Geri Jewell
| Geri Jewell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Geraldine Ann Jewell September 13, 1956 Buffalo, New York |
| Occupation | Actress, stand-up comedian |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Spouse(s) | Richard Pimentel, 1992-separated 1999, divorced 2002. |
| Website |
www |
Geraldine Ann "Geri" Jewell (born September 13, 1956) is an American actress and stand-up comedian noted for roles on the 1980s sitcom The Facts of Life and the mid 2000s western Deadwood.[1]
Early life and career
Originally from Buffalo, New York, she is most famous for her role of Geri Warner on the television program The Facts of Life from 1980 to 1984. This role made her the first person with a visible disability to have a recurring role on a prime-time series, as well as the first actor with cerebral palsy to be featured on a TV series.[2][3] After she dropped out of college, Jewell began her career doing stand up comedy at The Comedy Store in 1978. In 1980, she performed at the 2nd Annual Media Access Awards, when she was introduced to Norman Lear by producer, Fern Field.
Jewell appeared as the recurring character Jewel on the HBO original series Deadwood from 2004—2006.
Awards
She has been the recipient of many awards, including the 1992 Founders Award, the 2005 Independent Living Legacy Award, and a National Rehabilitation Hospital Victory Award (in 2006).[4][5]
Personal life
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Her autobiography I'm Walking as Straight as I Can was published in 2011 by ECW Press. The title refers to the facts that she has cerebral palsy and is a lesbian.[1][6]
Jewell's original autobiography, Geri, published in 1984, talked about her personal and professional life.
| “ | It did help children get comfortable dealing with a person who has a disability, and taught them the value of a good sense of humor, so I’m not going to knock the whole book. But it was such lighthearted fluff given that I was struggling so much at the time. Like I said, I had a manager who was a crook. People in my life were manipulating me and taking advantage of me. Then The Facts of Life did not renew my contract. Years later, they offered me one episode during the fifth season, and my new manager, Richard Lippin, who was trying to fix all the previous manager’s mistakes, turned it down. He felt that after everything that I’d done for Facts, it was a slap in the face that they would only offer me one show. If I had had it my way, I would have accepted it anyway. But I don’t blame him, because he was right. The problem was that he thought I was indispensable, and they didn’t. He figured that they would come back with something better. And—oops!—they never did. He told me not to worry about it, that I was going to find other work because I was very talented, and I was the first person with a disability to break ground in a series.[7] | ” |
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Nice Dreams | Mental Patient | Uncredited |
| 1982 | Two of a Kind | Irene | Television film |
| 2006 | The Night of the White Pants | Aunt Lolly | |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The Righteous Apples | Terry | Episode: "Love Has Two Left Feet" |
| 1980–1984 | The Facts of Life | Geri Tyler | 12 episodes |
| 1982 | I Love Liberty | Herself | TV special |
| 1989 | The New Lassie | Dr. Rita Francis | Episode: "Slumber Party" |
| 1990 | 21 Jump Street | Officer Rebecca Scanlon | Episode: "Unfinished Business" |
| 2004 | The Young and the Restless | Rose | 9 episodes |
| 2004–2006 | Deadwood | Jewel | 23 episodes |
| 2005 | Strong Medicine | Holly | Episode: "Promising Treatment" |
| 2012 | Alcatraz | Geri Tiller | Episode: "Cal Sweeney" |
| 2014 | Glee | TV Producer | Episode: "The Back-Up Plan" |
Books
References
- 1 2 "Geri Jewell: Actor, Comedienne, and Motivational Speaker".
- ↑ "Interview with Geri Jewell" Archived 2011-04-03 at the Wayback Machine. Dara Nai, April 1, 2011, After Ellen
- ↑ "Geri Jewell - Entertainer, Comedienne, Diversity Intelligence" Great Women Speakers.com
- ↑ "Bob Woodruff and Teri Garr Among Those To Receive 2006 Victory Award". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
- ↑ National Rehabilitation Hospital web site
- ↑ Actress/Comedienne Geri Jewell Releases Memoir 'I'm Walking As Straight As I Can'
- ↑ "Interview with Geri Jewell". ABILITY Magazine. April–May 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-02.
External links
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