Mabel King

Mabel Elizabeth King (née Washington; December 25, 1932[4][5][6][7] – November 9, 1999) was an American film, stage, and television actress, and singer. She is best known for her role as Mabel "Mama" Thomas on the ABC sitcom What's Happening!! from its premiere in 1976 until the end of its second season in 1978. King's next most remembered role is that of Evillene the Witch, a role she originated in the stage musical The Wiz and reprised in Sidney Lumet's 1978 film adaptation. She made recordings with Rama Records and Amy Records.
== Early life ==
King was born Mabel Elizabeth Washington in Charleston, South Carolina, the daughter of Rosalie Washington and Joseph Washington.[8] She was raised in Harlem, New York where she eventually became a gospel and nightclub singer.
== Career ==
=== Stage work ===
She did not start acting until her mid thirties, in 1966, when she played the role of Maria in the national touring play of Porgy and Bess. The following year she played the role of Ernestina in the Broadway musical/comedy Hello, Dolly!. Then in 1972, she appeared in the Broadway musical Don't Play Us Cheap. The following year, she appeared in the film version of the play. That same year, she played the Queen of Myrthia in the horror film Ganja & Hess. In January 1975, she played the role of Evilene, the Wicked Witch of the West in the all-African-American cast of the Broadway musical The Wiz. The role earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination for outstanding featured actress in a musical. Her performance in The Wiz brought her much attention and soon after she received roles in the films The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, with Billy Dee Williams and James Earl Jones, and Scott Joplin, with Billy Dee Williams and Clifton Davis. In June 1980, King returned to stage work, starring in the Broadway musical It's So Nice to Be Civilized. However, the show did not do well and was cancelled after eight performances.
=== Television and film ===
In 1976, she was offered the role of Mabel Thomas on the sitcom What's Happening!!, a role she played from 1976 to 1978. Due to disagreements with the direction the creators wanted to take the series, King left What's Happening!!in 1978 after two seasons. That same year, she reprised the role of Evillene for the 1978 film version of The Wiz. It was the second time in her career that she appeared in a movie after being in the stage version, the first being Don't Play Us Cheap. The following year, she appeared in the film The Jerk as the mother to Steve Martin's character. King received mostly guest spots on television series including Fantasy Island, The Jeffersons, Amazing Stories and Tales from the Darkside. In between, she signed on with then Hollywood agent Ruben Malaret, who negotiated her reprised role of Mama Johnson in the made-for-TV movie The Jerk, Too (1984). Her last two movie roles were Scrooged (1988) starring Bill Murray and Dead Men Don't Die (1990) starring Elliott Gould.
== Personal life ==
King was married to Melvin King from June 1967 until September 1989. They had one child, a son named Larry King. King was a staunch conservative Republican who strongly supported the presidency of Ronald Reagan.
== Later years and death ==
In 1986, King lost one of her toes due to diabetes. In 1989, King suffered a stroke and entered the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospitalin Woodland Hills, California. King also battled diabetes, and eventually lost both of her legs and an arm to the disease. Her only child, a son, Larry (who was the eldest son of singer/songwriter Larry Banks) died in 1996.[9] Mabel died on November 9, 1999 at age 66.
== Filmography ==
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1973 	Don't Play Us Cheap 	House guest at the party	
1973 	Ganja & Hess 	Queen of Myrthia 	
1976 	The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings	Bertha Dewitt 	
1976–1978	What's Happening! 	Mabel "Mama" Thomas 	37 episodes
1977 	Scott Joplin 	Madam Amy 	
1978 	The Wiz 	Evillene 	Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
1978–1981	Fantasy Island 	Various roles 	3 episodes
1979 	Barney Miller 	Mother Zilla 	Episode: "Computer Crime"
1979 	The Jerk 	Mother 	
1980 	The Gong Show Movie 	Mabel 	
1981 	Palmerstown, U.S.A. 	Aunt Toog 	Episode: "Future City"
1981 	Getting Over 	Mabel Queen 	
1983 	ABC Weekend Special 	Mrs. Trussker 	Episode: "All the Money in the World"
1983 	Lottery! 	Mabel 	Episode: "Los Angeles: Bigger Volume"
1984 	The Jerk, Too 	Mama Johnson 	Television movie
1984 	The Master 	Willie 	Episode: "Fat Tuesday"
1984 	The Jeffersons 	Mother Tobin 	Episode: "Some Enchanted Evening"
1986 	Amazing Stories 	Jennifer Mowbray 	Episode: "The Sitter"
1986 	The Colbys 	Fortune Teller 	Episode: "The Honeymoon"
1986 	Tales from the Darkside 	Ruby Cuzzins 	Episode: "Baker's Dozen"
1983 	Whiz Kids 	 	Episode: "Fatal Error"
1988 	Black Vampire 	 	
1988 	Wiseguy 	Mae Nina 	Episode: "Blood Dance"
1988 	Scrooged 	Gramma 	
1990 	Dead Men Don't Die 	Chafuka