Bobo Lewis Biography

American actress

Barbara "Bobo" Lewis (May 14, 1926 – November 6, 1998) was an American comedic actress of film, musical theatre, stage and television.

Born in Miami, Florida, Lewis studied acting and won a Drama Desk Award in 1978 for portraying a teacher in Working on Broadway. In 1997, she was nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award.

Stage roles

  • The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 (as Bernice Roth); April 6, 1987 - August 1, 1987
  • 42nd Street (as Maggie Jones; replacement); July 21, 1987 - January 8, 1989
  • Working (as Fran Swenson, Grace Clements, Lucille Page and Rose Hoffman); May 14, 1978 - June 4, 1978
  • Lorelei (as Mrs. Ella Spofford; replacement); January 27, 1974 -November 3, 1974
  • The Women (as Dowager and as Olga); April 25, 1973 - June 17, 1973
  • Twigs (as Emily, Celia, Dorothy and Ma; standby); November 14, 1971 - July 23, 1972

Television

Bobo Lewis was most famous for her role as gossip Midge Smoot on the children's television series Shining Time Station. She remained with the show for its entire run from 1989 to 1993. Lewis would later appear in the four succeeding Shining Time Specials in 1995. Her other television appearances include roles on sitcoms such as Bewitched, The Monkees, That Girl, and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C..

Film

Bobo was seen in a handful of well-known films such as It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963), Way...Way Out (1966) Can't Stop the Music (1980), Arthur (1981) Her Alibi (1989), Miami Blues (1990) and The Paper (1994).

Legacy

She teamed up with her Broadway co-star Lynne Thigpen (Working, 1978) to create the Lynne Thigpen-Bobo Lewis Foundation "to help young actresses and actors learn how to survive and succeed in New York theater".

Death

Lewis died on November 6, 1998, at New York Hospital in Manhattan from cancer, aged 72.

Filmography

References

    External links

    • Bobo Lewis at IMDb
    • http://www.ibdb.com/person.asp?id=71052
    • http://www.tv.com/bobo-lewis/person/44665/summary.html
    • https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/13/arts/bobo-lewis-72-longtime-actress-in-circle-repertory.html