Lynne Moody

Biography Early life and education Born in Detroit, Michigan, Moody was raised in Evanston, Illinois, a north suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Her mother was a social worker and her father was a physician at a Chicago-area hospital. She attended Evanston Township High School, graduating in 1963, and worked as a stewardess before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. While working at the Playboy Club, Moody studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse. In 1973, Moody landed her first role as Denny in the American blaxploitation horror film Scream Blacula Scream. Moody was the original Jenny Willis when the character was introduced in an episode of All in the Family titled "Lionel's Engagement" which was first broadcast the 9 February 1974. By the time the pilot episode of The Jeffersons aired in January 1975, the role was recast with Berlinda Tolbert replacing her as Jenny Willis.

In the fall of 1974, Moody landed the role of Tracy Curtis-Taylor in the ABC television series That's My Mama with Clifton Davis and Theresa Merritt. Moody portrayed the character throughout the series first season, later being replaced by Joan Pringle at the beginning of the second season. According to a 1975 JET article, Moody's manager Michael Kogg described Moody's exit from the show as "she didn't like the part anymore". After her exit from That's My Mama, Moody received a starring role in women in prison exploitation television film Nightmare in Badham County, later released to theaters as Nightmare in 1976.

In 1977, Moody portrayed Irene Harvey in Alex Haley's ABC television mini-series Roots. Moody later reprised her role in Roots: The Next Generations which aired in February 1979. From 1979 until 1980, Moody portrayed Polly Dawson in the ABC program Soap. Moody had other television roles such as, Patricia Williams in Knots Landing, and Nurse Julie Williams in E/R. In 2000, Moody had a recurring role on the hit ABC daytime drama series, General Hospital as Florence Campbell. Other ventures In the 1990s, Moody participated in public service radio spots for Africare to help improve the livelihood of Africans, along with fellow Roots cast members Georg Stanford Brown and Louis Gossett Jr. Personal life Moody has a daughter, Lisa Wright. Wright found Moody by doing a 23andMe DNA test and with the aid of Moody's brother. Prior to being reunited with her daughter, Moody spent years searching for her daughter, even enlisting the help of Alex Haley.

Filmography