Lynne Thigpen

Cherlynne Theresa Thigpen (December 22, 1948 – March 12, 2003) was an American actress of stage and screen. She was known for her role as the Chief of ACME Crimenet in the game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? and various spinoffs, and for her role as Luna the Moon in the Playhouse Disney children's series Bear in the Big Blue House. For her varied television work, Thigpen was nominated for six Daytime Emmy Awards. She won a Tony Award in 1997 for portraying Dr. Judith Kaufman in An American Daughter, and also played Ella Farmer on The District (2000–2003). Thigpen first gained attention for her role in the 1971 off-Broadway musical Godspell. Thigpen's character is named Lynne, and she sang "O Bless the Lord, My Soul" in the musical. Thigpen reprised her role as Lynne in the 1973 film adaptation, which she starred in alongside David Haskell and Victor Garber.

Early life and education Thigpen was born in the Chicago suburb of Joliet, Illinois to George and Celia (Martin) Thigpen. She obtained a degree in teaching. She taught high school English briefly while studying theatre at the University of Illinois on an acting fellowship.

Career Stage Thigpen moved to New York City in 1971 to begin her career as a stage actress. She appeared in numerous musicals including Godspell, The Night That Made America Famous, The Magic Show, Working, Tintypes, and An American Daughter (for which she won her Tony Award for her portrayal of Dr. Judith Kaufman in 1997).

In 1994, Thigpen originated a role in an Adrienne Kennedy short play Motherhood 2000, while in 1995, she served as associate artistic director of the acclaimed off-Broadway theater, Circle Repertory Company, while Austin Pendleton served as artistic director.

Film Her first feature film role was as Lynne in Godspell (1973), co-starring opposite Victor Garber and David Haskell. Thigpen also portrayed a radio DJ (shown only from the nose down) in Walter Hill's The Warriors (1979), and Leonna Barrett, the mother of an expelled student, in Lean on Me (1989), the story of American high school principal Joe Louis Clark. She had a role in the remake of Shaft (2000) as the mother of a murder victim, and played the Second President of the World Congress in Bicentennial Man (1999). Her last film, Anger Management (2003), starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson, was released a month after her death and paid tribute to her in the end credits.

Television Thigpen was most known to television audiences for playing the Chief in the PBS children's geography game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, which involved education, humor, and an occasional musical performance. She also reprised her role as The Chief in the successor show Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego? She also played Luna in the television show Bear in the Big Blue House and also appeared in many other television series during her career, most notably in a recurring role as Grace Keefer on the ABC daytime drama All My Children and a supporting role as Ella Mae Farmer, a crime analyst for the Washington, D.C., police department, on the CBS crime drama The District. She guest-starred in episodes of Gimme a Break!, Roseanne, Thirtysomething, The Cosby Show, L.A. Law, Law & Order, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Homicide: Life on the Street, and Sesame Street, and was a regular cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series The News Is the News.

Audio productions She appeared in radio skits of the Garrison Keillor program The American Radio Company of the Air. Her voice was also heard on over 20 audio books, primarily works with socially relevant themes.

Computer games In her association with the Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? television show, Thigpen reprised her role as The Chief in three related computer games. Two were released in 1996: Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (a reboot of the original 1985–1992 game) and Where in the U.S.A. Is Carmen Sandiego? The following year, a video game counterpart to the TV series' successor show, Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego, was released, titled Carmen Sandiego's Great Chase Through Time. Thigpen recorded hundreds of QuickTime videos for cut-scenes in the games, and generally received praise for her performances in them; in reviewing the 1997 game, David Colker of the Los Angeles Times enjoyed the "on-screen presence of actress Lynne Thigpen", noting that she "brings a winning presence to her role," while Debbie Maria Leon of the New Straits Times wrote that "the urgency of the [confident Chief's] voice [gives] enough oomph to make [the player] go scurrying to restore history".

Death Thigpen died of a cerebral hemorrhage on March 12, 2003, in her Marina del Rey, California, home, outside of Los Angeles, after complaining of headaches for several days. She was 54 years old. The coroner's autopsy found "acute cardiac dysfunction, non-traumatic systemic and spontaneous intraventricular hemorrhage, and hemorrhage in the brain." Thigpen was entombed at Elmhurst Cemetery in her hometown of Joliet, Illinois.

Response and legacy Following Thigpen's death, the remaining three episodes of the third season of The District killed off her character, Ella Mae Farmer.

