Fran Bennett

Fran Bennett (born August 14, 1937) is an American actress, known for her works in theater and on television.

Fran Bennett
Born (1937-08-14) August 14, 1937
Malvern, Arkansas, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin at Madison, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts
OccupationActress
Years active1961–present
Employer
  • CalArts School of Theater, 1996-2003
  • Antaeus Theatre Company
  • Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company
  • London Academy of Dramatic Art
Notable work
Lead in "King Lear", Center for New Theater, Los Angeles, 2002
Television
  • The Bold and the Beautiful
  • Diff'rent Strokes
  • Guiding Light
  • Quantum Leap
  • Roots: The Next Generations
  • Scandal
Honours
  • NAACP Theatre Award
  • AEA/AFTRA/SAG Diversity Award
  • Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, inducted 2005

She is not to be confused with the 1950s actress of the same name (born Frances Eugenia Leonard, November 25, 1934, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.), who appeared as the daughter of Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson in the 1956 film Giant.

Life and career

Bennett was born in Malvern, Arkansas.[1][2] She made her acting debut in theater, before making her television debut on the daytime soap opera, Guiding Light. Bennett later had guest-starring roles in Roots: The Next Generations, Lou Grant, Dallas, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing, L.A. Law, and Dynasty.

Bennett had a regular role in the short-lived NBC medical drama Nightingales in 1989.[1] She also had recurring roles in the daytime soap operas General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful and Sunset Beach. In prime time, she had recurring roles in Quantum Leap, In the Heat of the Night, Crisis Center and The Book of Daniel.[3] In recent years, she appeared in Boston Legal, ER and Scandal. She played the coroner in an episode of "Remington Steele" January 14, 1986.

Bennett has appeared in a number of films, including Promises in the Dark (1979), How I Got Into College (1989), The Doctor (1991), Plymouth (1991), New Nightmare (1994), Foxfire (1996), The Next Best Thing (2000) and Jessabelle (2014).

From 1996 to 2003, she was head of the performance program in the School of Theater at the California Institute of the Arts.[4]

In 2019, she portrayed the role of Mother Olivia Jefferson in a re-creation of the pilot episode of The Jeffersons in Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons alongside Jamie Foxx as George, Wanda Sykes as Louise as well as Kerry Washington and Will Ferrell as Helen and Tom Willis respectively.[5]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1979 Promises in the Dark ER Nurse
1985 The Dancing Bulrushes Narrator Short
1989 How I Got into College Mrs. Cook
1994 Wes Craven's New Nightmare Dr. Christine Heffner
1996 Foxfire Judge Holifield
1997 Leave It to Beaver Dr. Beawoot
1999 Unbowed Miss Bennett
2000 The Next Best Thing Judge Tracey Bennett
2001 Maple Grandmother Short
2001 The Sky Is Falling Mrs. Quinn
2002 Crazy as Hell Mrs. Ada Barnett
2014 Jessabelle Mrs. Davis
2016 Growing Up Lenora Short

