Biography
Theresa Merritt was an American actress and singer. Born in Emporia, Virginia, she began her career on stage in the 1940s and appeared in numerous Broadway productions, including the original Carmen Jones and later replacements in The Wiz as Evillene.
She gained wider recognition for her television role in the sitcom That's My Mama (1974–1975) and for film performances including Mrs. Crosby in The Goodbye Girl (1977), Aunt Em in The Wiz (1978) and Juanita in Billy Madison (1995). On stage she originated the title role in August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (1984), earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play. She died in 1998.
