Lee Chamberlin obit

Actress and Playwright Lee Chamberlin Passes Away at 76

 

She was not on the list.

Lee Chamberlin, an actress and playwright whose career spanned four decades on the stage, television and films, died of cancer at 76 on May 25, 2014. Her death was confirmed by her family.

Her acting career began on the New York stage in a production of Amiri Baraka's, then known as LeRoi Jones, "Slaveship." She was an original cast member of "The Electric Company" on PBS from 1971-73, along with Bill Cosby, Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno and others.

In 1973, she played Cordelia in the Shakespeare in the Park production of "King Lear" alongside James Earl Jones, Paul Sorvino, Rosalind Cash and Ellen Holly.

She co-starred with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier in two of the more popular film comedies of the 1970s, "Uptown Saturday Night" (1974) and "Let's Do It Again" (1975). Both of these comedies were popular with black audiences who sought out more positive African American representation in the media, other than the "Blaxploitation" genre so popular at the time.

During the 1970s and 80s, Chamberlin appeared or starred in many popular television shows such as "Lou Grant," "The White Shadow," "Diff'rent Strokes," "The Practice," "Moesha," "NYPD Blue," "Roots: The Next Generations," "Touched By an Angel" and many others.

From 1983-95, she was a regular on the ABC soap opera "All My Children" as Pat Baxter.

Her first love was the theater, however, and in 2010 she founded the Playwrights' Inn Project in France. The Playwrights' Inn Project developed works of diverse American playwrights, including women and people of color, traditionally underserved in the play development process. 

She is survived by her father, Bernando LaPallo (b. August 17, 1901) a sister Nandra Gant of Lexington, NC, a daughter Erika Chamberlin of Brooklyn, NY (51) and a son Matthew Chamberlin (47) of Chapel Hill, NC. She also had two grandchildren.

 

Filmography

 

Actress

Tim Reid, Lee Chamberlin, Chad L. Coleman, and Jamie Hector in Habeas Corpus (2013)

Habeas Corpus

Nadine

Short

2013

 

Valerie Bertinelli, Roma Downey, John Dye, and Della Reese in Touched by an Angel (1994)

Touched by an Angel

Charlotte Hunter

TV Series

2002

1 episode

 

Judging Amy (1999)

Judging Amy

Leah Carlson

TV Series

2002

1 episode

 

First Monday (2002)

First Monday

Ms. Marks

TV Series

2002

1 episode

 

NYPD Blue (1993)

NYPD Blue

Louise Dobkin

TV Series

2001

1 episode

 

The District (2000)

The District

Doris Evans

TV Series

2001

1 episode

 

Blair Underwood in City of Angels (2000)

City of Angels

TV Series

2000

1 episode

 

Annie Potts and Lorraine Toussaint in Any Day Now (1998)

Any Day Now

Mrs. Samuels

TV Series

2000

4 episodes

 

Moesha (1996)

Moesha

Mrs. Leveaux

TV Series

1999

1 episode

 

Andy Dick, David Foley, Maura Tierney, Khandi Alexander, Phil Hartman, Vicki Lewis, Joe Rogan, and Stephen Root in NewsRadio (1995)

NewsRadio

Building Supervisor

TV Series

1999

1 episode

 

Jason Beghe and Moira Kelly in To Have & to Hold (1998)

To Have & to Hold

Judge Leslie Battles

TV Series

1998

2 episodes

 

Eric Roberts, D.B. Sweeney, Morris Chestnut, Angie Harmon, Zach Grenier, and Christine Tucci in C-16: FBI (1997)

C-16: FBI

Professor Robinson

TV Series

1998

1 episode

 

Lara Flynn Boyle, Dylan McDermott, Steve Harris, and Kelli Williams in The Practice (1997)

The Practice

Dr. Timmi Toomy

TV Series

1998

2 episodes

 

Robin Givens, Terrence Howard, Kym Whitley, James Avery, Arif S. Kinchen, and Miguel A. Núñez Jr. in Sparks (1996)

Sparks

Abigail

TV Series

1997

1 episode

 

