In 1976, she landed the role of waitress Shirley Wilson on the sitcom What's Happening!! Sept. 23. Hemphill got a job waitressing during the day and performed at The Comedy Store at night. The series was a modest hit for ABC, but production and cast problems caused ABC to cancel the series in 1979. When Retta did her first comedy contest on TV members from all over the world from the New Apostolic Church voted for her. Shirley Ann Hemphill (July 1, 1947 – December 10, 1999) was an American stand-up comedian and actress. Updated world stock indexes. The New Press amplifies progressive voices for a more inclusive, just, and equitable world. As a nonprofit public-interest publisher, we leverage books, diverse voices, and media engagement to facilitate social change, enrich public discourse, and defend democratic values. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shirley_Hemphill&oldid=962194418, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Episode: "Rich Is Better Than Poor... Maybe", Episode: "Isaac Gets Physical/She Brought Her Mother Along/Cold Feet", This page was last edited on 12 June 2020, at 16:49. She has appeared in several films and television shows, and has performed stand-up on Comedy Central's Premium Blend. [16] The same year she appeared in season 2 of Bravo's Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce. [17] In 2014, she appeared on Hollywood Game Night as a contestant along with the other celebrities Paget Brewster, Michael Chiklis, Mario Lopez, Thomas Lennon, and Alyssa Milano. Sept. 10. that when she started performing stand-up comedy, she decided to call herself Retta rather than explain her name. Updated last on February 21, 2021 at 7:00 P.M. [2], In 2018, Retta published a series of essays in a book called So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know. [4] During the series' third season, Fred Berry demanded more money and reportedly convinced Ernest Thomas and Haywood Nelson to join him in a strike. the interesting, human, and vividly told story of one of the wisest and most useful lives in our own history, and perhaps in any history. HAVE AN OBJECT TO DONATE? The series failed to attract an audience and was canceled in June 1980. Wilson also invited Hemphill to visit the set of The Flip Wilson Show. In the series' second season, Fred Berry and Ernest Thomas staged a walkout over their dressing room conditions which they claimed were unsuitable. Hemphill's character worked at Rob's Place, the restaurant the boys frequented. She is best known for her role as Ruby on the TV series Good Girls, and Donna Meagle on NBC's Parks and Recreation. After working the Los Angeles comedy club circuit, her routine eventually attracted attention leading to her being cast in guest starring roles on … Oct. 12. In December 1999, Hemphill died of kidney failure at her West Covina, California, home at the age of 52. In her spare time, she did stand-up at Charlie Goodnights Comedy Club in Raleigh, North Carolina. Best of 2019 [3] Murray cast Hemphill in guest roles on Good Times which led to another guest starring role on All's Fair. Her body was discovered by a gardener who looked through a window and saw her lying on her bedroom floor. [3], Retta is an avid fan of the Los Angeles Kings hockey team, and presented awards at the NHL award ceremonies in Las Vegas, in 2014 and 2015. Throughout her career, Hemphill performed her stand-up routine on a number of popular TV shows including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, A&E's An Evening at the Improv, BET's Black Comedy Showcase and Black Comedy Tonight. ABC canceled the series in June 1980.[8]. John Whitacre and Ann Caruthers. [19], On Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, she said she dated a man from Georgia who nicknamed her Retta because that was what the name Marietta sounded like where he came from. [9][12], Retta has served as the opening act for such comedians as Shirley Hemphill and Bobby Collins. [16], In 2018, Retta co-starred in the NBC series, Good Girls, opposite Christina Hendricks and Mae Whitman. Shobe 1956. FHL Fiche 6048251 [Shore] Shore, Leo Jane, Alice Shore Stump, Mary Prewitt Mitchell, and Doris Johnson Stump. 99 (1,769) Next page. An autopsy determined that Hemphill died of kidney failure. She had a brother, William. In that contest she mentioned her faith and spiritual upbringing. The day after losing the role, Hemphill was offered the starring role in her own sitcom One in a Million. Wilson was impressed by her routine and in turn, sent her a cassette recorder and a dozen roses. Sept. 19. : ABC's popular teen-age sitcom succeeds in spite of itself", "Messy' Dressing Room Cleaned Up, 'What's Happening' Stars Return", "Shirley Lost Cook's Job, But Won Whole Company", "Actress Shirley Hemphill, 52, Found Dead In Her Los Angeles Home", "Where Is...The Cast of 'What's Happening'? Samuel Renny and Alice Redman. [2] Loosely based on Eric Monte's film Cooley High, the series follows