Jacqueline Yvonne "Jackée" Harry (born August 14, 1956) is an American actress, comedian, and television personality. She starred as Sandra Clark, the nemesis of Mary Jenkins (played by Marla Gibbs), on the NBC sitcom 227 (1985–1990), and as Lisa Landry on the ABC/The WB sitcom Sister, Sister (1994–1999). Harry was the first African American to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
She also starred in the 1992 film Ladybugs opposite Rodney Dangerfield. Since March 2021, she has played Paulina Price on the NBC/Peacock soap opera Days of Our Lives.
Biography Early life and education Harry was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1956 to an Afro-Trinidadian mother and African American father and raised in Harlem, New York. She began studying acting at the High School of the Performing Arts in midtown Manhattan in New York City. Harry graduated from Long Island University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education and worked as a teacher of American history at Brooklyn Technical High School for two years before beginning a career on the New York stage.
Career Theater In 1978, Harry made her Broadway debut in A Broadway Musical. Throughout the 1980s she starred in numerous productions both on and off Broadway and in national touring productions. In 1994, Harry made her return to the theater by starring as Billie Holiday in the play Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. Following that stage production, she fulfilled the role of "madam who runs a bordello" in the Broadway musical The Boys from Syracuse. In the mid 2000s, she appeared in stage productions of The Sunshine Boys, Damn Yankees, and A Christmas Carol. She also toured nationally in JD Lawrence's The Clean Up Woman.
Television Harry made her television acting debut in 1983 on Another World as Lily Mason, a role she continued until 1986. In 1984, she made her motion pictures debuts with bit parts in Moscow on the Hudson and The Cotton Club. In 1985, Harry began a co-starring role as Sandra Clark on the NBC sitcom 227. Her mother, Flossie, celebrated her getting the role but died before the show started airing. During the series' run, Harry and Marla Gibbs began feuding privately over who was the series' lead. They have since reconciled and collaborated on a number of projects. Her performance on 227 inspired NBC producers to create a television pilot for her entitled Jackée. Although the pilot episode was a success with audiences, the series did not last and the episode is now shown as an episode of 227.
After leaving 227 in 1989, Harry starred opposite Oprah Winfrey in The Women of Brewster Place, an adaptation of Gloria Naylor's novel of the same name. In 1990, she headlined an NBC comedy pilot from Witt/Thomas titled We'll Take Manhattan; it aired as a summer special that year, but did not make it to series. In late 1991, she joined the cast of The Royal Family after the star, Redd Foxx, unexpectedly died. She starred opposite two-time 227 guest-star Della Reese, but the series faltered in the ratings and was not renewed for a second season. In 1992, she starred as the assistant coach in Ladybugs. Harry served as a guest panelist on the 2000 revival of To Tell the Truth and appeared on the second season of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club 2 in 2005. From 1994 until 1999, Harry played Lisa Landry, the adoptive mother of Tia Mowry's character, on the sitcom Sister, Sister.
She had a recurring role as Vanessa on the UPN/The CW series Everybody Hates Chris and had a recurring role on the BET Series Let's Stay Together. From 2012 to 2015, she starred in Byron Allen's sitcom The First Family. In 2013, she appeared in the pilot episode of the Disney sitcom Girl Meets World, as well as the episodes "Girl Meets Crazy Hat" and "Girl Meets Demolition". That same year, she also joined Gibbs in the movie Forbidden Woman. In 2014, she made a guest appearance on Instant Mom as her character Lisa Landry. She appeared in the 2 Broke Girls episode "And the Sax Problem" in 2016, as Earl's (Garrett Morris) ex-girlfriend.
On December 8, 2020, during an appearance on Today, Harry announced that she was set to join the cast of the soap opera Days of Our Lives. Harry was cast as Paulina Price. When the series was renewed for two additional seasons in 2021, Harry was placed on contract with the series. On July 25, 2021, she appeared on Celebrity Family Feud.
