Ronnie Claire Edwards (February 9, 1933 – June 14, 2016) was an American actress, best known for playing Corabeth Walton Godsey on the TV series ''
The Waltons
''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book ''Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 film ...
''.
Early life
Edwards was born and raised in
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, Oklahoma.
Acting career
Edwards acted professionally from 1963 and is best known for the role of the domineering Corabeth Walton Godsey, the wife of storekeeper Ike Godsey played by
Joe Conley
Joe Conley (March 3, 1928 – July 7, 2013) was an American actor who played many small roles on television and is most remembered for his role as the storekeeper Ike Godsey in ''The Waltons''.
Personal life and career
Joe Conley was born in Bu ...
, in the CBS television series ''
The Waltons
''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book ''Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 film ...
'', created by
Earl Hamner, Jr. She played
Charlene's mother Ione Frazier on two episodes of CBS's ''
Designing Women
''Designing Women'' is an American television sitcom created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason that aired on CBS from September 29, 1986, to May 24, 1993, producing seven seasons and 163 episodes. It was a joint production of Bloodworth/Thomason M ...
''. In 1983, Edwards played Aunt Dolly in Hamner's series ''Boone'', which was cancelled after 10 episodes had aired. She co-starred in the NBC series ''
Sara
Sara may refer to:
Arts, media and entertainment Film and television
* ''Sara'' (1992 film), 1992 Iranian film by Dariush Merhjui
* ''Sara'' (1997 film), 1997 Polish film starring Bogusław Linda
* ''Sara'' (2010 film), 2010 Sri Lankan Sinhal ...
'' (1985) opposite
Geena Davis
Virginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis (born January 21, 1956) is an American actor . She briefly appeared on an episode of PBS's ''
Antiques Roadshow
''Antiques Roadshow'' is a British television programme broadcast by the BBC in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom (and occasionally in other countries) to appraise antiques brought in by local people (g ...
'' (2008) from Dallas, Texas, when she brought in for appraisal a chair formerly owned by
P.T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum (; July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871–2017) with James Anthony Bailey. He was ...
. She also appeared in the ''
Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode "
Thine Own Self" and the remake of ''
Inherit the Wind'' (1999).
In 2008, HBO decided not to air the television series ''
12 Miles of Bad Road
''12 Miles of Bad Road'' is a television show originally created for HBO centered on a Texas matriarch who must reconcile her booming real estate business and immense wealth with the day-to-day struggles of her dysfunctional family life.
Cast
T ...
'', in which Edwards had a role. She subsequently retired from acting.
Her work in films included ''
The Dead Pool
''The Dead Pool'' is a 1988 American neo-noir vigilante action thriller film directed by Buddy Van Horn, written by Steve Sharon, and starring Clint Eastwood as Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan. It is the fifth and final film in the ''Dirty ...
'' (1988).
[
]
Other
Edwards was the author of several books, including memoirs published in 2012. In 2000, ''The Knife Thrower's Assistant: Memoirs of a Human Target'' was published. She previously had created and performed a one-woman show under the same title, which she took to the Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
in 1993. She also co-wrote a musical play ''Idols of the King'' as a tribute to Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
's career, legacy and most passionate fans.
Personal life and death
Edwards restored a 1911 Catholic church on Swiss Avenue in Dallas and made it her home after selling her mansion in Los Angeles to Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea (musician), Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates element ...
bassist Flea
Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...
in 2008. She died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce ...
[ in her sleep on June 14, 2016 at age 83.
]
Filmography
Film
Television
References
Further reading
* Ronnie Claire Edwards, ''The Knife Thrower's Assistant: Memoirs of a Human Target'', Hawk Publishing Group, (October 2000),
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Ronnie Claire
1933 births
2016 deaths
Actresses from Oklahoma City
American film actresses
American television actresses
Writers from Oklahoma City
21st-century American women
The Waltons