1920
2000
"Guess Who is Coming to Dinner"
" The Great White Hope" 
Two Time Emmy Winner
Multiple Oscar, Golden Globe, Tony Award Nominations

Born Beulah Richardson, Beah Richards was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi on a hot July day in 1920. Beah was raised by a loving mother who was a PTA advocate as well as a seamstress and a Baptist Minister. Growing up her parents knew she would grow up to be special and she did not disappoint. Beah became a poet, playwright, author, and an actress of the stage, screen and television. 
After spending time at Dillard University in New Orleans she moved to New York City to start her career. From Broadway to television to movies, Beah catapulted to stardom portraying a variety of roles specifically mother and grandmother roles. There are not many actresses that are able to act their entire lives but Beah was that actress. In the last year of her life Beah was able to record over seventy hours of conversation with actress Lisa Gray Hamilton for an award winning documentary titled “A Black Woman Speaks”. Beah passed away in 2000 at the age of 80 after an extradentary, inflectional and extensive career as a black, female actress. 

Notable Movies 
Notable TV Appearances
Designing Women


The Practice 


The Big Valley

ER

Sanford and Son 


The Cosby Show

Frank’s Place 

Hurry Sundown

The Great White

 Hope

Beloved

In the Heat of the Night


Notable Threatre
Notable Theater

The Amen Corner 

Purlie Victorious

The Miracle Worker

A Raisin in the Sun

One Is A Crowd

A Black Woman Speaks

A Career to be Recognized ...
Tony Awards

1965-Nominated for The Amen Corner 

Academy Award

1967-Nominated-Best Supporting Actress- Guess Who's Coming to Dinner 

Golden Globe 

1967-Nominated-Best Supporting Actress- Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

NAACP Award 

1970- Won- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Emmy Awards 

1998- Won Frank's Place
2000- Won The Practice 

There are a lot of movies out there that I would hate to be paid to do, some real demeaning, real woman-denigrating stuff. It is up to women to change their roles. They are going to have to write the stuff and do it. And they will."

- Beah Richards
I was introduced to Bea Richards though Frank Silvera and we had an instant bond.  She was a mentor and coach for me in drama and remains a constant spirit of love over me to this day.  Because she believed in "numbers" she gave me the name Tonea.  My life has been forever changed through Bea Richards.

- Tonea Stewart