Zara Cully Video | Celebrity Interview and Paparazzi

Zara Cully Brown (January 26, 1892 – February 28, 1978) who adopted the stage name Zara Cully was an American character actress, known for her portrayal of the irascible Olivia 'Mother' Jefferson on the popular long-running CBS Television sitcom The Jeffersons. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on January 26, 1892 Brown was one of ten children. She graduated from the Worcester School of Speech and Music, and was one of the oldest performers active in television at the time of her death. In 1940 after a stint in New York City she became known as "one of the world's greatest... MORE

Zara Cully Brown (January 26, 1892 – February 28, 1978) who adopted the stage name Zara Cully was an American character actress, known for her portrayal of the irascible Olivia 'Mother' Jefferson on the popular long-running CBS Television sitcom The Jeffersons. Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, on January 26, 1892 Brown was one of ten children. She graduated from the Worcester School of Speech and Music, and was one of the oldest performers active in television at the time of her death. In 1940 after a stint in New York City she became known as "one of the world's greatest elocutionists". After moving to Jacksonville, Florida, she began producing, writing, directing, and acting in numerous plays. For 15 years she was a drama teacher at her own studio as well as at Edward Waters College, and had become known as Florida's "Dean of Drama" before numerous experiences with racism in the South directed her decision to leave for Hollywood, where she became a regular performer at the Ebony Showcase Theatre. By the time she acquired the role of 'Mother' Jefferson, she had accumulated a long list of acting credentials that spanned over 50 years appearing in such movies as The Learning Tree, LESS