
Pompano Beach, Florida USA
Esther Elizabeth Rolle (November 8, 1920 – November 17, 1998) was a Bahamian American actress. Rolle is best known for her role as Florida Evans, on the CBS television sitcom Maude, for two seasons (1972–1974), and its spin-off series Good Times, for five seasons (1974–77, 1978–79), for which Rolle was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1976. Rolle is best known for her television role as Florida Evans, the character she played on two 1970s sitcoms. The character was introduced as Maude Findlay's housekeeper on Maude, and was spun off in the show's second season into Good Times, a show about Florida's family. Rolle was nominated in 1975 for the Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy Golden Globe Award for her role in Good Times. Rolle was 19 years older than the actor (John Amos) who played her husband James Evans. The James Evans character was only added after Esther Rolle fought hard for a father figure and husband to be added to the show. Rolle had fought for the father character on the show, more relevant themes and scripts and was unhappy when the success of Jimmie Walker's character, J.J. Evans, took the show in a frivolous direction. John Amos agreed with Rolle about Walker's character and was fired from the show after the third season ended. Later on, in a stand-off with Good Times producer Norman Lear, Rolle also quit when her contract ended. Although the show continued without her for the fifth season, she returned for the show's final season. In 1979 she won an Emmy for her role in Summer of My German Soldier, a made-for-television movie. Among her guest star roles was one on The Incredible Hulk in an episode entitled "Behind the Wheel" where she played a taxicab business owner. In the 1990s, Rolle was a surprise guest on RuPaul's VH-1 talk show. Her Maude co-star Bea Arthur was the guest, and Rolle was brought out to surprise Arthur. The two had not seen each other in years, Arthur said, and embraced warmly. Rolle also appeared in a series of psychic hotline TV commercials in the 1990s. "Tell them Esther sent you," was her trademark line.


as Margaret
1984

as Mary Harding
1994

1977

as Woman Watching Cady Get Out from Under the Car (uncredited)
1991

as Florida Evans
1974

as Florida Evans
1972

as Mary Harding
1996

as Nellie
1984

as Self
1976

1981

as Mammy
1994

as uncredited role
1962
as Aunt Sarah
1997

as Dean of Students
2005

as Annie Sinclair
1998

as Aunt Sarah
1997

as Rita
1996

as Aunt Pauline
1995
as Clara Brown
1995

as Neelie
1993

as Queenie / Elizabeth McQueen
1993

as Adelle
1993

as Self
1992

as Woman Watching Cady Get Out from Under the Car (uncredited)
1991

as Esther Clayton
1990

as Mrs. Baker
1989

as Idella
1989

as Ubu Pearl
1989

as Lena 'Mama' Younger
1989

as Mim
1987

as Narrator
1986
as Momma
1983

as Nurse
1982

as Momma Sykes
1981

as Momma
1979

as Ruth
1978

as Mrs. Johnson
1973
1 ep.

as Margaret
1 episodes

as Mary Harding
1 episodes

1 episodes

as Florida Evans
109 episodes

as Florida Evans
46 episodes

as Mary Harding
1 episodes

as Nellie
1 episodes

as Self
1 episodes

2 episodes

as Mammy
1 episodes


as Ms. Gibbs
1 episodes
4 episodes