Who is Roxie Roker?

Roxie Roker was an American actress, perhaps best remembered as Helen Willis in the TV series “The Jeffersons” (1975-1985). However, she is also known as the mother of the rock musician Lenny Kravitz.

Roxie Roker Wiki: Age, Childhood, and Education

Roxie Albertha Roker was born on 28 August 1929 in Miami, Florida, USA, the daughter of Albert Roker, a porter and native of Andros, the Bahamas, and his wife Bessie, from Georgia, a housewife.

Roxie grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and enrolled at Howard University after high school, where she became deeply interested in acting, and was an Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority member.

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Career Beginnings

Roxie joined the Negro Ensemble Company in the late ’60s, and honed her acting skills on stage with the theater company and workshop established in 1967. She appeared in numerous plays with the company, including “The River Niger” in which she played Mattie Williams, which earned her a Tony Award nomination, and earned her an Obie Award.

She made her on-screen debut In 1974, as Eloise Morse in the television comedy movie “Change at 125th Street”, co-starring Ron Glass and Chip Fields. The same year, Roxie made her feature film debut as Mrs Winston in the Academy Award-nominated romantic comedy-drama film “Claudine”, which starred Diahann Carroll, James Earl Jones and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs.

Rise to Stardom

In 1975, Roxie won the role of her career, selected for the part of Helen Willis in the CBS TV comedy series “The Jeffersons”. Her co-stars included Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley and Franklin Cover. Her character broke the social barrier, as she began an on-screen romance with a white male, and the two characters in the show even married.

She starred in 216 episodes of the Primetime Emmy Award-winning series through 1985, and though she didn’t win any awards, Roxie was heavily praised for her work on the series. This turned her into an international star, and she guest-starred in several shows as Helen, including the Primetime Emmy Award-winning comedy-drama series “All in the Family”.

Concurrently, Roxie appeared in several other popular projects between 1975 and 1985. In 1976, she was Carol Lessonbee in the TV series “Kojak”, then in 1977, she was Mrs Peoples in the television movie “Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid”, which starred LaVar Burton, Ossie Davis and Dolph Sweet.

In 1983 she portrayed Madge Davis in the television movie “Making of a Male Model”, with Joan Collins, Jon-Erik Hexum and Kevin McCarthy in the lead roles.

Career Decline

Following the end of “The Jeffersons”, Roxie struggled to secure notable roles, though she remained active until the mid- ’90s. She featured in such productions as the TV series “The Love Boat” (1986), “The New Mike Hammer” (1987), and “227” in 1988.

In the ’90s, she featured in the popular soap opera “A Different World” (1991), then “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper” (1993), before making her final appearance in the short film “Statistically Speaking”.

Cause of Death

Roxie was 66 years old on the night of 2 December 1995. She’d been was diagnosed with breast cancer, and just days before she succumbed to the disease, her condition worsened. At the time, her son Lenny was on tour and was deeply saddened by the unfortunate news of his mother’s passing. He even wrote the song of this sad moment.

Net Worth

Roxie Roker’s net worth was estimated to be around $6 million at the time of her death, earned through her acting career, during which she appeared in 25 film and TV titles.

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Personal Life, Marriage, Husband, Children

Roxie Roker was married to Sy Kravitz, an American filmmaker and producer who worked for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) from 1962 until 1985. The couple welcomed their only child, son Leonard Albert Kravitz in 1964.

Roxie and Sy divorced after a series of cheating allegations on each side. She was Sy’s second wife.

Roxie Roker’s Son, Lenny Kravitz Short Bio

Leonard Albert Kravitz was born on 26 May 1964, in New York City, USA. He grew up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and from an early age began showing an interest in becoming a musician. In the mid- ’70s, he moved to Los Angeles, California, when Roxie landed the role of Helen in “The Jeffersons”.

Lenny joined the California Boys Choir, and in the three years that followed, he showcased his skills in a number of classical songs, and even got to sing with the Metropolitan Opera.

