Bebe Drake

Bebe Drake
Drake in Sanford Arms (1977)
Born
Beatrice Drake
Other namesBebe Drake Hooks, Bebe Drake Massey
OccupationActress
Years active1975–present

Bebe Drake (born Beatrice Drake;[1][2]) is an American actress.

Early life

Drake is one of four children born to Beatrice Lillian Hayes, a teacher, social worker and community activist, and Carl Everett Drake, a postal worker who later became the first African American practicing psychiatrist in Sacramento.[1][3] She attended C. K. McClatchy High School, Sacramento City College, and California State University, Sacramento.[2]

Career

Drake made her Broadway debut in the 1975 Leslie Lee's play The First Breeze of Summer and the following year appeared in Great Performances production.[4][5] She later was regular cast member on the two short-lived sitcoms: Snip (1976) and Sanford Arms (1977).[6][7][8]

During her career, Drake appeared in more than 70 films and television series. She made her big screen debut in 1975 appearing in films Report to the Commissioner and Friday Foster, and in 1977 had supporting role opposite Richard Pryor in the comedy film Which Way Is Up?.[9] In 1979 she co-starred in the miniseries Backstairs at the White House and the made-for-television movie The Cracker Factory. She made guest-starring appearances on television series such as Good Times, Welcome Back, Kotter, The Love Boat, The Jeffersons, Highway to Heaven, Thirtysomething, L.A. Law, The Jamie Foxx Show, The Steve Harvey Show, The Parent 'Hood and The Bernie Mac Show.

Drake appeared in films such as The Last Married Couple in America (1980), Xanadu (1980), Oh, God! Book II (1980), First Monday in October (1981), Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986), Alien Nation (1988), House Party (1990), Across the Tracks (1991), Boomerang (1992), Jason's Lyric (1994), Space Jam (1996), How to Be a Player (1997), Anywhere But Here (1999), Leprechaun in the Hood (2000), Friday After Next (2002), Wild Hogs (2007) and Influence (2020).[10]

Drake appeared in the 1980 made-for-television drama Scared Straight! Another Story, the 1987 thriller Billionaire Boys Club, and the 1989 miniseries The Women of Brewster Place[11] She was regular cast member in the 1990 short-lived sitcom New Attitude.[12] From 1989 to 1993 she had recurring role on A Different World playing Velma Gaines and later had recurring roles on Martin and Another Period playing Harriet Tubman.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b Young, Maija-Liisa (March 22, 2008). "Beatrice Drake, 93, social worker, community activist". The Sacramento Bee. p. B4. Retrieved March 13, 2024. "Mrs. Drake's children became high-achieving professionals. Two sons are doctors, including one who is also a chancellor at University of California, Irvine. Her daughter is an actress and another son is a broadcast engineer. [...] Survived by: Husband, Carl Drake, Sr. of Sacramento, sons, Carl Drake, Jr. of Hillsborough, Michael Drake of Irvine, Barry Drake of Sacramento; daughter, Beatrice 'Bebe' Drake of Reseda."
  2. ^ a b Gorman, Bertha (September 8, 1974). "The Long, Long Trek to the Stage". The Sacramento Bee. p. S1. Retrieved March 13, 2024. "The only performing Bebe Drake Hooks did in public until six years ago was creating hairdos. [...] 'Eight plays in two years—that is pretty good for an actress who did not enter the theater until she was 30 and had four children.' [...] How did a C. K. McClatchy High School, Sacramento City College and CSUS graduate reap such acclaim?"
  3. ^ Davila, Robert D. (January 9, 2013). "He Persevered as Pioneering Psychiatrist". The Sacramento Bee. p. B3. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  4. ^ "The First Breeze of Summer – Broadway Play – Original | IBDB". www.ibdb.com.
  5. ^ Barnes, Clive (March 3, 1975). "Theater: 'First Breeze of Summer'" – via NYTimes.com.
  6. ^ "Stan Cutler Named Producer Of 'Snip'". San Angelo Standard-Times. San Angelo, Texas. June 6, 1976. p. 68. Retrieved May 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ "SANFORD ARMS - THE COMPLETE SERIES (NBC 1977) EXTREMELY RARE!!! Teddy Wilson, LaWanda Page, Whitman Mayo, Don Bexley, Tina Andrews, John Earl, Bebe Drake". Rewatch Classic TV.
  8. ^ "Sanford Arms". TVGuide.com.
  9. ^ "Which Way Is Up? | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. November 9, 1977.
  10. ^ Donnelly, Matt (August 24, 2021). "Taryn Manning Thriller 'Karen' Sets Premiere Date With Four Other Titles in BET 'Summer of Chills' Lineup (EXCLUSIVE)".
  11. ^ "'Scared Straight!': How the media can exploit a social program" – via Christian Science Monitor.
  12. ^ The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 842. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
  13. ^ "Harriet Tubman, Niagara Falls Barrels, And Hatchet Control: The Return Of 'Another Period'". MTV. Archived from the original on March 10, 2024.