Jackee Harry was one of the breakout stars of the now-closed thread, "Ann Romano was a huge BITCH!". She also stole the show on the sitcom, 227, which was supposed to be a starring vehicle for former "Jeffersons" scene stealer, Florence Henderson. As Jackee's star rose, she ditched her last name, had some conflicts with her costars, and did a pilot for a 227 spin-off. The pilot wasn't bad, but the ratings weren't great, so she returned to 227. (You can view the pilot on Youtube.) Below is a clip of Jackee appearing on the gay talk show, "Hey Queen". She has the best laugh!
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 93 | March 19, 2018 1:03 AM |
Carol Brady was on The Jefferson’s?
by Anonymous | reply 1 | November 4, 2017 10:31 PM |
Here's part 2 of the Hey Queen segment "Look at Huh", where Jackee talks about former costars, including Alaina Reed and Helen Martin from 227. She doesn't hold back; she's honest but fair (and hilarious!) in her assessments. (She also shares interesting tidbits about other celebs.) I encourage you to watch Jackee's entire "Hey Queen" interview, which spans several youtube clips.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 3 | November 4, 2017 10:37 PM |
Don't forget she was on "Sister, Sister," too.
by Anonymous | reply 4 | November 4, 2017 10:38 PM |
Marla Gibbs from the Jeffersons, not Florence Henderson.
Jackee Harry was hilarious as Sandra on 227.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | November 4, 2017 10:39 PM |
r4, Jackee discusses her Sister Sister costars in the first clip above.
r5, thanks for catching that. I'm embarrassed of my error. You're correct. Marla Gibbs was the star of 227; she had formerly been the breakout star of The Jeffersons, where she played Florence. Jackee talks about their relationship in the first clip above. (Note: she also name drops Florence Henderson in the second clip above!)
by Anonymous | reply 6 | November 4, 2017 10:42 PM |
Any female sitcom actress needs to learn: you may have the show named after you or your character or you may have the first "Starring" billing, but most of the time you will be a straight person or second banana to the wacky neighbor, crazy relative, or slutty character. They will have the best lines and most laughs.
by Anonymous | reply 7 | November 4, 2017 10:45 PM |
I just went to Newark to see a Black musical stage play mainly because she was in it! Along with Shirley 'As We Lay' Murdock and Robin Givens!
by Anonymous | reply 8 | November 4, 2017 10:47 PM |
A Black musical stage play! My stars! What will they think of next?
by Anonymous | reply 9 | November 4, 2017 10:49 PM |
That was weird, but fun. Thanks for the clip, OP.
by Anonymous | reply 10 | November 4, 2017 10:50 PM |
I remember her antagonizing "Pie Lady" on Another World.
by Anonymous | reply 11 | November 4, 2017 10:53 PM |
Flop career because she was a bitch, like Star Jones.
by Anonymous | reply 13 | November 4, 2017 11:58 PM |
Someone who starred in two successful sitcoms can hardly be considered as having had a "flop career."
by Anonymous | reply 14 | November 5, 2017 12:16 AM |
Her career was good, if not great. As if no "bitches" have ever had good careers.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | November 5, 2017 12:26 AM |
She got at least one Emmy nomination, too. She had her schtick but she did it better than most.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | November 5, 2017 12:43 AM |
Florence Henderson was brilliant in the last season of "The Jeffersons" playing Lionel's second older white wife, Millicent. She not only stole many scenes with her comedy skills (for example, engaging in the dozens with George), but she was also great in the musical episodes, especially when she and Louise performed in a number from "Song of Norway" to benefit the Help Center.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | November 5, 2017 12:52 AM |
Love Jackee. They should bring het back maybe with Fran Drescher
by Anonymous | reply 19 | November 5, 2017 1:01 AM |
R3, Thanks for linking those clips. She was hilarious. I especially loved her reaction towards Victoria Jackson. Shade.
by Anonymous | reply 21 | November 5, 2017 2:28 AM |
OK, r18, I already apologized for mixing up Marla Gibbs / Florence and Florence Henderson in the original post. I feel terrible. Now, stop making fun of me, and start talking about Jackee!
by Anonymous | reply 22 | November 5, 2017 3:11 AM |
Estelle Getty wants her Emmy back.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | November 5, 2017 6:58 AM |
[quote]She also stole the show on the sitcom, 227, which was supposed to be a starring vehicle for former "Jeffersons" scene stealer, Florence Henderson.
I don't mean to pile on, OP, but I'm still chuckling.
Episode 107: Louise ices out George after he once again threatens to fire Florence Henderson for burning the pot roast.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | November 5, 2017 12:05 PM |
I love this thread...love Jackee--she was drunk and hilarious with Regina King on Watch What Happens Live a few years ago.