Once he became acquainted with rock music, he turned to that particular genre, and began making music independently. He quickly learned to play piano and bass, and completed his first song in the mid- ’80s.

However, his music was rendered either not black enough or white enough by record producers, and labels didn’t want to publish his music. Henry Hirsch helped young Lenny secure a record deal with Virgin Records, and in 1989, Lenny’s debut album “Let Love Rule” came out. He continued to make new music, and his second studio album “Mama Said” was released on 2 April 1991, to critical and commercial acclaim.

The album entered the UK Chart at No. 8, eventually achieving platinum status. The album landed at No. 61 on US Billboard 200 chart. and achieved gold status in the US.

The third album, “Are You Gonna Go My Way” (1993), became his first No. 1 album, and spawned such hits as the title song, then “Believe”, and “Heaven Help”, among others.

Since then, Lenny has become one of the most successful rock acts, and has incorporated other genres into his music, including pop, funk, and jazz.

He has released a total of 11 studio albums, including “Circus” (1995), “Lenny” (2001), “Black and White America” (2011), and “Raise Vibration” (2018).

In addition to his incredible career as a musician, Lenny is an acclaimed actor.

He made his acting debut as Nurse John in the film “Precious” in 2009, and since then has featured in the films “The Hunger Games” (2012) and the sequel “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” (2013). Moreover, he is currently working on the film “Shotgun Wedding”, scheduled for release later in 2022. As of mid- 2022, Lenny Kravitz’s net worth has been estimated to be around $80 million.

He has a daughter with actress Lisa Bonet, Zoe Kravitz, born in 1988; the two were married from 1987 until 1991.

Since then, Lenny has been seen in the company of such celebrities as Vanessa Paradis, Adriana Lima, and Nicole Kidman. According to sources, he’s currently single.

Kravitz follows veganism, and is focused on but not limited to the intake of a raw vegan diet, and he grows his own food.

Fernanda Luisa Gordon is a prominent American jewelry designer, freelance graphic designer, and an actress who rose to prominence for her roles in the TV shows “The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.,” and “An Inconvenient Woman,” both in the early’90s. She followed in the footsteps of her mother, the legendary Oscar Award-winning actress, Rita Moreno, who recently featured in the 2021 musical romantic film “West Side Story.”

Age, Early Life, and Education Background

Fernanda Luisa Gordon was born under the Libra zodiac sign on 26 September 1966, in Los Angeles, California, which makes her 55 years old as of 2022.

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She was the only child to cardiologist Dr Leonard Gordon – who later became Rita’s manager following his retirement from medicine – and his wife, actress Rita Moreno. The latter previously spoke about her daughter in an interview with Grand Magazine, and admitted that ‘Being an only child means that we poured all our love in … I keep thinking I can’t possibly love any more than I do now, and I do.’ Luisa started showing interest in acting at an early age – her mother constantly encouraged her to follow her acting goals.

The details of Fernanda’s primary education and high school aren’t available. She is a graduate of Tufts University, and has a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Southern California.

Interests and Facts

Fernanda enjoys traveling and attending celebrity events and award ceremonies – she accompanied her mother to the 93rd Oscar’s ceremony, and they were interviewed by ABT7’s George Pennacchio, who presents the podcast “Off the Red Carpet”, shortly before her mother hosted the ceremony, and Fernanda admitted that ‘We have so much fun together. She’s the coolest mom ever. I’m a lucky girl.” She was also seen at the 78th Peabody Awards Ceremony held in New York, in May 2019.

Professional Life

Luisa contributed to a number of her mother’s stage shows as a dancer and a singer when she was a child. She made her TV debut aged 11 in 1975 in the 1399th episode of the children’s TV series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” as herself, appearing as a guest star together with her mother, father, and actor Edward Druzinsky.

