Primetime star (227, Sister, Sister) and daytime alumna Jackée Harry – she played hooker-turned-club owner Lily Mason on Another World from 1983 to 1986 – is heading back to the soap opera medium — specifically, Days of our Lives.
Get To Know Jackée Harry
Harry is joining the NBC show portraying a character she’s described as “fabulous” on a recent episode of Today. Harry’s pretty fabulous herself. Here are 7 things to know about the comedic actress.
1. Born Jacqueline Yvonne Harry, the actress originally took Jackée Harry as her stage name. However, in 1987, she briefly dropped her surname and simply went by Jackée, professionally.
2. She became the first African-American actress to win an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1987. She took home the gold for her portrayal of Sandra Clark in 227.
3. Harry cites her 227 co-star Marla Gibbs as her acting mentor, leading her on the road to stardom. Gibbs took Harry under her wing and taught her the ropes of comedy. Jackée Harry also credits Gibbs with her success doing stand-up comedy.
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4. She began studying acting at the High School of the Performing Arts in NYC, and earned a BA degree in education from Long Island University. Harry actually worked as an American History teacher at Brooklyn Technical High School for two years, before she segued to a career on stage.
5. During her run on Another World, Harry shared the screen with some future stars. Among them: Oscar winner Morgan Freeman (ex-Roy) and Emmy winner Joe Morton (ex-Leo), remembered as Olivia Pope’s father, Rowan, on Scandal.
6. Harry sites sharing a dressing room with co-star Linda Dano (ex-Felicia; soon to be Vivian on DAYS) as one of her favorite AW memories. “We had a great time. She was just so loving,” said Harry.
7. Jackée Harry’s performance on NBC sitcom 227 inspired producers to create a spinoff for her, aptly titled Jackée. While the pilot was a hit with audiences, it was promptly canceled and is now shown as an episode of 227.
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