the adventures of three teenaged boys: Raj (Ernest Thomas), Rerun (Fred Berry), and Dwayne (Haywood Nelson). aired for three seasons. Shirley Ann Hemphill (July 1, 1947 – December 10, 1999) was an American stand-up comedian and actress.. A native of Asheville, North Carolina, Hemphill moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian. Get an overview of major world indexes, current values and stock market data. Join the 50 Plus Club. 908.5k Followers, 278 Following, 6,791 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from OKLM (@oklm) 47 Likes, 1 Comments - University of Central Arkansas (@ucabears) on Instagram: “Your gift provides UCA students with scholarships, programs, invaluable learning opportunities and…” [6] On the series, she portrayed Shirley Simmons, a taxi driver who inherited a huge corporation and fortune from one of her customers. George Leggit and Catharine Kugan. In Franklin's Autobiography is offered not so much a ready-made formula for success, as the companionship of a real flesh and blood man of extraordinary mind and quality, whose daily walk and conversation will help us to meet our own … In 1985, she was invited to co-star on the revival of What's Happening!! Afterward, Hemphill spent most of the early 1980s working in nightclubs around the U.S. and doing the occasional guest appearance on TV shows, including The Love Boat and Trapper John, M.D.. After working the Los Angeles comedy club circuit, her routine eventually attracted attention leading to her being cast in guest starring roles on television. reunion show; actors Ernest Thomas and Haywood Nelson also appeared. During a stand-up performance at the University of Illinois at Springfield, Retta said the acting job on the show was stressful because it was unclear how long the show would stay on the air, due to the poor reviews it received during the first season. [7] The series debuted on ABC on January 8, 1980, but failed to attract a sufficient audience. Kennedy: The Classic Biography (Harper Perennial Political Classics) Ted Sorensen Kindle Edition. Powell's is an independent bookstore based in Portland, Oregon. This contributed to her winning the contest and help to further her career. She currently stars as Ruby Hill on NBC's Good Girls.[2]. In 1985, Hemphill reprised her role as Shirley Wilson in the syndicated revival of What's Happening!! Retta said she used to get "really nauseated" before a performance, but that the feeling passed with experience. $1.99 $ 1. !, which aired in syndication from 1985 to 1988. After graduating from Duke, Retta worked as a chemist. [11][12] Hemphill was cremated. titled What's Happening Now!! The series was a modest hit for ABC but was beset with behind the scene problems. James Knox and Margaret Morrison Oct 1. Like its predecessor, What's Happening Now!! "Shirley Hemphill's career has taken off in a taxicab", "What's Happening!! [2][3], By 1976, Hemphill's stand-up routine started to get noticed and caught the attention of casting agent Joan Murray. [3] She grew up around New Jersey, specifically in Edison and Cliffwood Beach. [9] Retta said on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! Best of 2021. Hemphill attended Hill Street School and Stephens-Lee High School, and later won an athletics scholarship to Morristown College where she majored in physical education. [8] Eventually, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in comedy. After the show's cancellation, Hemphill returned to stand-up comedy and also made occasional appearances in films and television. In 1988, Retta graduated from Matawan Regional High School in Aberdeen Township, New Jersey. Browse staff picks, author features, and more. Chicago: F.D. [11], In 2009, Retta started making regular guest appearances on the NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation as Donna Meagle, an employee in the Parks Department of the fictional town, Pawnee, Indiana. Marietta Sangai Sirleaf[1] (born April 12, 1970), professionally known as Retta, is an American stand-up comedian and actress. [12] Alan Sepinwall, a television columnist with The Star-Ledger, said season 2 episodes of Parks and Recreation afforded more personality and funnier jokes to Donna and other minor characters. Regional Runner Rankings. Producers opted to cancel the series instead of increasing the actors' salaries. [16], Retta also hosted the 3rd Critics' Choice Television Awards in 2013. [9] After What's Happening Now!! [5], Following the cancellation of What's Happening, Hemphill auditioned for the role of the cook on Archie Bunker's Place, but the role went to Anne Meara. Best of 2020. Even young in the youth group of her church her ability to make others laugh was a strong talent. Instead, she auditioned and won the role of waitress Shirley Wilson on the ABC sitcom What's Happening!!. [15] She was upgraded to a full-time regular cast member in the third season. [Shirley] Shirley Family Records. Alexander Leathes and Ann McNab. 