Chip Fields

Chip Fields
Born
New York, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actress
  • television director
Years active1974–present
Known forLinella Gordon – Good Times
Laverne Hunter – Living Single
Rita Conway – The Amazing Spider-Man (TV series)

Chip Fields is an American singer, actress, television director, and producer who has appeared in popular films, television series, and Broadway theatre. She is best known for portraying Linella Gordon, the abusive birth mother of Penny Gordon Woods (played by Janet Jackson), in a four–episode story arc (1977) of the 1970s sitcom Good Times. In real life, she is the mother of actress Kim Fields, of The Facts of Life television series.

Early life and career

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Fields was born in New York to Patsy, her Jamaican mother and an African American father.[citation needed]

Fields began her career as a singer. She joined Ronnie Spector as a Ronette in 1973 and recorded two singles for Buddah Records.[1]

Fields began her acting career as an extra in the 1974 film Claudine. She has had numerous supporting roles and guest appearances on television. She played an unwed mother opposite Patty Weaver in the NBC television soap opera, Days of Our Lives. Also during the 1970s, she played the abusive birth mother of Millicent "Penny" Gordon Woods (Janet Jackson) on the sitcom Good Times.

From 1978 to 1979, she played Rita Conway in the short-lived The Amazing Spider-Man TV series. Rita Conway was J. Jonah Jameson's secretary, the same function as the black Glory Grant from the 1970s comics. She also appeared in What's Happening!!, Hill Street Blues, T. J. Hooker, Roc, Kirk (a short-lived sitcom starring Kirk Cameron), The Wayans Bros., and The Parkers. She played the role of "Laverne", mother to the character "Regine" (played by her real-life daughter Kim Fields) on Living Single.

Fields was a consultant for The Parkers, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, Living Single, and was a dialogue coach for the film, Menace II Society. She also directed episodes of the popular UPN sitcoms, One on One, All of Us, Girlfriends, The Parkers, as well as episodes of Romeo!, Just Jordan, Hannah Montana, Tyler Perry's House of Payne and Meet the Browns.[2]

Discography

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  • 1973 (as Ronnie and the Ronettes) – "Go Out and Get It" b/w "Lover, Lover" (Buddha 384)
  • 1974 (as Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes) – "I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine" b/w "I Wonder What He's Doing" (Buddha 408)

