This page uses content from the Shirley Hemphill biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.

Shirley Ann Hemphill (July 1, 1947 - December 10, 1999) was an American comedic actress best known for her role on the television sitcom What's Happening!!, playing Shirley Wilson, the waitress at Rob's Place, a fictitious restaurant that was one of the show's primary settings.

Following What's Happening!!, Shirley would go on to star in her own sitcom entitled One in a Million in which she played a cab driver who inherited a huge corporation and fortune from one of her customers. She would also go on to star in the revival of What's Happening!! entitled What's Happening Now!! from 1985 to 1988.

Hemphill died in December 1999 from kidney failure.She died at the age of 52.

Trivia

• Rosie O'Donnell acknowledged her as the first comedianne she met doing stand-up comedy. O'Donnell said that Hemphill got O'Donnell a paying gig at the same place Hemphill was working. O'Donnell paid tribute to Hemphill on her show the Monday after Hemphill passed away.
• Shirley Hemphill and the Fred Berry (who played "Rerun" on What's Happening) died at the same age.

External links

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify the biographical information on this page under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.