Dick Van Dyke and Barry Van Dyke in Diagnosis Murder (1993)

Diagnosis Murder

Judge Gwen Mosford

TV Series

1997

1 episode

 

Vic Noto in Loving (1983)

Loving

Pat BaxterPat Baxter (1995)

TV Series

1994–1995

13 episodes

 

Susan Lucci, Debbi Morgan, Rebecca Budig, Cameron Mathison, and Darnell Williams in All My Children (1970)

All My Children

Pat Baxter

TV Series

1983–1995

52 episodes

 

Jeff Kaake, Heather Medway, Joe Nipote, and Dawn Stern in Viper (1994)

Viper

Commander Delia Thorne

TV Series

1994

5 episodes

 

Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story (1992)

Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story

Ann

TV Movie

1992

 

Robert Guillaume and Richard Libertini in Pacific Station (1991)

Pacific Station

Dr. Carlisle (as Lee Chamberlain)

TV Series

1991

1 episode

 

Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, and Ryan Dillon in Sesame Street (1969)

Sesame Street

Barbra the Barber

TV Series

1990

1 episode

 

Beat Street (1984)

Beat Street

Alicia

1984

 

Ryan's Four (1983)

Ryan's Four

TV Series

1983

1 episode

 

Diff'rent Strokes (1978)

Diff'rent Strokes

Dr. ChadwayDr. Tucker

TV Series

1981–1982

2 episodes

 

Tuned In

TV Series

1981

 

Linda Hamilton, Lorenzo Lamas, Doran Clark, Linda Grovenor, Jim Youngs, and Daniel Zippi in Secrets of Midland Heights (1980)

Secrets of Midland Heights

Karen Weaver

TV Series

1981

2 episodes

 

Paris (1979)

Paris

Barbara Paris

TV Series

1979–1980

13 episodes

 

The White Shadow (1978)

The White Shadow

TV Series

1980

1 episode

 

Brave New World (1980)

Brave New World

Head Nanny Nurse

TV Movie

1980

 

Barry Bostwick and Kyle Richards in Once Upon a Family (1980)

Once Upon a Family

Mrs. Grace

TV Movie

1980

 

Dorian Harewood and Debbi Morgan in Roots: The Next Generations (1979)

Roots: The Next Generations

Odile Richards

TV Mini Series

1979

1 episode

 

Long Journey Back (1978)

Long Journey Back

Dr. Chisholm (as Lee Chamberlain)

TV Movie

1978

 

Edward Asner in Lou Grant (1977)

Lou Grant

Jenny Davis

TV Series

1978

1 episode

 

What's Happening!! (1976)

What's Happening!!

Lee

TV Series

1977

1 episode

 

Melissa Sue Anderson in James at 16 (1977)

James at 16

Mrs. Hazeltine

TV Series

1977

1 episode

 

Richard Crenna and Bernadette Peters in All's Fair (1976)

All's Fair

Lucy Daniels

TV Series

1976–1977

24 episodes

 

Let's Do It Again (1975)

Let's Do It Again

Dee Dee Williams

1975

 

Harry Belafonte, Bill Cosby, Sidney Poitier, Richard Pryor, Roscoe Lee Browne, Rosalind Cash, Paula Kelly, Calvin Lockhart, Johnny Sekka, and Flip Wilson in Uptown Saturday Night (1974)

Uptown Saturday Night

Madame Zenobia

1974

 

Great Performances (1971)

Great Performances

Cordelia

TV Series

1974

1 episode

 

Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, June Angela, Luis Avalos, Lee Chamberlin, Doug Grant, Judy Graubart, Stephen Gustafson, Melanie Henderson, Skip Hinnant, Denise Nickerson, and Jim Boyd in The Electric Company (1971)

The Electric Company

BrendaGladys the Glow-WormMadame Rosalie ...

TV Series

1971–1973

260 episodes

 

Up the Sandbox (1972)

Up the Sandbox

Jan

1972

 

All at Sea (1969)

All at Sea

Jim (as Lee Chamberlain)

1969