99 $18.99 $18.99 (101) The Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller Kindle Edition. [11] She has made television appearances on Bravo's Welcome to the Parker, E! Sept. 25. She is of Liberian descent. Retta was born in Newark, New Jersey. by James Moreland. MSS. William Bond and Abigail Williamson. Hemphill was born in Asheville, North Carolina, to Richard and Mozella Hemphill. $1.99 $ 1. ", "Chatting With "Parks and Recreation's" Retta Sirleaf '92", "7 Reasons You Should Know Parks and Recreation Star, Retta", "Parks and Recreation, "Ron and Tammy": Megan Mullally guests", "Comedian Retta talks Jersey roots, 'Parks and Rec' and 'Geeks Who Drink, "Awards News: Critics' Choice Nominations", "Retta takes on Mario Lopez in the Olympics on 'Hollywood Game Night' -- EXCLUSIVE", "Hey, Retta, this Tumblr is teaching you all about hockey", "NHL releases lineup of presenters and performers for awards show", "Quibi just announced a Princess Bride remake you never expected to see", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Retta&oldid=1008228007, Duke University Trinity College of Arts and Sciences alumni, Articles with dead external links from April 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Episode: "Double Date" (Season 3, Episode 12), Episode: "When Rodney Comes Marching Home", Episode: "The Gang Gets Extreme: Home Makeover Edition", recurring (seasons 1-2); starring/main (seasons 3-7), Episode: "Krolling Around with Nick Klown", This page was last edited on 22 February 2021, at 06:08. A native of Asheville, North Carolina, Hemphill moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian. [10], Retta is the niece of the former Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Sept. 16. Shop new, used, rare, and out-of-print books. ended its three-year run, she again worked the nightclub scene and doing the occasional acting gig on a number of '90s comedy sitcoms, including Martin and The Wayans Bros..[8] In 1993, she appeared in her first movie, CB4, starring Chris Rock. Hligh Wiley and Jane Hemphill. Marietta Sangai Sirleaf (born April 12, 1970), professionally known as Retta, is an American stand-up comedian and actress. [4][5] In 1992, Retta graduated from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where she was pre-med and graduated with a degree in sociology. [10] A year before her death, Hemphill appeared in an episode of The Jenny Jones Show in a What's Happening!! She quit her job and traveled to Los Angeles by bus. Two years later she co-starred in her second movie, Shoot the Moon, starring Whitney Anderson. Hemphill returned to Asheville two years later where she got a job in a factory manufacturing nylons. [11] Retta has said her stand-up material tends to be slightly embellished stories from her regular everyday life, family, and friends. On December 10, 1999, Hemphill was found dead at her home in West Covina, California. After the visit, Hemphill returned to her job in Asheville but decided to pursue a career in comedy instead. Microfilm: FHL Film 288189 [Shobe] Shobe, Frank D. The Record of the Shobe Family in America from 1737 to 1954. After seeing her performance on Good Times, Norman Lear offered Hemphill her own spin-off series but she turned it down. Don't Miss a Single Deal. Retta was raised and an active member of the New Apostolic Church. [20][21][22][23][24], Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, "Retta Moves on From Parks and Recreation in Good Girls, But Never Say Never", "What's the connection between a Nobel Prize winner and 'Parks and Recreation'? The National Museum of African American History and Culture, like all other Smithsonian museums, hopes to benefit from donations of historical artifacts, archival documents, and works of art. [10] She started doing standup in 1996, although she said she did not start "earning money" until 1998, when she began touring on the college circuit. Sept 22. The following year, Hemphill was cast in her own sitcom, One in a Million. Entertainment Television's The Soup,[12] Freddie, Moesha, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,[13] the "Comedy Divas Showcase" segment of The Jenny Jones Show,[14] Retta has performed on Premium Blend, a Comedy Central show featuring up-and-coming comedians. entitled What's Happening Now! She was also a regular at The Laugh Factory comedy club in Los Angeles. William Seagrave and Elizabeth … [18], In 2015, Retta was one of the audiobook narrators for Welcome to Night Vale, a novel tie-in to the eponymous podcast series in which she is the voice of Old Woman Josie. [1], An aspiring stand-up comedian, Hemphill sent a cassette tape of one of her comedy routines to Flip Wilson. She is best known for her role as Ruby on the TV series Good Girls, and Donna Meagle on NBC's Parks and Recreation.She has appeared in several films and television shows, and has performed stand-up on Comedy Central's Premium Blend.
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