Madge Sinclair

Madge Dorita Sinclair was born in Kingston, Jamaica on April 27, 1938. She described her father as an entrepreneur. "He made a comfortable living; we were even rich one or two times." But they also had poor times, when her mother would go without dinner to feed the children. Perhaps this had an effect on her personality, because from childhood she was known as a go-getter.
Sinclair married young, and had two sons. She worked as a teacher in Jamaica until she was 30, when she left for New York to be an actress. The boys stayed in Jamaica with their father, and saw their mother only on visits.
In New York she modeled, and acted with the New York Shakespearean Festival and at Joseph Papp's Public Theatre. She made her film debut in 1974, playing Mrs. Scott in Martin Ritt's Conrack. She had a long string of movie and television roles, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance as Belle in the miniseries Roots.
In spite of her success, Sinclair felt that she was denied many good roles because of her colour. In an interview from 1982 she stated: "If I were a white actress who's done what I've done, I would have been asked to do substantial roles. But the climate isn't right for it." A beautiful woman, and an excellent actress, she was probably right.
Madge Sinclair was diagnosed with leukemia in the early 1980's, shortly after joining the cast of Trapper John, M. D. She continued to work, and outlived doctors' predictions by several years. On December 20, 1995, at the age of 57, Madge Sinclair died in Los Angeles.

Movie and Television Credits:
"Me and the Boys" (Sept.20,1994 - Feb.28, 1995) TV Series - Mary
"A Century of Women" (1994) (mini) TV Series - Family Member
The Lion King (1994) (voice) - Sarabi
The Man with Three Wives (1993) (TV) - Margaret
"Queen" (1993) (mini) TV Series - Dora
Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted (1992) (TV) - Faye Lincoln
"Pros and Cons" (1991) TV Series - Josephine Austin
The End of Innocence (1991) - Nurse Bowlin
"Gabriel's Fire" (1990) TV Series - Empress Josephine
"Gideon Oliver" (1989) TV Series
Coming to America (1988) - Queen Aoleon
"Ohara" (1987) TV Series - Gussie Lemmons (1987)
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) - Saratoga Captain
Victims (1982) (TV)
Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (1980) (TV)
High Ice (1980) (TV) - Dr. Pittman
"Trapper John, M.D." (1979) TV Series - Nurse Ernestine Shoop (1980-1986)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1979) (TV) - Miss Flowers
"Grandpa Goes to Washington" (1978) TV Series - Madge
Convoy (1978) - Widow Woman
One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story (1978) (TV) - Georgia LeFlore
The Rag Tag Champs (1978) (TV) - Mrs. Bradsbury
Uncle Joe Shannon (1978) - Margaret
"Roots" (1977) (mini) TV Series - Belle
Almos' a Man (1976)
I Will, I Will... For Now (1976) - Dr. Williams
Leadbelly (1976) - Miss Eula
Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975) - Leona Hamilton
Conrack (1974) - Mrs. Scott

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