Ellen Holly

Ellen Virginia Holly is an American actress. Beginning her career on stage in the late 1950s, Holly is perhaps best known for her role as Carla Gray–Hall on the ABC daytime soap opera One Life to Live (1968–80; 1983–85). Holly is noted as the first African American to appear on daytime television in a leading role.[1]

Ellen Holly
Born
Ellen Virginia Holly

New York City, U.S.
Years active1959–2002
Known forCarla Gray – One Life to Live
Partners

Biography

Career

Born in New York City, Holly is a life member of The Actors Studio.[2] Holly began her career on stage appearing in the Broadway productions of Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright and A Hand Is on the Gate, then embarked on a television and film career. In 1968, Holly became the first black actress to be cast as a recurring cast member on daytime TV.

She guest-starred on Sam Benedict and The Nurses as well as landed the role of actress-turned-Judge Carla Gray on One Life to Live, a role she played from 1968 to 1980 and again from 1983 to 1985.[3] Holly came to the attention of Agnes Nixon, the creator of One Life to Live, after writing a letter to the editor of The New York Times about what it was like to be a light-skinned African American. Nixon created the role of Carla and offered Holly a role on her show.

When Holly began on One Life to Live in October 1968, her African-American heritage was not publicized as part of the storyline; her character, named Carla Benari, was a touring actress of apparently Italian-American heritage. Carla and white physician Dr. Jim Craig fell in love and became engaged, but she was falling for an African-American doctor. When the two kissed onscreen, it was reported that the switchboards at ABC were busy by fans who thought that the show had shown an African-American and white person kissing. The fact that Carla was the African-American Clara Grey posing as white was revealed when Sadie Grey, played by Lillian Hayman, was identified as her mother. Sadie convinced her daughter to embrace her heritage and tell the truth. Holly left the series in 1980, but returned in 1983.

In 1996, she released her autobiography describing her life and struggles as a light-skinned black actress in Hollywood. According to her autobiography One Life: The Autobiography of an African American Actress, she was fired from the show by new executive producer Paul Rauch in 1985. Holly returned to daytime in the long-term recurring role of a judge on Guiding Light from 1989 until 1993. She made a return to the small screen in 2002 when she appeared as Selena Frey in the TV movie 10,000 Black Men Named George, alongside Andre Braugher and Mario Van Peebles.

Personal life

Ellen Holly was born in New York to William Garnet Holly and Grace Holly. Holly is Black,[4] and claims African, English, French, and Shinnecock Native heritage.[5] Holly is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.[6]

Holly never married or had children. She had a relationship with her One Life to Live co-star Roger Hill who is also known for his role as Cyrus in the cult film The Warriors. In her autobiography, she wrote about her romance with Harry Belafonte.[7]

Filmography
Film
Year Film Role Notes
1959 Take a Giant Step Carol, the Girl in the Bar
1973 Cops and Robbers Ms. Wells
1988 School Daze Odrie McPherson
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1963 The Defenders Janet Lamb 1 episode
Sam Benedict Elissa Reagan 1 episode
1963–1964 The Nurses Helena Fuentes
Natalia Cortez		 2 episodes
1964 Dr. Kildare Lucille Mann 1 episode
1968–1986 One Life to Live Clara Hall/Carla Scott/Carla Bonari 91 episodes
1974 King Lear Regan Television movie
1978 Sergeant Matlovich vs. the U.S. Air Force Amy Television movie
1985 ABC Afterschool Special Mrs. Robbins 1 episode
1986 Spenser: For Hire Amanda Layton 1 episode
1989–1990 In the Heat of the Night Ruth Peterson 4 episodes
1989–1993 Guiding Light Judge Collier Unknown episodes
2002 10,000 Black Men Named George Selena Frey Television movie

References
  1. Lynch, Hillary. "The Box: Looking Back At Daytime's First Black Leading Actress Ellen Holly". A Hot Set. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  2. Garfield, David (1980). "Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980". A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 278. ISBN 0-02-542650-8.
  3. Schemering, Christopher. The Soap Opera Encyclopedia, September 1985, pg. 158-166, ISBN 0-345-32459-5 (1st edition)
  4. Holly, Ellen (September 15, 1968). "How Black Do You Have To Be?; How Black Do You Have To Be?". The New York Times.
  5. "Living a White Life -- for a While". timesmachine.nytimes.com.
  6. Roses and Revolutions : Waxidermy Archived 2009-01-06 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Nonfiction Book Review: One Life: The Autobiography of an African American Actress by Ellen Holly, Author Kodansha America $23 (320p) ISBN 978-1-56836-158-1". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
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