| Virginia Capers | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eliza Virginia Capers September 22, 1925 Sumter, South Carolina, USA |
| Died | May 6, 2004 (aged 78) Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1957-2004 |
Eliza Virginia Capers (September 22, 1925 – May 6, 2004) was an American actress.
Born in Sumter, South Carolina, Capers attended Howard University and studied voice at the Juilliard School in New York City. She made her Broadway debut in Jamaica in 1957. She also appeared in Saratoga and Raisin, for which she won the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical.
Capers was a familiar face to television audiences. In addition to a recurring role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, she appeared in many television programs, including Marcus Welby, M.D., My Three Sons, Mannix, The Waltons, Mork & Mindy, Highway to Heaven, St. Elsewhere, Murder, She Wrote, Evening Shade, The Golden Girls, Married with Children, The Practice and ER.
Capers appeared in such films as The Great White Hope, Lady Sings the Blues, The Toy, Teachers, Norwood, The North Avenue Irregulars, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Beethoven's 2nd.
Capers founded the Lafayette Players, a Los Angeles repertory theatre company for African American performers. She was the recipient of the National Black Theatre Festival Living Legend Award, the Paul Robeson Pioneer Award, and the NAACP's Image Award for theatre excellence.
Capers died May 6, 2004 of complications from pneumonia in Los Angeles, California, aged 78
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