Alaina Reed Hall
Alaina Reed Hall (November 10, 1946 – December 17, 2009) was an American actress and singer best known for her roles as Olivia Robinson, Gordon's younger sister, on the PBS children's television series "Sesame Street", and as Rose Lee Holloway on the NBC sitcom "227". Early years. In the mid-1960s, Reed attended Kent State University where she was active in many stage productions at KSU's E. Turner Stump Theater. These included "The Streets of New York", "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman!" and "The Tragedy of Tragedies — The Life and  Death of Tom Thumb The Great". During this time, Reed was the lead singer of "Tiny and the Velours", a vocal group that performed regularly at Kent's popular student nightspot, The Fifth Quarter. Career. Reed began her professional career in Philadelphia and off-Broadway productions. She was among the original cast members in the 1974 off-Broadway production of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road." Hall appeared in productions of "Hair" (Chicago in 1970 and the 1977 revival), "Chicago", and "Eubie!". In 1976, she won the role of Olivia on the children's series "Sesame  Street". Her character was a photographer and the younger sister of Gordon. In 1985, she starred in the "Sesame Street" movie "", reprising her role as Olivia. That same year, Hall co-starred on the sitcom "227". For a time, she traveled between New York City (where "Sesame Street" is taped) and Los Angeles (where "227" was taped). She left "Sesame Street" in 1988. After "227" ended in 1990, Hall appeared in guest roles on various TV shows, including "Herman's Head" and "Blossom". She also provided the voice for animated characters on "Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?". In 1995 , Hall co-starred on the short-lived WB sitcom "Cleghorne!", starring Ellen Cleghorne. The following year, she appeared in the television film "The Cherokee Kid". She also had recurring roles on "Ally McBeal", "Any Day Now", and "ER". In addition to stage and television work, Hall also appeared in roles in feature films including "Death Becomes Her" (1992), "Cruel Intentions" (1999), and the 2007 independent feature "I'm Through with White Girls (The Inevitable Undoing of Jay Brooks)". Personal life. She was married three times and had two children. Her first marriage was to Richard Cook, with whom she had  two children. The marriage ended in divorce. In December 1988, Reed married actor Kevin Peter Hall. She met Hall when he was a guest performer on "227". Hall died in April 1991 of complications from AIDS-related pneumonia. Hall had contracted HIV after receiving a contaminated blood transfusion during surgery for injuries he sustained in a car accident a year prior. In 2008, Hall married Tamim Amini. They were married until her death. Death. On December 17, 2009, Hall died of breast cancer in Santa Monica, California at age 63.