| Show I NELL CARTER PASSES PASSE SI AWAY By Joe Dixon Staff Writer Famed television star and Broadway actress Nell Carter best known for her sassy housekeeper housekeeper housekeeper house house- keeper on the sitcom a Break died Thursday at the age of 54 The actress collapsed in her Beverly Hills home and was found by her year old son Joshua She had suffered from diabetes and had undergone two brain surgeries from a near dead ly bout with a brain aneurysm in 1992 The cause of her death was not immediately known and spokesman Roger Lane said he did not know if her diabetes contributed contributed contributed con con- to her death At the time of her death Carter was in rehearsals at a Long LongBeach LongBeach LongBeach Beach theater for Raisin a musical version of Raisin in the Sun The show was set to run from Feb 7 to March 9 and is expected to continue with a replacement Carter was first thrust into the spotlight by performing on the New York stage After several small roles on and off Broadway Carter won an Obie Award and a Tony Award when she performed in the show Aint which was a revue of Fats Waller songs Several years later she earned an Emmy for her performance performance per per- on a television presentation presentation presentation presen presen- tation of the musical Many people have said Carter was blessed with a big voice and anda a strong stage presence despite her foot 4 height Carter prided herself on her range doing musicals and drama as aswell aswell aswell well as comedy She was a pioneer in many ways said fellow Tony winner Audra McDonald She had the ability to be such an incredible comedic theater musical-theater actress blow a song all the way to the back of the wall and then come comedown comedown comedown down and be so intimate and beautiful in a ballad When I was growing up it was not something you aspired to said Carter in a 1988 interview interview interview inter inter- view with the Associated Press I was a weirdo to want to be in show business Most kids wanted wanted wanted want want- ed to be teachers or nurses Carters Carter's next brush with fame came from her Emmy nominated role as housekeeper Nell Harper on a Break Carter played the housekeeper to a family family family fam fam- ily headed by a widower who was the town police chief Carl Kanisky played by Dolph Sweet Carter was nominated for two in 1982 and 1983 for her role From early in her career until the mid Carter struggled with alcohol and drugs eventually eventual eventual- ly shaking her addictions through a step 12 program Carter was married and divorced twice She is survived by an adult daughter Tracy and two adopted sons Joshua and Daniel also 13 y Y 50 a. a v a. a y V R J x x t S C y v. v y R k t t c ca v-c v k b f a Ya 4 y wv St tC z yN y fc y S 44 Courtesy of T com |
