Lynne Thigpen


Cherlynne Theresa Thigpen was an American actress of stage and screen. She was known for her role as the Chief of ACME Crimenet in the game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? and various spinoffs, and for her role as "Luna" in the Playhouse Disney children's series Bear in the Big Blue House. For her varied television work, Thigpen was nominated for six Daytime Emmy Awards. She won a Tony Award in 1997 for portraying Dr. Judith Kaufman in An American Daughter, and also played Ella Farmer on The District. Thigpen first gained attention for her role in the 1971 off-Broadway musical Godspell. Thigpen's character is named Lynne, and she sang "O Bless the Lord, My Soul" in the musical. Thigpen reprised her role as Lynne in the 1973 film adaptation, which she starred in alongside David Haskell and Victor Garber.

Early life and education

Thigpen was born in the Chicago suburb of Joliet, Illinois to George and Celia Thigpen. She obtained a degree in teaching. She taught high school English briefly while studying theatre at the University of Illinois on an acting fellowship.

Career

Stage

Thigpen moved to New York City in 1971 to begin her career as a stage actress. She had a long and prolific theater career and appeared in numerous musicals including Godspell, The Night That Made America Famous, The Magic Show, Working, Tintypes, and An American Daughter.
In 1994, Thigpen originated a role in an Adrienne Kennedy short play Motherhood 2000, while in 1995, she served as associate artistic director of the acclaimed off-Broadway theater, Circle Repertory Company, while Austin Pendleton served as artistic director.

Film

Her first feature film role was as Lynne in Godspell, co-starring opposite Victor Garber and David Haskell. Thigpen also portrayed a radio DJ in Walter Hill's The Warriors, and Leonna Barrett, the mother of an expelled student, in Lean on Me, the story of American high school principal Joe Louis Clark. She had a role in the remake of Shaft as the mother of a murder victim, and played the Second President of the World Congress in Bicentennial Man. Her last film, Anger Management, starring Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson, was released a month after her death and paid tribute to her in the end credits.

Television

Thigpen was most known to television audiences for playing the Chief in the PBS children's geography game show Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, which involved education, humor, and an occasional musical performance. She also reprised her role as The Chief in the successor show Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego? She also played Luna in the television show Bear in the Big Blue House and also appeared in many other television series during her career, most notably in a recurring role as Grace Keefer on the ABC daytime drama All My Children and a supporting role as Ella Mae Farmer, a crime analyst for the Washington, D.C., police department, on the CBS crime drama The District. She guest-starred in episodes of Gimme A Break!, Roseanne, Thirtysomething, The Cosby Show, L.A. Law, Law & Order, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Homicide: Life on the Street, and Sesame Street, and was a regular cast member on the short-lived NBC sketch comedy series The News Is the News. Where in the Universe Is Carmen Sandiego? is the last show to feature Lynne Thigpen as The Chief before she died.

Audio productions

She appeared in radio skits of the Garrison Keillor program The American Radio Company of the Air. Her voice was also heard on over 20 audio books, primarily works with socially relevant themes.

Computer games

In her association with the Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? television show, Thigpen reprised her role as The Chief in three related computer games. Two were released in 1996: Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? and Where in the U.S.A. Is Carmen Sandiego? The following year, a video game counterpart to the TV series' successor show, Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego, was released, titled Carmen Sandiego's Great Chase Through Time. Thigpen recorded hundreds of QuickTime videos for cut-scenes in the games, and generally received praise for her performances in them; in reviewing the 1997 game, David Colker of the Los Angeles Times enjoyed the "on-screen presence of actress Lynne Thigpen", noting that she "brings a winning presence to her role," while Debbie Maria Leon of the New Straits Times wrote that "the urgency of the voice enough oomph to make go scurrying to restore history".

Death

Thigpen died of a cerebral hemorrhage on March 12, 2003, in her Marina del Rey, California, home, outside of Los Angeles, after complaining of headaches for several days. She was 54 years old. The coroner's autopsy found "acute cardiac dysfunction, non-traumatic systemic and spontaneous intraventricular hemorrhage, and hemorrhage in the brain." Thigpen was entombed at Elmhurst Cemetery in her hometown of Joliet, Illinois.

Response and legacy

Following Thigpen's death, the remaining three episodes of the third season of The District killed off her character, Ella Mae Farmer.
Thigpen's family and friends established a non-profit foundation, The Lynne Thigpen–Bobo Lewis Foundation, to help young actors and actresses learn to survive and succeed in New York theater and to mentor the next generation of Broadway stars.
Thigpen was posthumously nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming for voicing Luna the moon in Bear in the Big Blue House, but lost to Jeff Corwin for his eponymous wildlife reality series The Jeff Corwin Experience. Her final film, Anger Management, was dedicated to her memory. An elementary school in Thigpen's hometown of Joliet, Illinois, was named after her.

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1972Fol-de-RolWitch / EnsembleTelevision film
1981Lou GrantMrs. Dupree1 episode
1983Love, SidneyNancy1 episode
1985–1986Gimme a Break!Loretta Harper3 episodes
1986RockabyeRica TowneTelevision film
1986Spenser: For HireMrs. Jarvis1 episode
1987The Ellen Burstyn ShowPam James1 episode
1987The EqualizerCleaning LadyEpisode: "Blood and Wine"
1988Frank's PlaceMadame Torchet1 episode
1989RoseanneDr. Bryce1 episode
1989ThirtysomethingRosieRecurring role, 6 episodes
1989Fear StalkBarbaraTelevision film
1989–1990FMNaomi SayersMain role, 13 episodes
1989–1993ABC Afterschool SpecialsMrs. Meeks / Jo Delancey2 episodes
1990HunterLt. Marilyn Fowler1 episode
1991The Days and Nights of Molly DoddNate's Cousin1 episode
1991Dear JohnSarah Donnelly1 episode
1991Separate but EqualRuth Alice Stovall2 episodes
1991The Cosby ShowMrs. Hudson2 episodes
1991–1995Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?The ChiefMain role, 296 episodes
1991–1992L.A. LawD.A. Ruby ThomasRecurring role, 10 episodes
1992LovingJudge Hale2 episodes
1993–2000All My ChildrenGrace KeeferRecurring role
1995–1999Law & OrderTrial Judge Ida Boucher3 episodes
1995Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass CeilingCapt. Gigi CardenasTelevision film
1995The Puzzle PlaceThe ChiefEpisode: "The Mystery of the Fabulous Hat"
1996The Boys Next DoorMrs. TracyTelevision film
1996A Mother's Instinct"Mike" WheelwrightTelevision film
1996–1997Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego?The Chief115 episodes
1997–2003Bear in the Big Blue HouseLunaVoice role, 103 episodes
1997Homicide: Life on the StreetRegina Wilson3 episodes
1997Promised LandDr. Bea Goldman1 episode
1997King of the HillJudgeVoice role, episode: "Hank's Dirty Laundry"
1998Sesame StreetWASA Training Officer2 episodes
1998CosbyLinda / Dr. Holmes2 episodes
1998–2003Where in the Universe Is Carmen Sandiego?The ChiefUnknown episodes
1999Night Ride HomeFranTelevision film
2000An American DaughterDr. Judith B. KaufmanTelevision film
2000–2003The DistrictElla FarmerMain role, 66 episodes

Awards and honors

;Awards
;Nominations
;Honors
  • Lynne Thigpen Elementary School, Joliet, Illinois