Thigpen's family and friends established a non-profit foundation, The Lynne Thigpen–Bobo Lewis Foundation, to help young actors and actresses learn to survive and succeed in New York theater and to mentor the next generation of Broadway stars.

Thigpen was posthumously nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming for voicing Luna the moon in Bear in the Big Blue House, but lost to Jeff Corwin for his eponymous wildlife reality series The Jeff Corwin Experience. Her final film, Anger Management, was dedicated to her memory. An elementary school in Thigpen's hometown of Joliet, Illinois, was named after her.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1973 Godspell Lynne 1979 The Warriors DJ 1982 Tootsie Jo 1984 Streets of Fire Subway Motorwoman 1985 Walls of Glass Woman Cop 1986 Sweet Liberty Claire 1987 Hello Again Reporter #2 1988 Running on Empty Contact at Eldridge St. 1989 Lean on Me Leonna Barrett 1990 Impulse Dr. Gardner 1992 Article 99 Nurse White Bob Roberts Kelly Noble 1993 Naked in New York Helen 1994 The Paper Janet Blankman Grandma Walker 1995 Just Cause Ida Conklin 1999 Random Hearts Phyllis Bonaparte The Insider Mrs. Williams Bicentennial Man President Marjorie Bota 2000 Shaft Carla Howard 2001 Novocaine Pat 2003 Anger Management Judge Brenda Daniels Posthumous release; dedicated in memory

Television

Year Title Role Notes 1972 Fol-de-RolWitch / EnsembleTelevision film 1981 Lou Grant Mrs. Dupree1 episode 1983 Love, Sidney Nancy 1985–1986 Gimme a Break! Loretta Harper 3 episodes 1986 RockabyeRica TowneTelevision film Spenser: For Hire Mrs. Jarvis1 episode 1987 The Ellen Burstyn Show Pam James The Equalizer Cleaning Lady Episode: "Blood and Wine" 1988 Frank's Place Madame Torchet1 episode 1989 Roseanne Dr. Bryce Thirtysomething Rosie Recurring role, 6 episodes Fear StalkBarbaraTelevision film 1989–1990 FM Naomi Sayers Main role, 13 episodes 1989–1993 ABC Afterschool SpecialsMrs. Meeks / Jo Delancey2 episodes 1990 Hunter Lt. Marilyn Fowler1 episode 1991 The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd Nate's Cousin Dear John Sarah Donnelly Separate but EqualRuth Alice Stovall2 episodes The Cosby Show Mrs. Hudson 1991–1995 Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? The Chief Main role, 296 episodes 1991–1992 L.A. Law D.A. Ruby Thomas Recurring role, 10 episodes 1992 Loving Judge Hale 2 episodes 1993–2000 All My Children Grace Keefer Recurring role 1995–1999 Law & Order Trial Judge Ida Boucher 3 episodes 1995 Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass CeilingCapt. Gigi CardenasTelevision film The Puzzle Place The Chief Episode: "The Mystery of the Fabulous Hat" 1996 The Boys Next DoorMrs. TracyTelevision film A Mother's Instinct"Mike" Wheelwright 1996–1997 Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? The Chief 115 episodes 1997–2003 Bear in the Big Blue House Luna Voice role, 103 episodes 1997 Homicide: Life on the Street Regina Wilson 3 episodes Promised Land Dr. Bea Goldman 1 episode King of the Hill Judge Voice role, episode: "Hank's Dirty Laundry" 1998 Sesame Street WASA Training Officer2 episodes Cosby Linda / Dr. Holmes 1998–2003 Where in the Universe Is Carmen Sandiego? The Chief Unknown episodes 1999 Night Ride HomeFranTelevision film 2000 An American DaughterDr. Judith B. Kaufman 2000–2003 The District Ella Farmer Main role, 66 episodes

Awards and honors Awards 1992 Obie Award – Boesman and Lena 1997 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play – An American Daughter 2000 Obie Award – Jar the Floor

Nominations 1981 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical – Tintypes 1987 Los Angeles Drama Critics Award – Fences 1994, 1995, 1996 Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series – Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? 1996 NAACP Image Awards for Informational Youth or Children's Series/Special – Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? 1997 NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series – All My Children 1997, 1998 Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series – Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? 2000 AudioFile Awards Golden Voices for the Year 2004 Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series – Bear in the Big Blue House (Posthumously nominated)

Honors Lynne Thigpen Elementary School, Joliet, Illinois