Bebe Drake

Bebe Drake born Beatrice Drake is an American actress Drake is one of four children born to Beatrice Lillian Hayes a teacher social worker and community activist and Carl Everett Drake a postal worker who later became the first African American practicing psychiatrist in Sacramento She attended C K McClatchy High School Sacramento City College and California State University Sacramento Drake made her Broadway debut in the 1975 Leslie Lees play The First Breeze of Summer and the following year appeared in Great Performances production She later was regular cast member on the two shortlived sitcoms Snip 1976 and Sanford Arms 1977 During her career Drake appeared in more than 70 films and television series She made her big screen debut in 1975 appearing in films Report to the Commissioner and Friday Foster and in 1977 had supporting role opposite Richard Pryor in the comedy film Which Way Is Up In 1979 she costarred in the miniseries Backstairs at the White House and the madefortelevision movie The Cracker Factory She made gueststarring appearances on television series such as Good Times Welcome Back Kotter The Love Boat The Jeffersons Highway to Heaven Thirtysomething LA Law The Jamie Foxx Show The Steve Harvey Show The Parent Hood and The Bernie Mac Show Drake appeared in films such as The Last Married Couple in America 1980 Xanadu 1980 Oh God Book II 1980 First Monday in October 1981 Jo Jo Dancer Your Life Is Calling 1986 Alien Nation 1988 House Party 1990 Across the Tracks 1991 Boomerang 1992 Jasons Lyric 1994 Space Jam 1996 How to Be a Player 1997 Anywhere But Here 1999 Leprechaun in the Hood 2000 Friday After Next 2002 Wild Hogs 2007 and Influence 2020 Drake appeared in the 1980 madefortelevision drama Scared Straight Another Story the 1987 thriller Billionaire Boys Club and the 1989 miniseries The Women of Brewster Place She was regular cast member in the 1990 shortlived sitcom New Attitude From 1989 to 1993 she had recurring role on A Different World playing Velma Gaines and later had recurring roles on Martin and Another Period playing Harriet Tubman