Helen Martin

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Helen Dorothy Martin (July 23, 1909 – March 25, 2000) was an American actress of stage and television who is perhaps most well known for her role in the sitcom 227 as Marla Gibbs' neighbor Pearl. Martin was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of Amanda Frankie (née Fox) and William Martin, a minister. Martin was a Broadway character actress for many decades, debuting in Orson Welles' production of Native Son in 1941. She appeared in at least a dozen Broadway shows including Jean Genet's The Blacks, Raisin from 1973 to 1975, Ossie Davis' Purlie Victorious (and later the musical version, which was called Purlie), The Amen Corner and Tennessee Williams' Period of Adjustment. She was an original member of the American Negro Theater. She first became famous later in life for her guest role as Wanda on the television series Good Times, and later as the wisecracking neighbor Pearl Shay on the television sitcom 227. She also played on the short-run sitcoms Baby, I'm Back (as mother in-law, Luzelle) and That's My Mama; as Loc Dog's grandma, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996), the matronly grandmother Mama Doll in the 1998 film Bulworth, and the no-nonsense grandmother in the film Hollywood Shuffle. Helen Martin died of a heart attack on March 25, 2000. Description above from the Wikipedia article Helen Martin, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Maddie, Welcoming Committee

Doc Hollywood

Nana Cross

Kiss the Girls

Mrs. McKenzie

Amos

Bobby's Grandmother

Hollywood Shuffle

Helen Ward

The Phenix City Story

Sadie

Night Angel

Mrs. Bell

A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich

Harbinger's Mother

Wacko

Alma Lee Brown

Death Wish

Robert Townsend: Partners in Crime: Vol. 2

Baptist #3

Deal of the Century

Loc Dog's Grandma

Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood

Momma Doll

Bulworth

Mrs. Hill

J.T.

Elderly Woman

Something to Sing About

Mrs. Cartwright

Lawman Without a Gun

Flower Lady

Cindy

Mrs. Parks

Repo Man

Mrs. Johnson

A Raisin in the Sun

Mrs. Harrod

Dummy

Grandmother

I Got the Hook-Up

Mrs. Deevers

House Party 2

Grandma Johnson

The Jerk, Too

Better Late Than Never

Grandma

Beverly Hills Cop III

The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There