Editing Nell Carter (section)

==Career==
===Broadway work===
At age 19, Hardy changed her surname to Carter and left Birmingham, Alabama, moving to New York City with the Renaissance Ensemble, where she sang in coffee shops, nightclubs and bathhouses before landing her first Broadway role in 1971.<ref>{{cite journal| date=February 10, 2003| title=Stage, Television Star Nell Carter Dies at 54| journal=Jet| volume=103| issue=7| page=49| issn=0021-5996| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7r0DAAAAMBAJ&q=nell+carter+birmingham&pg=PA48}}</ref>

Carter made her Broadway debut in the 1971 rock opera ''[[Soon (musical)|Soon]]'', which closed after three performances.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Soon |url=https://playbill.com/production/soon-ritz-theatre-vault-0000010070 |access-date=21 July 2024 |website=Playbill}}</ref> She was the music director for the 1974 [[Westbeth Playwrights Feminist Collective]]'s production of ''What Time of Night It Is''.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}} Carter appeared with [[Bette Davis]] in the 1974 stage musical ''Miss Moffat'', based on Davis' earlier film ''[[The Corn Is Green (1945 film)|The Corn Is Green]]'', but the show closed before reaching Broadway.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Miss Moffat (Closed on the road, 1974) {{!}} Ovrtur |url=https://ovrtur.com/public/production/2881215 |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=ovrtur.com}}</ref>

Carter became a star for her role in the musical ''[[Ain't Misbehavin' (Broadway show)|Ain't Misbehavin]]'', for which she won a [[Tony Award]] in 1978.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jr |first=Robert Mcg Thomas |date=1978-06-05 |title="Ain't Misbehavin" |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/05/archives/new-jersey-pages-aint-misbehavin-and-da-win-tonys-three-special.html |access-date=2024-07-21 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> She later won an [[Emmy Award|Emmy]] for the same role in a televised performance in 1982.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Haylock |first=Zoe |date=2018-06-10 |title=Tonys: A Look Back at Black Actors Who Have Won |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/black-tony-awards-acting-winner-1098725/ |access-date=2024-07-21 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1978, Carter was cast as Effie White in the Broadway musical ''[[Dreamgirls (musical)|Dreamgirls]]'' but departed the production during development to take a television role on ''[[Ryan's Hope]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Shaw |first=Helen |date=2023-04-13 |title=Soap Operas as Guiding Light |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/04/24/regretfully-so-the-birds-are-theatre-review-white-girl-in-danger |access-date=2024-07-21 |magazine=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref> When ''Dreamgirls'' premiered in late 1981, [[Jennifer Holliday]] had taken the lead role.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hetrick |first=Adam |date=26 December 2010 |title="Hard to Say Goodbye": Dreamgirls Tour Concludes in Detroit Dec. 26 |url=https://playbill.com/article/hard-to-say-goodbye-dreamgirls-tour-concludes-in-detroit-dec-26-com-174636 |access-date=21 July 2024 |website=Playbill}}</ref>

Carter's additional Broadway credits include ''[[Dude (musical)|Dude]]'' and the 20th-anniversary production of ''[[Annie (musical)|Annie]]'', in which she played Miss Hannigan.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last1=Viagas |first1=Robert |last2=Lefkowitz |first2=David |date=5 January 1998 |title=Sally Struthers Takes Over as Miss Hannigan in Annie Tour Jan. 5 |url=https://playbill.com/article/sally-struthers-takes-over-as-miss-hannigan-in-annie-tour-jan-5-com-72717 |access-date=21 July 2024 |website=Playbill}}</ref>

===Film and television===
In 1979, Carter had a part in the [[Miloš Forman]]-directed musical adaptation of ''[[Hair (film)|Hair]]'' and her voice is heard on the film's soundtrack.<ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XbBz3C4Gr0EC&q=nell%20carter%20hair%20soundtrack&pg=PA871| title=The Oxford Companion to the American Musical| page=871| last=Hischak| first=Thomas S.| date=2008| publisher=Oxford University Press| isbn=978-0-19-533533-0| language=en}}</ref>

In 1981, she took a role on the NBC [[Action fiction|action]] [[Television comedy|comedy]] television series ''[[The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo]]''<ref>{{cite journal| title=Nell Carter Joins 'Lobo' Series, And Ratings Go Up| journal=Jet| date=May 21, 1981| volume=60| issue=10| page=54| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tbYDAAAAMBAJ&q=Nell+Carter&pg=PA54| access-date=May 7, 2017| issn=0021-5996}}</ref> before landing the lead role of Nell Harper on the sitcom ''[[Gimme a Break!]]''.

