Novella Christine Nelson (December 17, 1939 – August 31, 2017) was an American actress and singer. She established her career as a singer, both on the off-Broadway and Broadway stage[1] and in cabaret-style locales.[2]

Starting in 1961, Nelson had a decades-long stage career, performing, directing and producing, primarily in New York.[3] She was a featured performer on Broadway in 1970 in the musical Purlie. In 1975, Nelson directed the play La Femme Noire at The Public Theater.[4] Her film career began at age 39 with a small part in 1977's An Unmarried Woman, and continued for the next several decades with roles in movies and television.[5][6]
She may be best known for her role as Mrs. Tate in the 2002 movie Antwone Fisher.[7]
Nelson was born on December 17, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York, to James and Evelyn (formerly Hines) Nelson. Her father was a pastor and a taxi driver. Her mother was an executive assistant at magazine publisher Women's Wear Daily.[8]
An African American, she attended the predominantly white Brooklyn College in the late 1950s, majoring in biochemistry. She took a speech class, which was an acting course, and was asked to perform in a play. For the play she took on the role of Berenice, the housekeeper, in The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers.[9] After being on stage in this and other plays, the future actress changed course becoming a theatre major.[10][11]
Nelson died of cancer on September 1, 2017, aged 77, in her native Brooklyn, New York.[12][13]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | An Unmarried Woman | Jean Starret | |
| 1979 | The Seduction of Joe Tynan | Carla Willis | |
| 1980 | The Torture of Mothers | ||
| 1984 | The Cotton Club | Madame St. Clair | |
| 1984 | The Flamingo Kid | Lizzy | |
| 1987 | Orphans | Mattie | |
| 1990 | Privilege | Yvonne Washington | |
| 1990 | The Bonfire of the Vanities | Media Jackal | |
| 1990 | Green Card | Marriage Celebrant | |
| 1991 | Strictly Business | Olivia | |
| 1993 | Weekend at Bernie's II | Mobu | |
| 1994 | Dead Funny | Frances | |
| 1995 | The Keeper | Mrs. Lemont | |
| 1995 | Mercy | Angela | |
| 1996 | Manny & Lo | Georgine | |
| 1996 | Girl 6 | Angela's Aunt | |
| 1997 | White Lies | Leon's Mother | |
| 1997 | The Devil's Advocate | Botanica Woman | |
| 1998 | 1999 | Rufus' Shrink | |
| 1998 | A Perfect Murder | Ambassador Alice Wills | |
| 1999 | Judy Berlin | Carol | |
| 2001 | The Gilded Six Bits | Mama Banks | Short |
| 2002 | Antwone Fisher | Mrs. Tate | |
| 2003 | Head of State | Moderator | |
| 2003 | Conversations with Id | Aunt Mae | Short |
| 2004 | Birth | Lee | |
| 2004 | Dear Wendy | Clarabelle | |
| 2005 | Preaching to the Choir | Aunt June | |
| 2006 | Stephanie Daley | Dr. Peterson | |
| 2006 | Premium | Jayme | |
| 2006 | Griffin & Phoenix | Maya Restaurant Owner | |
| 2007 | The Ten | Judge Sophia R. Jackson | |
| 2007 | August Rush | Social Services Office Attendant | Uncredited |
| 2008 | The Toe Tactic | Victoria Hadaway | |
| 2008 | Compliments of the Serpent | Barbara Stanton | Video short |
| 2010 | It's Kind of a Funny Story | The Professor | |
| 2011 | The Inheritance | Aunt Bee | |
| 2011 | Somebody's Hero | Maureen | |
| 2012 | Nancy, Please | Dr. Bannister | |
| 2012 | Bama & Fred | Bama | Short |
| 2014 | A Walk Among the Tombstones | Librarian | |
| 2015 | Sweet Kandy | Bernice Boyd | |
| 2017 | Collar | Fiona Taylor | |
| 2017 | You Were Never Really Here | Diner Woman | |
| 2017 | Spell | Safi |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Watch Your Mouth | Mrs. King | "Chicago Red and Mugger – Part 2" |
| 1983 | Chiefs | Nellie Cole | TV miniseries |
| 1984 | A Doctor's Story | Mrs. Thornton | TV film |
| 1984 | He's Fired, She's Hired | Serena Cole | TV film |
| 1986 | The Equalizer | Miriam Blain | "The Line" |
| 1987 | Kojak: The Price of Justice | Pearl | TV film |
| 1988 | Hothouse | Olivia | "The Subject of Sex" |
| 1989 | A Man Called Hawk | Mrs. Webster | "Never My Love" |
| 1989 | The Littlest Victims | Mrs. Munson | TV film |
| 1989 | As the World Turns | Sarah Franklin | "1.8637" |
| 1990 | Law & Order | Judge Gloria Crutcher | "Out of the Half-Light" |
| 1992 | Citizen Cohn | Second Annie Lee Moss | TV film |
| 1993 | Daybreak | Mrs. Chaney | TV film |
| 1995 | New York News | Evelyn Gates | "New York News" |
| 1995 | Law & Order | Mrs. Washington | "Humiliation" |
| 1995 | New York Undercover | Prof. Cortez | "Old Tyme Religion" |
| 1996 | Harambee! | Queenesther | TV film |
| 1996 | The Summer of Ben Tyler | Rosetta Tyler | TV film |
| 1997 | Oz | Loretta Smith | "Plan B" |
| 1997 | One Life to Live | Judge Barbara Fitzwater | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Dellaventura | Aretha Jefferson | "Music of the Night" |
| 1998 | Mama Flora's Family | Pearl (1955–1970) | TV miniseries |
| 1998 | Sex and the City | Madame Lordes | "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" |
| 1999 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Mrs. Mosley | "Sophomore Jinx" |
| 2001 | 100 Centre Street | Isabelle | "Things Change" |
| 2003 | Third Watch | Sondra Richards | "In Confidence" |
| 2004 | The West Wing | Gail Fitzwallace | "Gaza", "NSF Thurmont" |
| 2007 | The Starter Wife | Nana Vera | TV miniseries |
| 2008 | Army Wives | Vivian Burton | "Thank You for Letting Me Share", "Transitions" |
| 2010 | 30 Rock | Novella Nelson | "The Moms" |
Novella Nelson (album)
Walk Him Up The Stairs-Prologue / Down Home (Purlie promo w. Linda Hopkins & Cleavon Little)
Where Do You Go / The Bar (single w. Gordy Rose)
| General | |
|---|---|
| National libraries | |
| Biographical dictionaries | |
| Other | |