Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1941-07-18
- Born Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Also Known As:
Starletta De Paur, Starletta Du Pois
Starletta DuPois
Starletta DuPois is an American actress with a long and distinguished career spanning theater, film, and television. Born on July 18, 1941, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she pursued her education in the arts, graduating from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 1968 and earning a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts from UCLA. DuPois has an extensive background in stage acting, with her work earning her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in The Mighty Gents (1978). She also received an NAACP Image Award for her role as Ruth Younger in the television production of A Raisin in the Sun and has been widely acclaimed for her performances in works by playwright August Wilson, including originating the role of Bernice in The Piano Lesson.Throughout her career, DuPois has appeared in over 90 films and television shows, often in memorable supporting roles. Her filmography includes a wide range of genres, from popular comedies like Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Big Momma's House (2000), and Friday After Next (2002) to critically acclaimed dramas such as The Waterdance (1992), The Notebook (2004), and Traffic (2000). She also played the mother of Whitney Houston's character in Waiting to Exhale (1995) and Katherine Jackson in the television film Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland (2017). On television, she has had recurring and guest roles on numerous shows, including Lost, The Steve Harvey Show, and The Rich and the Ruthless.
