. ISBN 1-56836-158-0.
- ↑ Ware, Susan; Braukman, Stacy Lorraine (2004). Notable American Women: A Biographical Dictionary Completing the Twentieth Century. Harvard University Press. p. 553. ISBN 0-674-01488-X.
- ↑ "Lillian Hayman, 72, Actress and Singer". The New York Times. 1994-11-02. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
