Estelle Evans
Estelle Evans | |
|---|---|
Evans in The Quiet One, 1948 | |
| Born | Estelle Rolle October 1, 1906 |
| Died | July 20, 1985 (aged 78) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1919–1984 |
| Spouse | Walter Evans |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Rosanna Carter Esther Rolle (sisters; both deceased) |
| Awards | 1969 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture The Learning Tree |
Estelle Rolle Evans (October 1, 1906 – July 20, 1985) was a Bahamian-American actress during the 20th century. Some of her more famous appearances were in the movies The Quiet One (1948), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), and The Learning Tree (1969).
Evans was the older sister of actresses Rosanna Carter and Esther Rolle.
Biography
Evans was born Estelle Rolle on October 1, 1906, in Exuma, Bahamas[1] to parents Jonathan and Elizabeth Iris Rolle (née Dames). She was the oldest of 18 children.[2][3] Her father moved to Florida to work for the railway;[2] the family followed[2] in 1920.[1]
Evans attended Florida Memorial College[3] or Florida A&M University[1] and became a teacher at Pompano Beach Elementary School.[1][3] She married to Walter Evans, an architectural draftsman and the couple moved to New York City[1] in 1935.[3] Evans worked as a teacher at PS 156 in Manhattan.[4][5]
In New York, Evans studied drama at Hunter College, and at American Negro Theater[5] alongside Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte.[1]
Evans played the mother in The Quiet One[3] and Calpurnia in the 1962 film version of To Kill a Mockingbird[2] and acted in several other major movies and television shows. For her work in The Learning Tree, she received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.[6]
Evans died on July 20, 1985, in New York City,[3] and she was buried in Westview Community Cemetery in Pompano Beach, Florida.[1] She was age 76.[1] She was survived by 1 son and 1 daughter.[1]
Filmography
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daddy-Long-Legs | 1919 | Uncredited | |
| The Quiet One | 1948 | The Mother | documentary |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | 1962 | Calpurnia | |
| Naked City | 1963 | Crossing Guard | TV series |
| The Learning Tree | 1969 | Sarah | |
| The Jeffersons | 1975 | Mary | TV series |
| Good Times | 1975 | Alice | TV series |
| A Piece of the Action | 1977 | Alberta Ballard | |
| See China and Die | 1981 | 1st Maid | TV movie |
| The Clairvoyant | 1982 | Francine | |
| Tales of the Unknown South | 1984 | TV movie, segment "The Half-Pint Flask" |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Burns, Howard (July 24, 1985). "Veteran actress Estelle Evans, of TV, stage and film, dies at 76". The Miami News. pp. 4A. Retrieved January 2, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d Durden, Douglas (November 19, 1979). "'We Were Poor... But I Didn't Know That'". Richmond Times-Dispatch. pp. C1. Retrieved January 2, 2026 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f "Estelle Rolle Evans, TV, Film Actress". The Miami Herald. July 24, 1985. Retrieved January 2, 2026 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Teacher and Actress: Estelle Evans". New York Amsterdam News. February 24, 1962. p. 14. Retrieved January 2, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Recommended for a Role She Didn't Even Seek". New York Amsterdam News. March 9, 1963. p. 17. Retrieved January 2, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ "Black Movie, Television People Honored in L. A." Jet. Vol. XXXVII, no. 4. Johnson Publishing Company. October 30, 1969. pp. 68–69. Retrieved August 5, 2020 – via Google Books.