Shirley Jo Finney (1949–2023), Wilma star and theatre director
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2 min readShirley Jo Finney was an actress who starred in the TV movie “Wilma” and worked widely in regional theatre as a director.
- Died: October 10, 2023 (Who else died on October 10?)
- Details of death: Died at a hospital in Bellingham, Washington of multiple myeloma at the age of 74.
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Shirley Jo Finney’s legacy
Among Finney’s most notable acting credits was “Wilma,” the 1977 TV movie about Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter Wilma Rudolph (1940–1994). Her many other TV appearances included a three-episode arc on “Hill Street Blues” as well as guest spots on such shows as “Police Story,” “Mork & Mindy,” “Lou Grant,” “Amen,” and “Night Court.” Finney also directed several episodes of “Moesha.”
In addition to her acting career, Finney was an award-winning director of theatrical productions across the U.S. She was a frequent director at the Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles, where she won awards for such plays as “Yellowman” and “The Ballad of Emmett Till.” The many other theatres where Finney directed shows included the Pasadena Playhouse, Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and the Cleveland Play House.
Tributes to Shirley Jo Finney
Full obituary: The New York Times
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