Isaiah Cornelius Rolle was born on September 6, 1922, in Nassau, New Providence District, Bahamas, to Bahamian immigrants Jonathan Rolle and Elizabeth Iris Dames Rolles. Isaiah was married to his longtime partner Earnestine Rolle, and there are no records of the two having children together. Isaiah Cornelius Rolle’s wife was born on October 30, 1932, in Florida, USA, and passed away on September 4, 2009.
Who is Isaiah Cornelius Rolle?
Isaiah Cornelius Rolle is one of the seventeen siblings of the famous actor Esther Elizabeth Rolle. Isaiah’s family consisted of actors, including Estelle Evans and Rossanna Carter. Esther Rolle started acting while in school, but she was famous for her role as Florida Evans on Maude, a television film on CBS.
Isaiah Cornelius Rolle’s Sister, Esther Rolle
Esther Role was born into a family of eighteen children. She was number ten, born in 1920 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Esther’s parents were immigrants, and her father was a farmer. The parents of Esther Rolle were born in Nassau, New Providence, but after they exchanged vows, they moved to Florida.
Esther Rolle went to Booker T. Washington High School in Miami before she attended Spelman College. She was at Spelman college for one year and later moved to New York. When Esther was in New York, she supported herself by working in a pocketbook factory, but she used to audition for theatre.
Esther took drama classes at George Washington Carver School in Harlem when she got a scholarship to study acting at New York’s innovative New School for Social Research. While there, she met Asadata Dafora, an African dance troupe, and became a member. In 1960, she was elected as the director of the troupe.
The Career of Esther Rolle
Esther Role started acting in 1962. She acted in The Blacks, and in the years that followed, she was seen taking various roles. Besides theatre, Esther also appeared on television, where she was best known as Florida Evans.
After the tremendous acting by Esther as Florida Evans, she got other roles in Good Times, where she appeared with actor John Amos. John Amos was featured as the husband of the actress, although she left the series when her contract ended. The series continued, but Esther returned in the final season.
Her appearance in television films led to Esther’s nomination for the Emmy Awards. Luckily, she won. Besides acting, Esther released an album in 1975.
Was Isaiah Cornelius’s Siter Married?
Esther Rolle was once married to Oscar Robinson. The marriage took place in 1955, and it lasted until 1975. Unfortunately, despite spending more than a decade together, they never had children.
Esther Rolle died on November 17, 1998, in Culver City, California, due to complications caused by her diabetic condition. Esther had requested her funeral to be held at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, and she was buried in Westview Community.
The Death of Isaiah Cornelius Rolle
Isaiah Cornelius Rolle died on September 12, 2002, aged 78. He was buried in Pompano Beach, Broward County, Florida.