===''Gimme a Break!''===

{{main|Gimme a Break!}}
Carter became best known to audiences for her lead role in the NBC television series ''Gimme a Break!'', in which she played a housekeeper for a widowed police chief ([[Dolph Sweet]]) and his three daughters. The show earned Carter nominations for a [[Golden Globe]] and an [[Emmy Award]]. A total of 137 episodes of ''Gimme a Break!'' were produced over a run of six seasons, airing from 1981 to 1987.

In August 1987 after the cancellation of ''Gimme a Break!'', Carter returned to the nightclub circuit with a five-month national tour with comedian [[Joan Rivers]].<ref>{{cite journal| title=Nell Carter Returns To Nightclubs After TV Show| journal=Jet| date=August 17, 1987| volume=72| issue=21| page=29| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lLEDAAAAMBAJ&q=Nell+Carter+gimme+a+break&pg=PA29| access-date=May 7, 2017| issn=0021-5996}}</ref>

===Further television work===
In 1989, Carter played the assistant to a banquet-hall owner in an unsuccessful [[Television pilot|pilot]] for NBC titled ''Morton's by the Bay'', which aired as a one-time special that May. In October, she performed "[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]" before Game 4 of the [[1989 World Series]] in San Francisco.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-04-13-vw-24-story.html| title=Baseball Season: Rite of Spring on Our Field of Dreams| date=April 13, 1992| newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]| language=en-US| access-date=February 4, 2020}}</ref>

In 1990, Carter starred in the CBS comedy ''[[You Take the Kids]]''. The series, which was perceived as the black answer to ''[[Roseanne (TV series)|Roseanne]]'' with its portrayal of a working-class black family, featured Carter as a crass, no-nonsense mother and wife.<ref>{{cite magazine| last1=Tucker|first1=Ken|title=You Take The Kids| url=http://ew.com/article/1990/12/14/you-take-kids/| magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]| access-date=May 7, 2017| date=December 14, 1990}}</ref> ''You Take the Kids'' faced poor ratings and reviews and only ran from December 1990 to January 1991.<ref>{{cite journal| title='You Take The Kids' Put On Hiatus By CBS| journal=Jet| date=January 28, 1991| volume=79| issue=15| page=62| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GbsDAAAAMBAJ&q=nell+carter+you+take+the+kids&pg=PA61| access-date=May 7, 2017| issn=0021-5996}}</ref>

During the early 1990s, Carter appeared in low-budget movies, television specials and game shows such as ''[[Match Game#1990–91, ABC|Match Game '90]]'' and ''[[To Tell the Truth]]''. She costarred in ''[[Hangin' with Mr. Cooper]]'' from 1993 to 1995.<ref name="imdb" />

In the mid-1990s, Carter appeared on Broadway in a revival of ''[[Annie (musical)|Annie]]'' as Miss Hannigan. She was upset when commercials promoting the show used white actress [[Marcia Lewis]] as Miss Hannigan. The producers stated that the commercials, which were created during an earlier production, were too costly to reshoot. However, Carter felt that racism played a part in the decision. She told the ''[[New York Post]]'': "Maybe they don't want audiences to know Nell Carter is black. ... It hurts a lot. I've asked them nicely to stop it—it's insulting to me as a black woman."<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Kenneth |date=January 23, 2003 |title=Nell Carter, Ain't Misbehavin' Star, Dead at 54 |journal=[[Playbill]] |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/nell-carter-aint-misbehavin-star-dead-at-54-com-111157 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090126061512/http://playbill.com/news/article/77475.html |archive-date=January 26, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal| title=Nell Carter Speaks Out on Annie Commercials| url=http://www.playbill.com/article/nell-carter-speaks-out-on-annie-commercials-com-70455| journal=Playbill| access-date=May 7, 2017| date=May 22, 1997}}</ref> Carter was later replaced by [[Sally Struthers]].<ref name=":1" />

===Later years===
In 2001, Carter appeared as a special guest star on the pilot episode of ''[[Reba (TV series)|Reba]]'' and continued with the show, making three appearances in Season 1. The following year, Carter made two appearances on ''[[Ally McBeal]]'' and a guest appearance on [[Blue's Clues]].<ref name="imdb"/>

In 2002, she rehearsed for a production of ''[[Raisin (musical)|Raisin]]'', a stage musical based on ''[[A Raisin in the Sun]]'' in Long Beach, California. She appeared in the 2003 film ''[[Swing (2003 film)|Swing]]''. Her final onscreen appearance was in the comedy film ''Back by Midnight'', released in 2005, two years after her death.<ref name="imdb">{{IMDb name|0141846}}</ref>
Nell's final recording project was a duet with Jay Levy, produced by Jay Levy for the 1998 Warner/Rhino Album To Life!: Songs of Chanukah and Other Jewish Celebrations.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/to-life%21-songs-of-chanukah-and-other-jewish-celebrations-mw0000043504 | title=To Life!: Songs of Chanukah and Other Jewish C... &#124; AllMusic | website=[[AllMusic]] }}</ref>