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1965–1966 Guiding Light Mrs. Matson
1978 Diff'rent Strokes Mrs. Thompson "The Social Worker"
1979 Roots: The Next Generations Trixie "1.6"
Friendships, Secrets and Lies Clarissa TV film
1980 Here's Boomer Dr. Joyce Clarke "Molly"
1980 The Righteous Apples Evelyn "Convictions"
1980 Knots Landing Bev Tolner "Let Me Count the Ways"
1981 The Violation of Sarah McDavid Ms. Merriam TV film
1981 Lou Grant Sarah / Chaney "Boomerang", "Wedding"
1982 Knots Landing Kimya Haman "Abby's Choice"
1983 Matt Houston Lucille "The Ghost of Carter Gault"
1983 General Hospital Flora Johnston 3 episodes
1984 Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter Miss Deal TV film
1984 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Sookey TV film
1984 Trapper John, M.D. Mrs. Ramsey "School Nurse"
1985 Falcon Crest Nurse "Cold Comfort", "Confessions"
1985 Shadow Chasers Dr. Frolov "Spirit of St. Louis"
1986 St. Elsewhere Nurse Julie Attucks "To Tell the Truth"
1986 Simon & Simon Wanda Tale "The Blue Chip Stomp"
1986 Benson Sen. Williams "Secret Love"
1986 Foley Square Dr. Charney "Nobody's Perfect"
1986 Cagney & Lacey Judge Hansen "Family Connections"
1987 A Year in the Life Mrs. Caldwell "Don't I Know You from Somewhere?"
1987 The Bold and the Beautiful Judge Madeline Collins Recurring role
1987–1988 L.A. Law Judge Hillary Miller Johnson "The Douglas Fur Ball", "Hand Roll Express"
1988 Highway to Heaven Flora "Back to Oakland"
1988 Dynasty Gloria Wilby "The Trial", "The Proposal"
1988 Nightingales Lenore Ritt, RN TV film
1988 Roots: The Gift Mammy May TV film
1989 Nightingales Head Nurse Lenore Ritt Main role
1989 ALF Mrs. Watson "Happy Together"
1989 Tour of Duty Mrs. Johnson "Green Christmas"
1990 Mancuso, F.B.I. Anna "Conspiracy"
1990 Amen Judge Wilde "Deacon's Dilemma"
1990 The Knife and Gun Club Nurse Mary Falk TV film
1990 Matlock Betty Harding "The Personal Trainer"
1990–1991 WIOU Leonara Gates "The Inquisition", "Labored Relations"
1990–1992 In the Heat of the Night Ruda Gibson "Family Matters", "Ruda's Awakening", "Last Rights"
1991 Plymouth Debra TV film
1991 Crazy from the Heart Judge Sandra Farrell TV film
1991 Quantum Leap Ada Simpson "Justice"
1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation Fleet Adm. Shanthi "Redemption II"
1992 Jake and the Fatman Thornton "Last Dance"
1992 Breaking the Silence Judge Richards TV film
1992 Quantum Leap Marie Billings "Trilogy: Parts 1, 2 & 3"
1992 Melrose Place Dr. Miller "Jake vs. Jake"
1994 Murder, She Wrote Det. MacKenzie "Proof in the Pudding"
1994 Once in a Lifetime Dr. Liz Wells TV film
1994 A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor Judge Donna Andrews TV film
1996 Arliss Amelia Halimon "Negotiating: It's Never Personal"
1996 ER Phyllis "Union Station"
1996 What Love Sees Bessie Hays TV film
1997 Crisis Center Tess's Mother Recurring role
1997 Sunset Beach Chief Harris Recurring role
1997 Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal Grandma Williams "4 Points"
1997 Chicago Hope Dr. Andrea Porter "Second Chances"
1998 Team Night Rider Miss Barrett "Angels in Chains"
1998 Tempting Fate Nurse Lorenzo TV film
1999 Early Edition Judge A. Harding Joseph "Pinch Hitters"
2000 Chicago Hope Dr. Odelia Wilkes "Letting Go"
2000 City of Angels Hattie Brewster "Prototype", "Weenis Between Us"
2000 Becker Enid Connelly "Sight Unseen"
2001 The Jennie Project Judge TV film
2002 Any Day Now Mrs. Raymond "Just the Beginning: Part 1"
2002 Days of Our Lives Judge Ross 1 episode
2003 Boomtown Beatrice Rahming "The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang"
2006 The Book of Daniel Rainy Regular role
2006 Boston Legal Judge Diane Avent "Shock and Owww!"
2008 ER Michelle "Owner of a Broken Heart"
2008 Grave Misconduct Mrs. Crutch TV film
2009 Numbers Estelle Brown "Shadow Markets"
2010 Community Nana "Basic Genealogy"
2015 Scandal Lois "Run"
2015 The Fosters Iris "Going South", "Idyllwild"
2019 Live in Front of a Studio Audience Mother Olivia Jefferson Episode: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons

References
  1. "Fran Bennett Biography (1937-)". Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  2. "Encyclopedia of Arkansas". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  3. "Fran Bennett". TVGuide.com. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
  4. "Fran Bennett". Archived from the original on June 15, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2017.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. Mason, Charlie (May 22, 2019). "The Jeffersons Live Recap: Did the Cast Make It Look Weezy… Er, Easy?". TVLine. United States: TVLine Media, LLC. (Penske Media Corporation). Retrieved May 23, 2019.
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