Suzzanne Douglas has died at the age of 64. On July 6, The Parent ‘Hood star’s cousin, Angie Tee, confirmed the news in a statement on Facebook. “Suzzanne Douglas a beautiful and talented actress made her transition today. She warmed our hearts on movie screens and television sets all over the world. This beautiful soul was my cousin,” she said. “I can remember growing up, there weren’t very many black actresses who had starring roles but there was my cousin with the lead role in Tap starring alongside great dancers such as Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. She also performed with Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg in How Stella Got Her Groove Back. The Inkwell, Jason’s Lyric and so much more the list goes on.”
While Suzzanne got her start in the 1981 TV film Purlie, it was her NAACP Image Award-winning role as Amy Simms in 1989’s Tap that served as a breakout in her career. She also had starring roles in multiple films and TV shows including Brenda Tate in The Inkwell, Gloria in Jason’s Lyric, Angela in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Jerri Peterson on The Parent ‘Hood, and most recently, Grace Cuffe on Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us. She is survived by her husband Dr Roy Jonathan Cobb, who she married in 1989, and their daughter, Jordan Cobb.
