Menu
Helen Martin

Helen Martin

Known For Acting
Birthday Jul 23, 1909
Died Mar 25, 2000 (90)
Birthplace St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Popularity 0.8 (history)
Updated Dec 19, 2024
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Helen Dorothy Martin (July 23, 1909 – March 25, 2000) was an American actress of stage and television who is perhaps most well known for her role in the sitcom 227 as Marla Gibbs' neighbor Pearl. Martin was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of Amanda F ... rankie (née Fox) and William Martin, a minister. Martin was a Broadway character actress for many decades, debuting in Orson Welles' production of Native Son in 1941. She appeared in at least a dozen Broadway shows including Jean Genet's The Blacks, Raisin from 1973 to 1975, Ossie Davis' Purlie Victorious (and later the musical version, which was called Purlie), The Amen Corner and Tennessee Williams' Period of Adjustment. She was an original member of the American Negro Theater. She first became famous later in life for her guest role as Wanda on the television series Good Times, and later as the wisecracking neighbor Pearl Shay on the television sitcom 227. She also played on the short-run sitcoms Baby, I'm Back (as mother in-law, Luzelle) and That's My Mama; as Loc Dog's grandma, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996), the matronly grandmother Mama Doll in the 1998 film Bulworth, and the no-nonsense grandmother in the film Hollywood Shuffle. Helen Martin died of a heart attack on March 25, 2000. Description above from the Wikipedia article Helen Martin, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Filmography

Something to Sing About

Something to Sing About

2000

as Elderly Woman

I Got the Hook-Up

I Got the Hook-Up

1998

as Grandmother

Bulworth

Bulworth

1998

as Momma Doll

Kiss the Girls

Kiss the Girls

1997

as Nana Cross

Beverly Hills Cop III

Beverly Hills Cop III

1994

as Grandma

Doc Hollywood

Doc Hollywood

1991

as Maddie, Welcoming Committee

House Party 2

House Party 2

1991

as Mrs. Deevers

Night Angel

Night Angel

1990

as Sadie

A Raisin in the Sun

A Raisin in the Sun

1989

as Mrs. Johnson

Hollywood Shuffle

Hollywood Shuffle

1987

as Bobby's Grandmother

Amos

Amos

1985

as Mrs. McKenzie

Repo Man

Repo Man

1984

as Mrs. Parks

The Jerk, Too

The Jerk, Too

1984

as Grandma Johnson

Deal of the Century

Deal of the Century

1983

as Baptist #3

Wacko

Wacko

1982

as Harbinger's Mother

Dummy

Dummy

1979

as Mrs. Harrod

Lawman Without a Gun

Lawman Without a Gun

1979

as Mrs. Cartwright

Cindy

Cindy

1978

as Flower Lady

Death Wish

Death Wish

1974

as Alma Lee Brown

J.T.

J.T.

1969

as Mrs. Hill

The Phenix City Story

The Phenix City Story

1955

as Helen Ward

The Lady Confesses

The Lady Confesses

1945

Screenplay

Invisible Ghost

Invisible Ghost

1941

Story, Screenplay

No data available

No data available

Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

227

as Pearl Shay

Episodes: 116

First Aired: Sep 14, 1985

Starsky & Hutch

as Vivian Fellers

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Sep 10, 1975

T. J. Hooker

as Mrs. Sears

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 13, 1982

The Wayans Bros.

as Mother Evans

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 11, 1995

Full House

as Shirley

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 22, 1987

The White Shadow

as Old Woman

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 27, 1978

The Flash

as Sadie Grosso

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1990

Baby, I'm Back

Episodes: 13

First Aired: Jan 30, 1978

Good Times

Episodes: 8

First Aired: Feb 08, 1974

That's My Mama

Episodes: 6

First Aired: Sep 04, 1974

Sanford and Son

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Jan 14, 1972

What's Happening!!

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Aug 05, 1976

Maude

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 12, 1972

St. Elsewhere

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 26, 1982

Hardcastle and McCormick

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 18, 1983

Benson

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 13, 1979

The Bill

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 16, 1984

The Jamie Foxx Show

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 28, 1996

The Jeffersons

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 18, 1975

Hill Street Blues

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 15, 1981

The Parent 'Hood

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 18, 1995

The Stockard Channing Show

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 24, 1980

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 11 16 6
2024 7 13 19 4
2024 8 12 18 7
2024 9 9 15 3
2024 10 8 14 5
2024 11 10 27 4
2024 12 10 22 6
2025 1 11 19 4
2025 2 5 10 1
2025 3 5 7 1
2025 5 2 2 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 0 1 0
2025 8 1 7 0
2025 9 0 0 0
2025 10 0 1 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
No trending metrics available.

Return to Top