Biography: Slender, spell-binding actress Margaret Avery, unforgettable in her role of Shug in Steven Spielberg's "The Color Purple (1985)", is certainly no "one-hit wonder". Although filmgoers may be able to trace her back only to that once-in-a-lifetime part, Margaret has been a talented player on the large and small screen for well over three decades. Born in Mangum, Oklahoma, this daughter of a Navy man ... show all Slender, spell-binding actress Margaret Avery, unforgettable in her role of Shug in Steven Spielberg's "The Color Purple (1985)", is certainly no "one-hit wonder". Although filmgoers may be able to trace her back only to that once-in-a-lifetime part, Margaret has been a talented player on the large and small screen for well over three decades. Born in Mangum, Oklahoma, this daughter of a Navy man was raised in San Diego, California, where she completed high school in the mid 60s. She demonstrated a certain passion for acting while in her teens but decided to pursue a more stable career in teaching. Graduating from San Francisco State University, she joined the Los Angeles public school system as a substitute teacher but the "acting bug" continued to nibble away at her. She auditioned for commercials on the sly and also segued into stage work and singing jobs. Among her early 70s L.A. plays were "Revolution", "Sistuhs" and 1973's "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?", the last for which she nabbed the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award. Margaret's sharp skills as an actress helped her to move into TV roles, appearing in such established 70s and 80s series as "The New Dick Van Dyke Show," "Kojak," "Sanford and Son," "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," "The Rookies," "Baby I'm Back," "Murder She Wrote," "Miami Vice," "Spenser: For Hire," a recurring part in "The "Harry O" (1973)", and a regular role in the short-lived series "A.E.S. Hudson Street" (1977)". An entrancing, high-cheek-boned beauty, Margaret's film career ignited during the popular "blaxploitation" era. She somehow managed to avoid the pitfalls of many a black actress if that time, however, despite her sexy and revealing roles in her first two films "Cool Breeze (1972)" starring Thalmus Rasulala and Lincoln Kilpatrick, and "Hell Up in Harlem (1973)", in which she can be found in the clutches of brawny Fred Williamson. Margaret ventured on with "Magnum Force (1973)" (as a hooker) and the comedies "Which Way Is Up? (1977)" and "Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979)" and eventually established herself as a solid, reliable actress. Music was never far away from her with strong roles in "The Louis Armstrong - Chicago Style (1976) (TV)", starring Ben Vereen as "Satchmo", and "Scott Joplin (1977)", which showcased Billy Dee Williams as the ragtime great opposite her Belle Joplin. However, it was her riveting supporting turn as the drug-riddled, fly-by-night singer Shug Avery in "Color Purple (1985)" that truly put Margaret on the map. Stories have long circulated that Spielberg wanted a star singer in the role and that Margaret received the role only after both Patti LaBelle and Tina Turner were approached and turned it down. Fortunately for Margaret (and filmgoers), she had previously worked with Spielberg in her first TV movie "The Something Evil (1972) (TV)". He remembered her and she was cast. Receiving an Academy Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actress," it was expected that her career would hit major cinematic heights. On the contrary, Margaret didn't make another film for three years when she played a jazz singer in the little-seen "Blueberry Hill (1988)" with Carrie Snodgress. Since then, Margaret has been productive but has flown well under the radar of mainstream Hollywood since her "Color Purple" heyday. On TV she continued to grace episodes of "Amen," "The Cosby Show," "Roc", "MacGyver" and the more recent "JAG" and "Bones", has enhanced a few commendable TV-movies, including "Heat Wave (1990) (TV)" with Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones, and has been seen sporadically in films. She co-starred in "Return of Superfly (1990)", a nod to her old blaxploitation days, "Lightning in a Bottle (1993)", "White Man's Burden (1995)" with John Travolta, the Mario Van Peebles feature "Love Kills (1998)", "Waitin' to Live (2002)", directed by Travolta's brother Joey, and has completed roles in "Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (2008)" and "Meet the Browns (2008)" with Martin Lawrence and 'Angela Bassett', respectively. Divorced from director Robert Gordon Hunt, Margaret has one daughter, Aisha. In retrospect, one cannot help feel that this extremely capable and captivating actress has been shortchanged by Hollywood, but the sun is not even close to setting on the career of Margaret Avery. One is anxiously awaiting another film role for her on the level of "Color Purple." It's long overdue. hide |
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