Early Life and Career
King was born Donnie Mabel Elizabeth Washington in Charleston, South Carolina, the daughter of Rosalie Washington. She was raised in Harlem where she eventually became a gospel and nightclub singer. She did not start acting until her mid thirties, in 1966, when she played the role of Maria in the national touring play of Porgy and Bess. The following year she played the role of Ernestina in the Broadway musical/comedy Hello, Dolly!. Then in 1972, she appeared in the Broadway musical Don't Play Us Cheap. The following year, 1973, she appeared in the film version of the play. That same year she played the Queen of Myrthia in the horror film Ganja & Hess.
In January 1975, she played the role of Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West in the all-African American cast of the Broadway musical The Wiz. The role earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination for outstanding featured actress in a musical.
Her performance in The Wiz brought her much attention and soon after she received roles in the films The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, with Billy Dee Williams and James Earl Jones and the movie Scott Joplin also with Billy Dee Williams and Clifton Davis.
In 1976, she was offered the role of Mabel Thomas on the sitcom What's Happening!!, a role she played from 1976 to 1978. Due to disagreements with the direction the creators wanted to take the show, King left What's Happening!! in 1978 after two seasons. That same year, she reprised the role of Evillene for the 1978 film version of The Wiz. It was the second time in her career that she appeared in a movie after being in the stage version, the first time being the play/movie Don't Play Us Cheap. The following year she appeared in what was probably her most notable film role, as mother to Steve Martin's character in The Jerk.
In June 1980, King returned to stage work, starring in the Broadway musical It's So Nice To Be Civilized. However the show did not do well and was cancelled after eight performances. After the show, King received mostly guest spots on TV shows including Fantasy Island, The Jeffersons, Amazing Stories and Tales from the Darkside among others. In between, she signed on with then Hollywood agent Ruben Malaret, who negotiated the reprised role of Mama Johnson in the 1984 made-for-TV movie The Jerk, Too. Her last two movie roles were 1988's Scrooged starring Bill Murray and 1990's Dead Men Don't Die starring Elliott Gould.
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