In Remembrance: Lynne Thigpen

    Lynne Thigpen, a character who has worked on stage and in television and film, has passed away Wednesday, March 16, 2003. She was 54.

     Born and raised outside of Chicago in Joliet, Illinois, Thigpen made her movie debut in 1973’s Godspell. For the next 30 years her career would span television, film and stage work.

While never landing lead work, she appeared in character parts in numerous projects including Tootsie (1982), Lean On Me (1989), Bob Roberts (1992), Blankman (1994), The Insider (1999), Shaft (2000) and Novocaine (2001). She will also appear in the upcoming Anger Management.

     On television she The Chief on the PBS education series Where In The World Is Carmen Santiago? And Where In Time is Carmen Santiago? She also had recurring roles on the soap opera All My Children and the dramas thirtysometing and L. A. Law.

     In 1997 she received the Tony Award for best supporting actress for her role of a black Jewish feminist in Wendy Wasserstein’s play An American Daughter. She would revive the role in a 2000 tele-movie version of the play.

     She also received a Tony nomination for her role in Tintypes and won Obie Awards for Jar the Floor and Boesman and Lena. She also won a Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for her work in an L. A. production of August Wilson’s Fences.