Tonea Stewart

Stewart was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, Her original intention was to become a doctor, and she studied biology at Jackson State University. However, after acting in a school production, Stewart changed her major to theater. She earned a BS degree in speech and theater at Jackson, and then studied theater at the University of California at Santa Barbara. In 1989, Stewart received a PhD in theater arts from Florida State University. ==Acting career==

Stewart's first performance on screen was in TV movie Nightmare in Badham County (1976). She appeared as Mrs. Walker in film Mississippi Burning (1988). On the series, she had previously portrayed a different character, and returned under this new role as producers were impressed with her performance. Stewart acted in the feature films Body Snatchers, ''Livin' Large, Mississippi Damned and Girls Trip. ER and Touched by an Angel''. She played Gwen Hailey, the wife of Samuel L. Jackson's character, in A Time to Kill (1996). Stewart received an NAACP Image Award nomination for her work in this film. The majority of Stewart's work has been in television films. and The Rosa Parks Story, where she appeared as Johnnie Carr. In 1994, Stewart appeared in the TV movies One Christmas as Evangeline and A Passion for Justice: The Hazel Brannon Smith Story as Henrietta. She portrayed Memaw, the grandmother of Halle Downing, in the Oprah Winfrey Network movie First Christmas. ==Teaching career==

Stewart began teaching in 1971, educating high school students. By 1983, Stewart was assistant professor for the dramatics and speech departments at Jackson. Starting in 1990, she was a professor at the College of Visual and Performing Arts for Alabama State University, also chairing the theater department. In 2020, Stewart was appointed by Alabama state governor Kay Ivey to represent the fifth district of the Alabama State Board of Education. ==Personal life==

She is married to Allen Stewart, with whom she has three children. ==Filmography==

Television Guest Starring Roles • Walker, Texas Ranger "Rise to the Occasion" (1999) as Principal Rivers • Walker, Texas Ranger "The Trial of LaRue" (1997) as Judge Loretta Paxton • Memphis Beat "I Want to be Free" as Miss Angelina • Matlock "The Juror" (1993) as Henrietta Dorsey • In the Heat of the Night (198?) as Ms. Gray in Season 2 episode "Prisoners" as Ms. Gray, the mother of slain prison victim, Eric Gray. • American Horror Story: Coven (2013) as Cora Starring Roles • In the Heat of the Night (1988) as Aunt Etta (Virgil's widowed maternal aunt Etta Kibbee. She resides with Virgil and Althea Tibbs and is caretaker of their twins, William Calvin and Sarah Ruth. (Seasons 4–7) Prior to her role as Kibbee, Stewart also appeared on the Season 2 episode "Prisoners" as Ms. Gray, the mother of slain prison victim, Eric Gray. Film • Same Kind of Different as Me (2017) as Big Mama • Girls Trip (2017) as Aunt Marian • The Hollars (2015) as Latisha • Mississippi Damned (2009) as Alice • A Time to Kill (1996) as Gwen Hailey • Body Snatchers (1993) as teacher • Mississippi Burning (1988) as Mrs. Walker • I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1979) as Lillie (credited as Tommie Stewart) • Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1978) as Mrs. Avery (credited as Tommie Stewart) • Nightmare in Badham County (1976) – Alma (credited as Tommie Stewart) ==References==