Also loving the thought of Florence Henderson being on The Jeffersons!!!
by Anonymous | reply 26 | November 5, 2017 1:28 PM |
OP here. Yes, it would be great fun to imagine a sitcom where Florence Henderson (aka Mrs. Brady) lives in an urban neighborhood in the nation's capital. In season 1, episode 8, instead of writing a letter to the President to complain about that pesky pothole in the street, she would have mixed a concoction of Wesson oil and Polident to repair it.
On the Jeffersons, Florence's last name was Johnston. I wish this board allowed users to edit their posts.
by Anonymous | reply 27 | November 5, 2017 3:49 PM |
Remember that time when The Jefferson's maid hit on Greg Brady?
by Anonymous | reply 28 | November 5, 2017 3:52 PM |
Didn't she used to have a neck?
by Anonymous | reply 29 | November 5, 2017 3:57 PM |
How come we overcame and nobody told me?
by Anonymous | reply 30 | November 5, 2017 4:13 PM |
Remember the summer before 227 made its debut? In commercials, NBC was promoting it with a light rap song:
227 is the place to be...with Marla Gibbs and her family!
by Anonymous | reply 31 | November 5, 2017 4:17 PM |
R31 haha yes! Although I thought it was 227 is a co-me-dy about Marla Gibbs and her fam-i-ly...
by Anonymous | reply 32 | November 5, 2017 9:07 PM |
[Quote]Didn't she used to have a neck?
She actually went through a thin period while starring on 227. She wasn't completely happy with the weight loss, because her previously big boobs became normal sized.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 33 | November 5, 2017 9:18 PM |
An actress is more than just her breasts.
by Anonymous | reply 34 | November 5, 2017 9:22 PM |
In the OP's clip, Jackee (@9:45) talks about how sexy she thought Rodney Dangerfield was, and that she "would've gave him some if he had asked"! She had the upmost respect for him, and many others whom the host asked her about. Jackee's a real class act, and I'd love to see her make a comeback.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 35 | November 5, 2017 9:44 PM |
I had a key fob that, should you lose it, all you had to do was whistle and it would beep so you could locate it.
Whenever Jackee came on 227 and screeech, that fob would beep like crazy
by Anonymous | reply 36 | November 5, 2017 9:52 PM |
I liked the way she would flirt with Lester when she said his name. Making Mary angry. H i L e s t a h.
by Anonymous | reply 37 | November 5, 2017 10:16 PM |
Jackee is one of the few impressions I can do well. Especially that "Uh-huuuuuuh" thing she did.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 38 | November 5, 2017 10:35 PM |
I was glad to see her again when I watched Young and Hungry. I had to google to realize it was Kim Whitley.
by Anonymous | reply 39 | November 6, 2017 6:35 AM |
She was also on that sit-com about a black president
by Anonymous | reply 40 | November 6, 2017 7:16 AM |
Jackee's Emmy win is brilliant. At 0.35 she turns to some seat fuller and says "Can you believe this? I just fucking hope I get it!". Bruce calls her name and Julia Duffy rolls her eyes in disgust/faux laughter. Jackee turns to hug someone but no one else from 227 is anywhere near the Emmys, so she just walks up to stage and tells Bruce he looks "faaaabulous" then asks if this means she gets paid more. Marla Gibbs must have been going nuts at home.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 41 | November 8, 2017 11:57 PM |
Julia Duffy was a cunt. The sole reason she never won when she probably should have won every year she was nominated. There isn't a person she's worked with who didn't end up absolutely loathing her. Nominated seven years in a row and not one fucking win.
by Anonymous | reply 43 | November 9, 2017 12:03 AM |
I have never heard anyone from Designing Women ever say a word about Julia. I wonder what the scoop is on her.
by Anonymous | reply 44 | November 9, 2017 12:14 AM |
That eye roll was bitchy as hell.
by Anonymous | reply 45 | November 9, 2017 12:19 AM |
Jackee was represented by a small management firm I worked at in the 1990's during her SISTER SISTER period and I'm happy to report she was never anything but pleasant and delightful. She was a comparatively big TV star back then but had zero attitude. Nothing but the best to say about her - it's fun to watch her again. Very talented lady.
by Anonymous | reply 46 | November 9, 2017 12:28 AM |
I met a former acting teacher years ago (no idea her name but she had a small speaking role in that Matt Dillon movie "Kansas") who also worked with Jackee, and said she was a sweetheart.
The same lady had no kind words for JoBeth Williams.
by Anonymous | reply 47 | November 9, 2017 12:31 AM |
I know nothing about Julia Duffy except that she was so brilliant as the maid on Bob Newhart's show -- I'm sorry to see that maybe she wasn't a good person too.
