Paula Alma Kelly (October 21, 1942 – February 8, 2020)Paula Kelly Dies: ‘Night Court’ & ‘Women Of Brewster Place’ Emmy Nominee Was 77 (Deadline. com February 2020)Paula Kelly, Who Danced From Stage Onto the Screen, Dies at 77 (NY Times February 12, 2020) was an American actress, singer, dancer and choreographer in films, television and theatre. Kelly's career began during the mid–1960s in theatre, making her Broadway debut as Mrs. Veloz in the 1964 musical Something More!, alongside Barbara Cook. Kelly's other Broadway credits include The Dozens (1969), Paul Sills' Story Theatre (1971), Ovid's Metamorphoses (1971), and Sophisticated Ladies (1981), based on the music of Duke Ellington, appearing with Gregory Hines and Phyllis Hyman.
Early life and education Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Kelly was one of three daughters born to Ruth and Lehman Kelly, a jazz musician. By age six, Kelly's family had relocated to Harlem neighborhood of New York City. For high school, Kelly attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, majoring in music. Kelly continued her studies at the Juilliard School of Music, where she majored in dance under Martha Hill. Graduating in 1964 with a M.S. degree, Kelly performed as a soloist with major modern dance companies such as Martha Graham, Donald McKayle, and Alvin Ailey.
Career Kelly performed as guest artist and sometimes assistant choreographer for numerous television musical specials, including Sammy and Friends (starring Sammy Davis Jr.); co-choreographer of the BBC production of Peter Pan, in which she also performed the role of Tiger-Lily; Quincy Jones' TV tribute to Duke Ellington, We Love You Madly; The Richard Pryor Show; and Gene Kelly's New York, New York, in which the two Kellys performed a duet.
Kelly performed a dance solo at the 41st Academy Awards for the nominated title song from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). She appeared on the London stage in Sweet Charity with dancer and actress Juliet Prowse, for which Kelly won the London Variety Award for Best Supporting Actress. She starred in the record-breaking west coast premiere of Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope at the Mark Taper Forum, for which she was awarded the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, Variety, and the first of three NAACP Image Awards. Kelly posed for a pictorial in the August 1969 issue of Playboy magazine, photographed by Lawrence Schiller.Paula Kelly, LawrenceSchiller.com
Kelly's film credits include the Bob Fosse-directed film Sweet Charity; Soylent Green; The Spook Who Sat by the Door; The Andromeda Strain; Uptown Saturday Night; Lost in the Stars; Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling; Drop Squad; and Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored.
Kelly had a regular role as Liz Williams on the first season of the sitcom Night Court, for which she received an Emmy Award nomination. Kelly also guest-starred in a variety of television movies and sitcoms, including Sanford and Son, Kojak, Police Woman, The Golden Girls, Good Times, Any Day Now and in the Oprah Winfrey-produced TV mini-series The Women of Brewster Place (based on the 1982 novel of the same name by Gloria Naylor), in which she portrayed one half of a lesbian couple (with Lonette McKee) struggling against homophobia in an inner-city ghetto. Kelly was nominated for a second Emmy for her role in The Women of Brewster Place.
Personal life and death On September 15, 1985, Kelly married British film director Don Chaffey. Chaffey died in November 1990.
Her partner since 2003 was George Parkington.
Kelly died of heart failure on February 8, 2020, at age 77.
Filmography Film Year Title Role1969Sweet CharityHelene1971Karen Anson1972Cool BreezeMartha Harris1972Top of the HeapBlack Chick1972Trouble ManCleo1973Soylent GreenMartha1973Dahomey Queen1974Three Tough GuysFay1974Lost in the StarsRose1974Uptown Saturday NightLeggy Peggy/Mrs. Lincoln1976DrumRachel1986Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is CallingSatin Doll1993Bank RobberMother1994Drop SquadAunt Tilly1995Once Upon a Time... When We Were ColoredMa Pearl
Television Year Title Role Notes1973Dance InstructorEpisode: "6.22”1970Wilma Episode: "A Busload of Bishops"1970Medical CenterEllie James Episode: "The Rebel in White"1973Sanford and SonOlayia Episode: "Lamont Goes African"1974Medical CenterAmes Episode: "Saturday's Child"1975CannonCora Bloom Episode: "The Wedding March"1975Carol Episode: "Men Will Die"1975–77Police WomanLinda Sommers3 episodes1976A. Chamberlain Episode: "The Thrill Killers: Parts 1 & 2"1976Peter PanTiger Lily TV movie1976, 1981InsightGrace (Holy Ghost),Vilma Johnson 2 episodes1977Betty 'Satin Doll' Episode: "1.1"1977KojakJanet Carlisle Episode: "The Queen of Hearts Is Wild"1979Good TimesDr. Kelly Episode: "Where Have All the Doctors Gone?"1980Inez KrowderTV short1981Trapper John, M.D.Betty Simons Episode: "Straight and Narrow"1983ChiefsLiz Watts Miniseries, episode: "Part 3"1983Feel the HeatSally Long unsuccessful television pilot1984Night CourtLiz WilliamsMain cast (season 1)1984Hot PursuitConnie Episode: "Portrait of a Lady Killer"1984–85Santa BarbaraGinger JonesRecurring role1985Hill Street BluesMrs. Eagleton Episode: "Davenport in a Storm"1985Finder of Lost LovesAlice Taylor-Hancock Episode: "Aftershocks"1986St. ElsewhereSylvia Episode: "Cheek to Cheek"1986AmenLeona Episode: "Rolly Falls in Love"1987Uncle Tom's CabinCassyTV movie1987CBS Summer PlayhouseLt. Lois Poole Episode: "Kung Fu: The Next Generation"1987Marguerite Brown Episode: "The Housekeeper"1989TheresaMiniseries1989Mission: ImpossiblePepper Leveau Episode: "Bayou"1990American Playhouse unknown Episode: "Zora Is My Name!"1991Baby TalkClaire3 episodes1992Room for TwoDiahnn Boudreau2 episodes1994South CentralSweets4 episodes1995University HospitalDr. Leslie Bauer Episode: "Shadow of a Doubt"1996Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers StoryMrs. DeversTV movie1999Any Day Now unknown Episode: "Family Is Family"
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