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She was later seen in the Larry Elikann-directed movie “An Inconvenient Woman”, together with Joseph Bologna, Roddy McDowall and Chelsea Field in 1991. Two years later, she was cast in an episode of the Western series “The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.,” which began airing on Fox on 27 August. She recently appeared in her mother’s documentary movie, “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It” in 2021. The film is about Rita’s ‘rugs-to-riches’ story, and how she overcame racism to become the successful entertainer she is now.

Her father is the founder of the Nandiz Designs brand, which sells custom-made jewelry made from natural pearls and gemstones.

Personal Life

Fernanda is a married woman, exchanging vows with David Tyler Fisher on 12 October 1996. Their wedding was officiated by the non-denominational minister, Rev. Elda Unger, at Stonepine Estate resort, Carmel Valley, California, in the presence of family and close friends. David used to work as a manager at Andersen Consulting, a telecommunication company located in San Ramon, California. He is an alumnus of The University of California, San Diego. His father, Dr. Duke Fisher, born in Pacific Grove, California, was a psychoanalyst, and had offices in San Jose and Los Angeles; his mother, Linda Fisher, hailed from Ventura, California.

The couple welcomed their first child, Justin Gordon Fisher, shortly afterwards, and three years later, they bore their second-born son, Cameron David Fisher. During an interview with The Grand Magazine in February 2008, Luisa’s mother admitted how much she treasures her grandchildren, disclosing that ‘Our grandchildren are the light of our lives. One of the best experiences of our lives, if not the best, next to our daughter’s birth, was helping birth our daughter’s baby.’ She also talked about the day Cameron was born, revealing that she was present at the hospital and even helped with his delivery. Rita relocated to Los Angeles with her late husband a few months after her second grandson was born.

Net Worth

Luisa has four film and TV credits, which has made her quite popular, and contributed to her net worth. She also earns from her career as a designer and is reputedly worth approximately $5 million as of 2022.

Who Is Fernanda Luisa Gordon’s Mother?

Rita was born Rosita Dolores Alverio in Humacao, Puerto Rico, under the Sagittarius zodiac sign on 11 December 1931, and is now 90 years old. She was raised together with her younger brother by their father, Francisco ‘Paco’ Alverio, who was a farmer, and mother Rosa Maria, who was a seamstress. Her parents divorced when she was young, and her mother later married Edward Moreno, and subsequently adopted his surname. Rita started taking dancing lessons shortly after her family arrived in New York, and was trained by the famous actress Rita Hayworth’s paternal uncle, the late Spanish dancer Paco Cansino.

Career

Rita debuted in the play “Skydrift” when she was 14, then began her on-screen career in several Spanish versions of American films. Moreno has since appeared in many successful projects, including “West Side Story” (1961), “The Ritz” (1976), “The Rockford Files,” and most recently in the film “The Prank,” which premiered in March 2022.

She has worked in Hollywood for over 70 years and has made a reputable name for herself, while earning a net worth of around $25 million. She is among the few entertainers who have scooped Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards.

She is highly active on Twitter – @TheRitaMoreno – and Instagram – @rita_morenoo – with millions of followers.

Personal Life

Rita first met Marlon Brando on the set of the film “Desiree” in 1954 and she fell in love with him immediately. She was 22 years old when they began dating, and she has revealed in her autobiography “Rita Moreno: A Memoir” that she had to endure emotional abuse and serial infidelity in their eight years of togetherness, which made her consider committing suicide.

When Brando discovered that she was pregnant, he forced her to go for an abortion but it was unsuccessful as she told The Hollywood Reporter. She is reported to have had a brief affair with the legendary musician, Elvis Presley, just to make Brando jealous.

Moreno eventually separated from Brando shortly afterwards, and walked down the aisle to cardiologist Leonard Gordon in 1965, enjoying a seemingly blissful relationship until he passed away in June 2010.

Height, Weight, and Physical Appearance

Moreno is of Latin-American descent, and has dark brown eyes and brown hair. She is slim-built and is 5ft 2ins (1.59cm) tall and weighs around 117lbs (53kgs). Her vital statistics and shoe size are 32-25-35 and 7 (US) respectively.