Jackee Harry struck me as a black Mae West, which was a fine thing to be & always fun to watch. Glad to hear that she didn't get a big head about it & has remained a nice person throughout.
by Anonymous | reply 48 | November 9, 2017 12:56 AM |
I've always wanted to see Jackee sing her teeth into a might dramatic role on the big screen. Even if it's a small supporting role. Duffy was brilliant and she deserved the Emmy every time she was nominated. Too bad she was so nasty.
by Anonymous | reply 49 | November 9, 2017 12:59 AM |
She's fun in that interview. Damn, she's worked with and known a lot of people.
I wish he'd asked her about her wardrobe on 227.
by Anonymous | reply 51 | November 9, 2017 2:30 AM |
She did thank Marla Gibbs in her Emmy speech. If Marla was pissed, maybe she should have put herself in "Best Supporting Actress" category.
by Anonymous | reply 52 | November 9, 2017 2:47 AM |
[quote]Someone who starred in two successful sitcoms can hardly be considered as having had a "flop career."
She did "Another World" for 4 years then went to "227" which ran for 5 years. After that she did the movie "Lady Bugs" with Rodney Dangerfield and the late Jonathan Brandis then landed on "Sister Sister" for 6 years.
She did not have a flop career. Also the "Sister Sister" reboot is definitely in the works and if lands on a network like Netflix it will probably end up being a Full House like hit. (Yes, an entire generation loved that show and the sisters never really left TV.) She and Tim Reid have agreed to come back for that.
by Anonymous | reply 53 | November 9, 2017 6:43 AM |
I loved her on this "Wife Swap" though I can't believe her "husband" is straight. I didn't think she was being bitchy about Traci at all and I hope Traci didn't either. Traci's guy is pretty hot and I thought she was pretty wealthy from all her gigs but maybe he wants to be the bread winner. Anyhow, sorry about the crap quality, oh and check out the Corey Feldman one too. What a fucking creep he is.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 54 | November 9, 2017 6:51 AM |
R54 Elgin Williams is gay but was married to Jackee before coming out.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 55 | November 9, 2017 7:54 AM |
She may not have won an Emmy but for three years in a row Julia Duffy had the highest Q score for a TV actress. Seriously.
by Anonymous | reply 56 | November 9, 2017 11:57 PM |
Wasn't there a rumor about Jackee dating Vesta?
by Anonymous | reply 57 | November 10, 2017 12:59 AM |
227 was only bearable because of Jackee. Her appearances were like the Wizard of Oz switching to color.
by Anonymous | reply 58 | November 10, 2017 1:08 AM |
She was fucking hilarious on Everybody Hates Chris.
by Anonymous | reply 59 | November 10, 2017 4:11 AM |
[quote]She got at least one Emmy nomination, too. She had her schtick but she did it better than most.
She was the first and still is the ONLY African American to win the Emmy for best supporting Actress
by Anonymous | reply 62 | November 11, 2017 3:48 AM |
It's a shame she wasn't chosen instead of Julia Duffy to play the fourth designing woman.
by Anonymous | reply 63 | November 11, 2017 5:41 AM |
She needs to be back on tv on a regular basis. Very pretty and funny woman.
by Anonymous | reply 64 | November 11, 2017 6:14 AM |
r63
I wasn't funny but I achieve the highest seasonal rating for the show
by Anonymous | reply 65 | November 11, 2017 6:43 AM |
Duffy was a lot better than the lady who replaced her on Designing Women. Judith Ivey sucked. I don't know what the problem people had with Duffy's character other than they might have hated working with Duffy.
by Anonymous | reply 66 | November 11, 2017 5:42 PM |
R25, I understand completely. Rodney Dangerfield always made me knees weak as a gayling in the 1980s. I can not say exactly why, but I have always thought he was a very sexy daddy.
by Anonymous | reply 67 | November 11, 2017 5:52 PM |
r66
Judith Ivey's character BJ was what Allion should have been. They needed someone to be able to stand up to Julia and while Allison had an episode where she actually did it, by the time the episode was over you felt like saying "so the stupid bitch was right," instead of saying "It's about time someone took Julia down a peg or two."
Suzanne was always able to stand up to Julia in a comic, I'm stupid but really smart bulldozing sort of way. Like when the female owner of a porn magazine is accused by Julia of demanding woman, Suzanne says something also demanding and the magazine owner says "THAT'S your sister?" Julia says "She demeans us too but her I can deal with."
Had Duffy's character been written as more likeable and not a bitch with OPD (obnoxious personality disorder) it may have worked. Both Ivey's character and Suzanne were anti-Julia but likeable. Even in season one, episode one, where Suzanne was a total bitch to everyone, Julia was shown to be like 'Ok she's a bitch, but I have to like her, she's my sister.'
