The tenth of 18 children born to Bahamian immigrants, Esther Rolle danced in her early years and played in numerous stage productions and small roles in films before being "discovered" in middle age by TV producer Norman Lear and turned into a TV star playing Florida Evans, the maid, on "Maude" (CBS, 1972-74), and Florida Evans, the projects mother, on "Good Times" (CBS, 1974-77,…
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