Esther Rolle Movies and Career Information

Esther Rolle (November 8, 1920 – November 17, 1998) was an American actress. She was perhaps best known for her portrayal of Florida Evans on the CBS television sitcom Maude and its spin-off series Good Times. Esther Rolle was born in Pompano Beach, Florida, to Bahamian immigrants Jonathan Rolle (a farmer) and Elizabeth Rolle. Esther was the tenth child in a family that produced a total of 18 children. Rolle attended Booker T. Washington High School in Miami, Florida and graduated from Blanche Ely High School. She initially studied at Spelman College in Atlanta, but she moved to New York City. She attended Hunter College, The New School for Social Research, and Yale University. She was also a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. For many years, Rolle worked in a traditional "day job" in New York City's garment district. She received the NAACP Chairman's Civil Rights Leadership Award in 1990. She was the first woman to receive this award. Her marriage ended in divorce, and she had no children. After residing in Los Angeles, California, Rolle died on November 17, 1998, aged 78, in Culver City, California, from complications of diabetes. Her body was flown back to her hometown,