Harry guest starred in The Neighborhood season 7, playing Tina's stepmother, Loretta, in the episode "Welcome to the Wicked Stepmother," where Tina's father visits and she discovers he has age-related impairments.
Personal life Harry has one adopted child and was once married to arranger and conductor Jerry Jemmott.The HistoryMakers, Jackee Harry, Tape: 4 Story: 3 - Jackee Harry remembers her marriage from Jerry Jemmott .Retrieved January 23, 2020. In 1996, Harry married Elgin Charles Williams; they later divorced in 2003. During their marriage, Harry and Williams adopted a son, Frank, in 1997.
Filmography
Film + Year Film Role Notes 1984 Moscow on the Hudson Woman The Cotton Club Susan 1986 Alvin Goes Back to School Gina Lipman TV movie 1987 Alf Loves a Mystery Countess TV movie 1988 Crash Course Edna Savage TV movie 1989 Double Your Pleasure Linda/Sharlene Cavanaugh TV movie 1990 We'll Take Manhattan Yvonne Johnson TV movie 1992 Ladybugs Julie Benson 1993 Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun Charmayne Harry Video 1997 Mother Goose: A Rappin' and Rhymin' Special Little Bo Peep (voice) TV movie 2003 The Nick at Nite Holiday Special Jackée, The Baker TV movie 2004 You Got Served Elizabeth "Mama' Smith 2006 All You've Got Pauline TV movie 2007 The Last Day of Summer Lola the Lobster TV movie 2009 Man of Her Dreams Louise Smith G.E.D. Mama Jones 2010 Christmas Cupid Vivian TV movie The Clean Up Woman Jasmine Knight to D7 Nurse Hamilton Short 2011 The Ideal Husband Vivian Peterson TV movie Nurse Jackée Nurse Jackée Short Shadow Hills Sonya TV movie 2012 Switchin' the Script Mrs. Shepard The Coalition Grandmother Bea Hathaway Video JD Lawrence's the Clean Up Woman Jasmine TV movie Brother White Veena TV movie 2013 The Sins of Deacon Whyles Mama Whyles The Love Letter Josephine TV movie Forbidden Woman Sheila 2014 Knock 'Em Dead Savannah Johnz The Dirty 30 Linda 2015 The Man in 3B Miss Gina Bertha 2016 Ladies Book Club Mrs. Roxanne Charles TV movie Just Love Vernette TV movie Broadcasting Christmas Veronika Daniels TV movie A Husband for Christmas Erin TV movie Hail Mary Nurse Wanda TV movie 2017 Cupid's Proxy Olive Wrapped Up In Christmas Arlene Simons TV movie 2018 It's a Date Allison Cole When It Comes Around Amina My Christmas Inn Susan Taylor TV movie 2019 Pride & Prejudice: Atlanta Mrs. Bennet TV movie The Wrong Tutor Principal Callahan TV movie Carole's Christmas Iris TV movie A Family Reunion Christmas Aunt Dot TV movie Christmas on My Mind Dr. Caroline Albright TV movie 2020 Love in Store Sharon St. Clair TV movie The Wrong Wedding Planner Ms. Johnson TV movie The Perfect Mate Mrs. Adams A Christmas for Mary Deborah TV movie 2021 Deceived by My Mother-In-Law Denise TV movie Mommy's Deadly Con Artist Denise TV movie The Wrong Cheer Captain Principal Simpson TV movie Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas Paulina Price 2022 Killer Design Dr. Farber TV movie 2023 A Snowy Day in Oakland Mrs. Monroe Every Breath She Takes Linda Moss TV movie If I Can't Have You Detective Olsen TV movie So Fly Christmas Harriet TV movie 2024 Tall, Dark, and Dangerous Detective Graham TV movie The Gutter Mozell Million Dollar Lethal Listing Meghan TV movie Make or Bake Christmas Denise TV movie Too Many Christmases Harriet
Television