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Jackée Harry
Harry at a December 2010 performance of The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker
Born	Jacqueline Yvonne Harry (1956-08-14) August 14, 1956 (age 68) Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.
Education	Long Island University, Post (BA)
Occupations	Actress comedian television personality
Years active	1978–present
Spouses	Jerry Jemmott ​ ​(m. 1980; div. 1984)​ Elgin Charles Williams ​ ​(m. 1996; div. 2003)​
Children	2
Awards	1987 – Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Sandra Clark (227) 1999 – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Lisa Landry (Sister, Sister) 2000 – NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Lisa Landry (Sister, Sister)
Website	Official website

Jacqueline Yvonne "Jackée" Harry (born August 14, 1956) is an American actress, comedian, and television personality. She starred as Sandra Clark, the nemesis of Mary Jenkins (played by Marla Gibbs), on the NBC sitcom 227 (1985–1990), and as Lisa Landry on the ABC/The WB sitcom Sister, Sister (1994–1999). Harry was the first African-American to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

She also starred in the 1992 film Ladybugs opposite Rodney Dangerfield. Since March 2021, she has played Paulina Price on the NBC/Peacock soap opera Days of Our Lives.

Biography

Early life and education

Harry was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1956 to an Afro-Trinidadian mother and African American father and raised in Harlem, New York. She began studying acting at the High School of the Performing Arts in midtown Manhattan in New York City. Harry graduated from Long Island University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education and worked as a teacher of American history at Brooklyn Technical High School for two years before beginning a career on the New York stage.

Career

Theater

In 1978, Harry made her Broadway debut in A Broadway Musical. Throughout the 1980s she starred in numerous productions both on and off Broadway and in national touring productions. In 1994, Harry made her return to the theater by starring as Billie Holiday in the play Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. Following that stage production, she fulfilled the role of "madam who runs a bordello" in the Broadway musical The Boys from Syracuse. In the mid 2000s, she appeared in stage productions of The Sunshine Boys, Damn Yankees, and A Christmas Carol. She also toured nationally in JD Lawrence's The Clean Up Woman.

Television

Harry made her television acting debut in 1983 on Another World as Lily Mason, a role she continued until 1986. In 1984, she made her motion pictures debuts with bit parts in Moscow on the Hudson and The Cotton Club. In 1985, Harry began a co-starring role as Sandra Clark on the NBC sitcom 227. Her mother, Flossie, celebrated her getting the role but died before the show started airing. During the series' run, Harry and Marla Gibbs began feuding privately over who was the series' lead. They have since reconciled and collaborated on a number of projects. Her performance on 227 inspired NBC producers to create a television pilot for her entitled Jackée. Although the pilot episode was a success with audiences, the series did not last and the episode is now shown as an episode of 227.

After leaving 227 in 1989, Harry starred opposite Oprah Winfrey in The Women of Brewster Place, an adaptation of Gloria Naylor's novel of the same name. In 1990, she headlined an NBC comedy pilot from Witt/Thomas titled We'll Take Manhattan; it aired as a summer special that year, but did not make it to series. In late 1991, she joined the cast of The Royal Family after the star, Redd Foxx, unexpectedly died. She starred opposite two-time 227 guest-star Della Reese, but the series faltered in the ratings and was not renewed for a second season. In 1992, she starred as the assistant coach in Ladybugs. Harry served as a guest panelist on the 2000 revival of To Tell the Truth and appeared on the second season of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club 2 in 2005. From 1994 until 1999, Harry played Lisa Landry, the adoptive mother of Tia Mowry's character, on the sitcom Sister, Sister.

She had a recurring role as Vanessa on the UPN/The CW series Everybody Hates Chris and had a recurring role on the BET Series Let's Stay Together. From 2012 to 2015, she starred in Byron Allen's sitcom The First Family. In 2013, she appeared in the pilot episode of the Disney sitcom Girl Meets World, as well as the episodes "Girl Meets Crazy Hat" and "Girl Meets Demolition". That same year, she also joined Gibbs in the movie Forbidden Woman. In 2014, she made a guest appearance on Instant Mom as her character Lisa Landry. She appeared in the 2 Broke Girls episode "And the Sax Problem" in 2016, as Earl's (Garrett Morris) ex-girlfriend.

On December 8, 2020, during an appearance on Today, Harry announced that she was set to join the cast of the soap opera Days of Our Lives. Harry was cast as Paulina Price. When the series was renewed for two additional seasons in 2021, Harry was placed on contract with the series. On July 25, 2021, she appeared on Celebrity Family Feud.

