Marlene Clark dead at 85: Sanford And Son actress passes at her home in Los Angeles

Marlene Clark, the actress best known for her role in the hit 1970s sitcoms Sanford And Son and the horror film Ganja & Hess (1973), has died at the age of 85.

The actress died at her Los Angeles home on Thursday, May 18, her friend Tamara Lynch confirmed People.

Lynch went on to praise her friend, describing her as “an extraordinary woman” and someone with “perseverance,” despite being a woman of short stature.

“She almost looked like a black Polynesian, she was just so exotic,” her friend added. Then she had that deep, cavernous voice. When she spoke, it was such a command of attention.’

Clark reportedly maintained that determination and strong work ethic throughout her life.

“She was tenacious in her love of art, film and expression,” her friend explained. “Really, until the day she died, if she had auditioned, Marlene would have gone to the audition.

Lynch went on to call Clark “one of those die-hard old-school actors, performers, Hollywood people.” You do the work. You show up. You know your rules, and then you go home and you go back, and you do it the next day.”

While she may not have been recognizable to fans of film and television, Clark leaves the world with an impact on the entertainment industry.

“She’s part of the people who kicked down these doors, and there was no predecessor to what she did. Everything was blind. So everything she does is the first thing,” Lynch said.

“So she’s starring in these movies with these black filmmakers and these black actors and these black writers and creating this movement.”

Raised in the Harlem section of New York City, she would begin her career as a model and eventually transition to acting.

The films Clark appeared in early in her career included For Love Of Ivy (1968), starring Sidney Poitier (1968), and Putney Swope (1969), directed by Robert Downey Sr.

In 1969, she married movie star Billy Dee Williams in Hawaii, but their marriage would only last about three years, ending in divorce in 1971.

Clark, who grew up in the Harlem section of New York City, started out as a fashion model and transitioned into acting, starring in a number of films such as Ganja & Hess (1973), For Love Of Ivy (1968) and Slaughter (1971) . )

Classic: The actress is best known to many fans for playing Lamont’s girlfriend (Demond Wilson) in Sanford & Son

Tribute: “RIP beautiful actress Marlene Clark,” Wilson shared on Twitter after learning of her passing, adding, “It’s been a pleasure working with you”

Personal life: Clark was supposed to marry actor Billy Dee Williams in Hawaii in 1969, but their marriage would only last about three years and ended in divorce in 1971

Resume: Clark has starred in a number of other hit television series, including Mod Squad

Her screen credits also include starring opposite the late Jim Brown and Stella Stevens in Slaughter (1972) and starring opposite Duane Jones in Bill Gunn’s horror film Ganja & Hess (1973).

On the television side, she played Lamont’s girlfriend (Demond Wilson) in Sanford And Son, as well as the hit series Mod Squad.

“RIP beautiful actress Marlene Clark,” Wilson shared on Twitter after learning of her passing, adding, “It’s been a pleasure working with you.”

Her other film credits include Switchblade Sisters, Night Of The Cobra Woman, The Beast Must Die, Enter The Dragon, Black Mamba, and The Baron, along with TV appearances in Head Of The Class, Flamingo Road, Highway To Heaven, and Barnaby Jones.