Character actress Alzenia “Lynn” Hamilton, who starred on “Sanford and Son” and “The Waltons”, died of natural causes at her home in Chicago. She was 95.
Her death was confirmed in a statement on Facebook and Instagram by her former manager and publicist, Rev. Calvin Carson. He said she died on June 19, “surrounded by her grandchildren, loved ones and caregivers.”
“With profound gratitude and admiration, we celebrate the extraordinary life of iconic actress Alzenia ‘Lynn’ Hamilton-Jenkins, whose remarkable legacy continues to uplift and inspire,” Carson wrote. “Her illustrious career, spanning over five decades, has left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment, motivating audiences across the globe through her work as a model, stage, film, and television actress.”
Hamilton played nurse Donna Harris, Fred Sanford’s no-nonsense girlfriend on “Sanford and Son” in the 1970s. She is pictured in a scene with legendary comedian Redd Foxx.
Hamilton played a landlady in an episode of “Sanford and Son” before the character Donna was created for her.
“They were so impressed with that one scene that, oh, a month or so later they decided to give Fred Sanford a girlfriend,” she said in a 2009 interview. “He was impressed with my experience. He always said, ‘You’re so dignified and I need somebody dignified opposite me.’”
Hamilton also played Verdie on the CBS drama “The Waltons,” beginning in 1973. She reprised her role in the television movies “A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion” and “A Walton Easter.”
Her career spanned five decades, including movie roles in “Lady Sings the Blues”, and “Roots: The Next Generation”. Hamilton was too dignified to audition for roles in blaxploitation films in the 1970s.
She also appeared in TV series such as Good Times, 227, Dangerous Women, Generations, Port Charles, The Golden Girls, Gunsmoke, and Barnaby Jones.
Hamilton was married to poet and playwright Frank Jenkins from November 1964 until his death in August 2014.
Character actress Alzenia “Lynn” Hamilton, who starred on “Sanford and Son” and “The Waltons”, died of natural causes at her home in Chicago. She was 95.
Her death was confirmed in a statement on Facebook and Instagram by her former manager and publicist, Rev. Calvin Carson. He said she died on June 19, “surrounded by her grandchildren, loved ones and caregivers.”
“With profound gratitude and admiration, we celebrate the extraordinary life of iconic actress Alzenia ‘Lynn’ Hamilton-Jenkins, whose remarkable legacy continues to uplift and inspire,” Carson wrote. “Her illustrious career, spanning over five decades, has left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment, motivating audiences across the globe through her work as a model, stage, film, and television actress.”
Hamilton played nurse Donna Harris, Fred Sanford’s no-nonsense girlfriend on “Sanford and Son” in the 1970s. She is pictured in a scene with legendary comedian Redd Foxx.
Hamilton played a landlady in an episode of “Sanford and Son” before the character Donna was created for her.
“They were so impressed with that one scene that, oh, a month or so later they decided to give Fred Sanford a girlfriend,” she said in a 2009 interview. “He was impressed with my experience. He always said, ‘You’re so dignified and I need somebody dignified opposite me.’”
Hamilton also played Verdie on the CBS drama “The Waltons,” beginning in 1973. She reprised her role in the television movies “A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion” and “A Walton Easter.”
Her career spanned five decades, including movie roles in “Lady Sings the Blues”, and “Roots: The Next Generation”. Hamilton was too dignified to audition for roles in blaxploitation films in the 1970s.
She also appeared in TV series such as Good Times, 227, Dangerous Women, Generations, Port Charles, The Golden Girls, Gunsmoke, and Barnaby Jones.
Hamilton was married to poet and playwright Frank Jenkins from November 1964 until his death in August 2014.