Personal life

Harry has one child and was once married to arranger and conductor Jerry Jemmott. In 1996, Harry married Elgin Charles Williams; they later divorced in 2003. During their marriage, Harry and Williams adopted a son, Frank, in 1997.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

1. Fearn-Banks, Kathleen (2006). Historical dictionary of African-American television. Scarecrow Press. p. 185. ISBN 978-0-8108-5335-5.
2. ^ Felder, Lynn (October 28, 2017). "Jackée Harry, a Winston-Salem native, keeps 'em laughing". Winston-Salem Journal. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
3. "Biography". Jackée Harry. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
4. Mackay, Kathleen (August 30, 1987). "Jackee Harry's High-tack Style Enlivens '227'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
5. ^ Kappes, Serena (November 20, 2002). "Jackee from '227' plans TV comeback". CNN. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
6. Mayo, Sandra M.; Holt, Elvin (2016). Stages of Struggle and Celebration: A Production History of Black Theatre in Texas. University of Texas Press. p. 144. ISBN 978-1-4773-0820-2. Archived from the original on July 16, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
7. Fearn-Banks, Kathleen; Burford-Johnson, Anne (2014). Historical Dictionary of African American Television (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 12–13. ISBN 978-0-8108-7917-1. Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
8. Jacobs, Damon L. (February 26, 2011). "Exclusive Interview: Jackee Harry's 'Ideal Husband'". We Love Soaps. Archived from the original on July 24, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
9. Sadlier, Allison (October 3, 2016). "Gloria Naylor dead: Women of Brewster Place author dies at 66". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
10. Snauffer, Douglas (2008). The Show Must Go On: How the Deaths of Lead Actors Have Affected Television Series. McFarland. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-7864-3295-0. Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
11. ^ Eakin, Marah (February 26, 2016). "Jackée Harry on 227, Ladybugs, and why she wants to be the next Maggie Smith". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
12. Margaret, Mary (April 30, 2007). "Life After Celebrity Fit Club Keeping It Off". People. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
13. "For these stars, the weight is over". Chicago Tribune. August 10, 2005. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
14. Scott, Tony (March 29, 1994). "Sister, Sister the Meeting". Variety. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
15. Fitzharris, Dustin (October 26, 2010). "Jackee Harry On '227' And New BET Show". Essence. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
16. McDermott, Tyler K. (April 30, 2014). "Jackée Harry & Tia Mowry Reunite on 'Instant Mom'". Jet. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
17. "Jackée Harry announces new role on 'Days of our Lives'". Today. NBC. December 8, 2020. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
18. Cordero, Rosy (February 24, 2021). "Watch Jackée Harry's 'scandalous' debut as Paulina on Days of Our Lives". Entertainment Weekly. United States: Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
19. Andreeva, Nellie (May 11, 2021). "'Days Of Our Lives' Gets 2-Year Renewal Through Season 58 On NBC". Deadline Hollywood. United States: Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
20. "Jackée Plays "Celebrity Family Feud" July 25". Jackeeonline.com. Jackeé Harry. July 21, 2021. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
21. The HistoryMakers, Jackee Harry, Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Jackee Harry remembers her marriage from Jerry Jemmott Archived October 24, 2020, at the Wayback Machine.Retrieved January 23, 2020.
22. "Jackée Harry Weds in Lavish Beverly Hills Ceremony". Jet. 91 (6): 56–63. December 23, 1996. ISSN 0021-5996. Archived from the original on January 25, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
23. "Jackée Harry Talks About Her Son Frank, Motherhood And Prioritizing Her Career". Huffington Post. February 26, 2014. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
24. Dawn, Randee (November 12, 2019). "'Sister, Sister' reunion! Tia Mowry, Jackée Harry together in trailer for special". TODAY.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
25. "Jackée Harry". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
26. Littleton, Darryl J.; Littleton, Tuezdae (September 1, 2012). Comediennes: Laugh Be a Lady. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. p. 72. ISBN 978-1-4803-2974-4.
27. "Jackée Harry – Golden Globes". HFPA. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
28. "'Stella' earns three NAACP Awards". Northwest Herald. Associated Press. February 16, 1999. Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
29. "31st NAACP Image Awards". The Crisis. 107 (2): 43. March–April 2000. ISSN 0011-1422. Archived from the original on July 16, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
30. "25th Annual TV Awards (2020-21)". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved May 15, 2021.

External links

• Official website
• Jackée Harry at IMDb
• Jackée Harry at the Internet Broadway Database
• Jackée Harry at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Jackée Harry at AllMovie

• 1956 births
• 20th-century African-American actresses
• 20th-century American actresses
• 21st-century American actresses
• Actresses from North Carolina
• American people of Trinidad and Tobago descent
• African-American television directors
• American musical theatre actresses
• American soap opera actresses
• American television actresses
• American television directors
• American women comedians
• American women television directors
• LIU Post alumni
• Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners
• Living people
• Participants in American reality television series
• Actors from Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni
• Actresses from Manhattan
• People from Harlem
• 20th-century African-American women singers
• 20th-century American women singers
• 20th-century American singers
• 21st-century African-American actresses
• Comedians from North Carolina
• Comedians from Manhattan