Actress Suzanne Douglas deserved accolades for each of her performances. Her range and versatility was amazing. Due to this she couldn’t be type casted or stereotyped into one type of role like some black actresses we see in TV and Film that get pigeon holed.
Maybe she didn’t allow herself to be. Sadly, it’s made news that the amazingly talented actress has passed away at 64. No cause of death has currently been revealed. The actresses cousin broke the news on Facebook that she died. It’s probably unknown that she was also a Jazz Vocalist and Composer. Suzanne Douglas was a creative of many talents.
Give Her Her Flowers
Douglas won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Motion Picture for her lead role in the film “Tap”. She starred in the film alongside the late Gregory Hines. However, she should’ve been honored a lot more for her groundbreaking work. Douglas deserved the same type of love that white people give white Entertainers like Meryl Streep, Barbara Streisand and beyond.
Suzanne Douglas’s talent was that of EGOT proportions. It was clear in her performances. She deserved better. She deserved to be honored more for her work.
Black Girl Magic In Action
Seeing Suzanne Douglas on TV as Wife and Mother “Jerri Peterson” in the sitcom: The Parent ‘Hood was a breath of fresh air. It was beautiful too see a brown skin woman on TV in a positive role, being her vibrant, sassy and fabulous. It could be said on this role alone that Douglas was a role model for so many brown skin girls without representation during that time.
In the film “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” Douglas took her performance up a notch as the voice of reason along side the likes of Angela Bassett as Stella. Who else could have played the role of “Angela” as well as Douglas did? Nobody.
A real award winning performance that’s kept on the hush is her stellar work as Gloria in the film “Jason’s Lyric”. That performance was amazing! It had so much heart which Douglas had in her to give. She brought heart to all of her roles, but especially to that one. If anyone has not seen Jason’s Lyric I would advise them to go and watch it JUST because of her performance.
She Will Be Missed
While Suzanne Douglas could have received more recognition during her time here, and she will sorely be missed, her legacy will never be forgotten. She will live on in film, on screen and in our hearts forever. She is now an ancestor looking down on us. Bravo to her for helping set the way for so many black girls and women to have integrity in their work and performances.
We salute Suzanne Douglas for all that she’s done. She’s gone, but not forgotten.
