Juanita Moore is an American film and television actress. She is the fifth African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 to be nominated for an Academy Award in any category, and the third in the Supporting Actress category.

Career

Moore had a number of bit parts and supporting roles in motion pictures through the 1950s and 1960s. Her most famous role was as housekeeper Annie Johnson in the 1959 remake of Imitation of Life

Imitation of Life (1959 film)

Imitation of Life is a 1959 American film directed by Douglas Sirk, produced by Ross Hunter and released by Universal Pictures, starring Lana Turner and John Gavin and features Sandra Dee, Dan O'Herlihy, Susan Kohner, Robert Alda and Juanita Moore as Annie Johnson. Gospel music star Mahalia Jackson...

. Moore's portrayal of the broken-hearted Annie, whose daughter Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner

Susan Kohner

Susan Kohner is an American actress.-Early life and career:Born as Susanna Kohner in Los Angeles, Kohner is the daughter of Mexican actress Lupita Tovar and Jewish film producer Paul Kohner who was born in Bohemia part of Austria-Hungary...

) passes

Passing (racial identity)

Racial passing refers to a person classified as a member of one racial group attempting to be accepted as a member of a different racial group...

 for white, won her a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...

. When the two-movie version of Imitation of Life was released on DVD one of the bonus features was a new interview with Juanita Moore.

Moore has continued to perform in front of the camera, with a role in the movie Disney's The Kid (2000) and guest-starring roles on television shows Marcus Welby, M.D.

Marcus Welby, M.D.

Marcus Welby, M.D. is an American medical drama television program that aired on ABC from September 23, 1969, to July 29, 1976. It starred Robert Young as a family practitioner with a kind bedside manner, and was produced by David Victor and David J. O'Connell...

, ER

ER (TV series)

ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...

and Judging Amy

Judging Amy

Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly...

.

Moore's grandson is actor/producer Kirk Kelley-Kahn, who is CEO/President of "Cambridge Players - Next Generation", a theatre troupe whose founding members included Moore, Esther Rolle

Esther Rolle

Esther Rolle 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.-Biography:...

, Helen Martin

Helen Martin

Helen Dorothy Martin 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.-Early life and education:...

, Lynn Hamilton and Royce Wallace

Royce Wallace

Royce Wallace is an American veteran stage and screen actress who had a long distinguished career in films and television from the 1960s through the 1980s. She has appeared in mostly guest roles on shows such as Sanford and Son, Benson, Quincy, M.E. and in miniseries such as Roots: The Next...

.

External links