Filmography

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Acting

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1974 Claudine Rioter on Hallway Stairs
[3]
1975 The Happy Hooker Red Hat Biographical-comedy film directed by Nicholas Sgarro [4]
1978 Blue Collar Caroline Brown Crime drama film directed by Paul Schrader [5]
1979 The Lady in Red Satin Action-drama/romantic film directed by Lewis Teague [6]
2004 Woman Thou Art Loosed Woman in Church Drama film directed by Michael Schultz [7]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1974 Change at 125th Street Harriet Morse Made-for-TV movie directed by Bob LaHendro and Michael Schultz [8]
1975 Police Story Girl in Bar Episode: "Face for a Shadow" (S 3:Ep 6)
1976 Good Times Rochelle Episode: "J.J.'s New Career, part 2" (S 4:Ep 8)
1977 Rhoda Nurse Franklin Episode: "A Night in the Emergency Room" (S 3:Ep 16)
Days of Our Lives Toni Johnson Episode: "Episode #1.2962" (S 12:Ep 962)
What's Happening!! Norma Episode: "From Here to Maternity" (S 1:Ep 21)
Good Times Lynetta Gordon Season 5, episodes 1–3 "The Evans Get Involved"
What's Happening!! Donna Episode: "Give Me Odds" (S 2:Ep 8)
Freeman Osa Lee Made-for-TV movie directed by Lloyd Richards.
1978 Barnaby Jones Kelly Johnson Episode: "A Ransom in Diamonds" (S 6:Ep 16)
Battered Ginny Sinclair Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Peter Werner. [9]
1978–79 The Amazing Spider-Man Rita Conway Recurring
1979 What's Happening!! Donna Episode: "Food Poisoning" (S 3:Ep 16)
Good Times Linella Gordon Episode: "A Matter of Mothers" (S 6:Ep 21)
1980 The Night the City Screamed Yvonne Clements Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Harry Falk. [10]
1982 Hill Street Blues Mrs. Halloran Episode: "The Shooter" (S 2:Ep 17)
The Facts of Life Goes to Paris Louise Made-for-TV movie directed by Asaad Kelada. [11]
1984 T. J. Hooker Carolyn Webster Episode: "Anatomy of a Killing" (S 4:Ep 5)
The Facts of Life Diane Ramsey Episode: "Mother and Daughter" (S 5:Ep 21)
1986 Episode: "The Graduate" (S 7:Ep 23)
1992 Roc Ms. Wilson Episode: " No Notes Is Good Notes" (S 1:Ep 16)
1993 Where I Live Bonita Episode: "The Terminator" (S 1:Ep 13)
Living Single Bar Patron Episode: "Living Kringle" (S 1:Ep 15)
1994 Bev Episode: "The Hand That Robs the Cradle" (S 1:Ep 17)
Laverne Hunter Episode: "She Ain't Heavy, She My Mother" (S 1:Ep 26)
1995 Episode: "To Grandmother's House We Go" (S 2:Ep 25)
Episode: "Talk Showdown" (S 2:Ep 26)
Episode: "Come Back Little Diva" (S 3:Ep 1)
Episode: "Rags to Riches" (S 3:Ep 5)
1996 Kirk Nurse Episode" Operation Kirk" (S 1:Ep 20)
Living Single Laverne Hunter Episode: "Compromising Positions" (S 3:Ep 26)
1997 Episode: "Mother Inferior" (S 4:Ep 13)
Episode: "Never Can Say Goodbye" (S 4:Ep 24)
Woman Episode: "Up the Ladder Through the Roof" (S 5:Ep 6)
Laverne Hunter Episode: "Three Men and a Buckeye" (S 5:Ep 8)
1998 The Wayans Bros. Susan Sparks Episode: "Escorting Ain't Easy" (S 5:Ep 6)
2000 The Parkers Wilma McCoy Episode: "Turkey Day Blues" (S 2:Ep 10)
2007 Just Jordan Gert Episode: "Fist of Funny" (S 1:Ep 8)

Production

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1993 Menace II Society Dialogue coach Hood drama thriller film directed by Allen and Albert Hughes [12]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1993–94 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper Consultant Television sitcom
Living Single
1994 Me and the Boys Dialogue consultant
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper Director Episode: "Groom & Bride" (S 2:Ep 21)
1997 Arsenio Consultant Television sitcom
1999 Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century Disney Channel Original Movie directed by Kenneth Johnson [13]
Sister, Sister Director Episode: "The Road Less Traveled" (S 6:Ep 21)
2000–03 The Parkers Consultant (69 episodes)/Director (4 episodes) Television sitcom
2001 Girlfriends Director Episode: "You Better Watch Out" (S 2:Ep 11)
2003–05 Romeo! Television sitcom (7 episodes)
2003–06 One on One Television sitcom (5 episodes)
2005 All of Us Episode: "If You Can't Stand the Heat" (S 3:Ep 2)
2006 Hannah Montana Episode: "You're So Vain, You Probably Think This Zit Is About You" (S 1:Ep 13)
2007 Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide Television sitcom (3 episodes)
Just Jordan Television sitcom (4 episodes)
2009 Meet the Browns Television sitcom (2 episodes)
2009–12 House of Payne Television sitcom (12 episodes)
2020–23 Young Dylan Television sitcom (46 episodes)

References

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  1. ^ Clemente, John (2013). Girl Groups: Fabulous Females Who Rocked the World. AuthorHouse. p. 408. ISBN 978-1-4772-7633-4.
  2. ^ "Chip Fields Filmography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2012. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  3. ^ "Claudine". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  4. ^ "The Happy Hooker". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  5. ^ "Blue Collar". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  6. ^ "The Lady in Red". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  7. ^ "Woman Thou Art Loosed". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  8. ^ "Change at 125th Street". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  9. ^ "Battered". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  10. ^ "The Night the City Screamed". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  11. ^ "The Facts of Life Goes to Paris". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  12. ^ "Menace II Society". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  13. ^ "Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
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