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Lynne Thigpen (December 22, 1948 – March 12, 2003) was an American actress.
BiographyEarly lifeThigpen was born Cherlynne Theresa Thigpen in Joliet, Illinois, and obtained a degree in teaching. She taught high school English briefly in Joliet, while studying theatre and dance at the University of Illinois, then, in 1971, moved to New York City. Career
Her first film was Godspell in 1973. She appeared in a number of featured roles in films over the year, including appearances in "Streets of Fire", "Tootsie", "Running on Empty", "Lean on Me", "Hello Again", and "The Insider". Her last film appearance was in the 2003 comedy Anger Management, starring Jack Nicholson. Few people know that she was also the DJ in "The Warriors". Thigpen may be best known for her role in the children’s geography TV show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?. In the series, she played the role of "The Chief" of the ACME Detective Agency, a role that involved both education and comedy, and, on occasion, musical performance. She was also the only Where in the World cast member to appear in Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego. She also appeared on another children's show, Bear in the Big Blue House, and voiced the character of Luna. She appeared on many primetime series; her last role was a contract role as Ella Farmer, a statistics clerk for the Washington, D.C. police department, on The District. She was also prominently featured in a storyline on the daytime drama All My Children as Grace Keefer. She had recurring roles on Gimme A Break!, L.A. Law, Law & Order, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, and thirtysomething.
DeathOn March 12, 2003, Thigpen was found dead at her home in Marina del Rey, California, by a friend; she had died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 54. She had been complaining of headaches for several days. She had not been seriously ill, and her death was a surprise and shock. Drugs and foul play were ruled out by the coroner's autopsy, which found "acute cardiac dysfunction, non-traumatic systemic and spontaneous intraventricular hemorrhage and hemorrhage in the brain." Posthumous effortsWhen Thigpen died, The District also had a funeral for Thigpen's character as well. (The show was cancelled a short time later, but can be seen in reruns on the USA and A&E networks.) Thigpen's untimely death also led to the three-year hiatus of Bear in the Big Blue House. A planned film version was also put on hold. According to Tara Mooney ('Shadow'), who was interviewed by Ray D'Arcy on Ireland's Today FM in 2005, "the crew's hearts just weren't in it anymore" after Thigpen's death. Friends have established a non-profit foundation[2], The Lynne Thigpen - Bobo Lewis Foundation, to help young actresses and actors learn how to survive and succeed in New York theater, to mentor the next generation of Broadway stars. An elementary school in Joliet, Illinois is named for her.[3] CreditsStage
Radio
Screen
Television
Software
Voice
Awards (nominations)Los Angeles Drama Critics award
AudioFile Awards
Footnotes
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