1920
2000
"Guess Who is Coming to Dinner"
" The Great White Hope"
Two Time Emmy Winner
Multiple Oscar, Golden Globe, Tony Award Nominations
Born Beulah Richardson, Beah Richards was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi on a hot July day in 1920. Beah was raised by a loving mother who was a PTA advocate as well as a seamstress and a Baptist Minister. Growing up her parents knew she would grow up to be special and she did not disappoint. Beah became a poet, playwright, author, and an actress of the stage, screen and television.
After spending time at Dillard University in New Orleans she moved to New York City to start her career. From Broadway to television to movies, Beah catapulted to stardom portraying a variety of roles specifically mother and grandmother roles. There are not many actresses that are able to act their entire lives but Beah was that actress. In the last year of her life Beah was able to record over seventy hours of conversation with actress Lisa Gray Hamilton for an award winning documentary titled “A Black Woman Speaks”. Beah passed away in 2000 at the age of 80 after an extradentary, inflectional and extensive career as a black, female actress.
Notable Movies
Notable TV Appearances
Designing Women
The Practice
The Big Valley
ER
Sanford and Son
The Cosby Show
Frank’s Place
Hurry Sundown
The Great White
Hope
Beloved
In the Heat of the Night
Notable Threatre
Notable Theater
The Amen Corner
Purlie Victorious
The Miracle Worker
A Raisin in the Sun
One Is A Crowd
A Black Woman Speaks
A Career to be Recognized ...
Tony Awards
1965-Nominated for The Amen Corner
Academy Award
1967-Nominated-Best Supporting Actress- Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Golden Globe
1967-Nominated-Best Supporting Actress- Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
NAACP Award
1970- Won- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Emmy Awards
1998- Won Frank's Place
2000- Won The Practice
There are a lot of movies out there that I would hate to be paid to do, some real demeaning, real woman-denigrating stuff. It is up to women to change their roles. They are going to have to write the stuff and do it. And they will."
- Beah Richards
I was introduced to Bea Richards though Frank Silvera and we had an instant bond. She was a mentor and coach for me in drama and remains a constant spirit of love over me to this day. Because she believed in "numbers" she gave me the name Tonea. My life has been forever changed through Bea Richards.
- Tonea Stewart
