The Devastating Death Of Suzzanne Douglas
TV, film, and stage actor Suzzanne Douglas has died at the age of 64. Although she had dozens of credits to her name, Douglas will perhaps best be remembered as Jerri Peterson, the compassionate mother of four and aspiring lawyer on the '90s family sitcom "The Parent 'Hood." No cause of death was given at the time of writing. Essence reports that a relative of Douglas' named Angie Tee shared the news of her cousin's passing in a heartfelt July 6 message on Facebook.
"Suzzanne Douglas a beautiful and talented actress made her transition today," the post reads. "I can remember growing up, there weren't very many black actresses who had starring roles but there was my cousin ... The world will miss your talent but your soul will live on forever Rest in Paradise my beautiful cousin Suzzane you will be missed RIP."
Douglas' career began in the 1980s with several engagements on Broadway, including a part in the 1989 production of "Threepenny Opera." She also began to get work in film and on television around the same time, which would go on to become the bread and butter of her career. And while "The Parent 'Hood" is what many will remember her from, it was not Douglas' only notable role.
The celebrated career of Suzzanne Douglas
Before she became a quintessential TV mom of the '90s, Douglas was making her mark on the world of film. She co-starred in the 1989 dance drama "Tap," which told the story of a man torn between his innate talent as a tap dancer and the life of crime he found himself swept up in. The movie was directed by Nick Castle, who originated the role of famed horror movie villain Michael Myers, and was one of the final film performances of Sammy Davis Jr. For her role as Broadway dancer Amy, Douglas won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.
Douglas went on to appear in films like "How Stella Got Her Groove Back," "School of Rock," and Angela Bassett's Whitney Houston biopic "Whitney," in which she played the late singer's mother, Cissy Houston. She also starred in a 2003 remake of the classic film "Sounder," for which she received an NAACP Image Award nomination and the Black Reel Award for Television: Best Actress.
Douglas has many TV credits to her name, including the recurring role of Dr. Rebecca Dixon on both "Touched by an Angel" and its spin-off, "Promised Land," as well as guest-starring stints on "Law & Order: SVU," "The Good Wife," Bones," and "Bull." Her final credits were in Ava DuVernay's acclaimed Central Park Five miniseries "When They See Us" and the romantic drama "Really Love."
DuVernay took to Twitter following the news of Douglas' death to write, "Suzzanne Douglas was a quiet, elegant force ... A confident, caring actor who breathed life into the words and made them shimmer. I'm grateful that our paths in this life crossed. May she journey on in peace and love."