That wasn't with Allison, who Julia described as a distant relative she barely knows.
by Anonymous | reply 69 | November 11, 2017 6:02 PM |
All I gotta say is if you are ever around Jackee do not mention Kim Whitley.
A bitch will go off.
by Anonymous | reply 70 | November 11, 2017 6:05 PM |
Are Tia and Tamera coming back to star in that r53? Or will it be about Jackee's grand baby twins?
by Anonymous | reply 71 | November 11, 2017 6:09 PM |
She was really good in "The Women of Brewster Place."
by Anonymous | reply 73 | November 11, 2017 6:23 PM |
I never would have guessed that Julia Duffy would have been the one to let her self age out gracefully without any work done.
by Anonymous | reply 74 | November 11, 2017 6:32 PM |
My favorite part of the interview was talking about Helen "that old bitch" Martin. Not surprised the other women on 227 were threatened by her. They were showbiz vets and this relative newcomer Jackee was stealing the spotlight from them. I'm guessing it was Martin and Alaina Reed that were telling Marla Gibbs false things to turn her even more against Jackee, since she certainly had more pull than they did.
by Anonymous | reply 75 | November 11, 2017 6:48 PM |
I know Jackee presents herself as straight but her reaction to Naya Rivera had me going "Hmmmmmmmmm?"
Wonder if there was a wet spot on the couch after that.
by Anonymous | reply 76 | November 11, 2017 7:41 PM |
She was married to a gay guy so they may both be beards.
by Anonymous | reply 77 | November 11, 2017 7:50 PM |
Aw, that’s a great interview. Thank you!
by Anonymous | reply 78 | November 11, 2017 8:01 PM |
I like her too, and even more after that interview.
The poster who said she modeled herself after a black Mae West was right. It was a fun character for an otherwise ordinary 80s sitcom.
by Anonymous | reply 79 | November 11, 2017 8:11 PM |
I watched 227 as a white kid in Virginia, oblivious to the setting and what I imagine to have been a specific target demographic. Saundra is what kept me watching. She was hilarious, and she’s one of those classic comedy characters who is so over the top in an otherwise ordinary group of people, and you just wonder where these people come up with these characterizations...Patsy, Mr. Furley, Urkel, Karen Walker, Kramer, Lisa Kudrow’s batty Ursula on the otherwise drab Mad About You, which launched a whole series. You know these characters weren’t written that way on the page. It’s just inspired (and polarizing) comic acting choices.
by Anonymous | reply 80 | November 11, 2017 8:19 PM |
r66, I agree, Julia got a raw deal on the show. Think about it, most people work with someone they hate. Why should this workplace have been any different?
by Anonymous | reply 81 | November 11, 2017 9:04 PM |
Sorry to hear Julia Duffy was a cunt. She should have won at least once, if not more, for her role on NEWHART. Other than Jackee, didn't she lose to troll Rhea Perlman like 5 times?
Love Jackee, though. She's just a fabulous talent. Glad to hear she's a nice person--always thought she would be. I'm sure all the other women (other than Regina King, who she's still friends with) were threatened by her and were cunty.
by Anonymous | reply 82 | November 11, 2017 10:47 PM |
It's interesting that Marla Gibbs played that breakout character Florence on The Jeffersons who then got her own show. But she had problems with Jackee's Sondra.
Glad they are past all that now.
by Anonymous | reply 83 | November 12, 2017 5:48 PM |
Hindsight being 20/20 Rhea Perlman had such a one note shtick.
by Anonymous | reply 84 | November 12, 2017 6:24 PM |
Jackee brags about introducing Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown. Not exactly the best case study for her matchmaking skills.
by Anonymous | reply 87 | November 16, 2017 4:17 AM |
OWN is showing a 227 marathon from 1 PM to 7 PM (EST) today and tomorrow. Ooohhhh, Maaaarryy!
by Anonymous | reply 88 | December 2, 2017 3:58 PM |
[quote] It's interesting that Marla Gibbs played that breakout character Florence on The Jeffersons who then got her own show. But she had problems with Jackee's Sondra.
I think that Marla Gibbs was insecure as the star of her own show. She didn't carry The Jeffersons. She had it easy. Breeze in, drop the funniest lines in the show, then breeze out. On 227, the whole show rested on her and she had already had the failure of her Jeffersons spin-off hanging over her head.
by Anonymous | reply 89 | December 2, 2017 4:16 PM |
I’m watching it now. I love this show.
by Anonymous | reply 91 | March 18, 2018 11:43 PM |
She is currently on the Tyler Perry sitcom, THE PAYNES, on OWN, the Oprah channel.
by Anonymous | reply 92 | March 18, 2018 11:53 PM |
Jackee would have folded if she had to go against Mother Jefferson.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 93 | March 19, 2018 1:03 AM |
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