Mabel Elizabeth King (December 25, 1932 - November 9, 1999) was an American film, stage, and television actress.
Biography[]
She was raised in Harlem, New York where she eventually became a gospel and nightclub singer. She did not start acting until her mid thirties, in 1966, when she played the role of Maria in the national touring play of Porgy and Bess. Then in 1972, she appeared in the Broadway musical Don't Play Us Cheap. That same year, she played the Queen of Myrthia in the horror film Ganja & Hess.
In 1975 she was given the role of Evillene the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wiz on Broadway. The role earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination for outstanding featured actress in a musical. Her performance in The Wiz brought her much attention and soon after she received roles in the films The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, with Billy Dee Williams and James Earl Jones, and Scott Joplin, with Billy Dee Williams and Clifton Davis. In June 1980, King returned to stage work, starring in the Broadway musical It's So Nice to Be Civilized.
In 1976 she became famous for her role as Mabel Thomas on a sitcom called What's Happening!! Her character often used the catch phrase "This is true", which she said to her children when she tried to prove a point to them. King played the role from 1976 to 1978, but due to disagreements with the direction the creators wanted to take the series, she left What's Happening!! in 1978 after two seasons.
The same year she reprised her role as Evillene in the movie version in 1978. She alongside former cast mate, Ted Ross were the only two from the Broadway show to reprise their respected roles in the film. It was the second time in her career that she appeared in a movie after being in the stage version, the first being Don't Play Us Cheap. King received mostly guest spots on television series including Fantasy Island, The Jeffersons, Amazing Stories and Tales from the Darkside. Her last two movie roles were Scrooged starring Bill Murray and Dead Men Don't Die starring Elliott Gould.
In 1990, King suffered a stroke and entered the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. In 1991, King's diabetes resulted in the amputation of her left leg. King died on November 9, 1999 at age 66. A few years after her son Larry. Michael Jackson would attend her funeral.