Career
Television
Jackée was born August 14, 1956 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and raised in Harlem, New York, Harry began studying acting at the Henry Street Settlement on the Lower East Side in New York City and began a career on the New York stage. She appeared in A Broadway Musical, playing a chorine. In 1983, she made her television debut by on Another World as Lily Mason, a role she continued until 1986. In 2003, she was a surprise guest on the Another World Reunion that SOAPnet coordinated and aired.In 1985, Harry began a co-starring role opposite Marla Gibbs as the apartment building vamp, "Sandra Clark", on the NBC sitcom 227, the role with which she is most associated. Her mother, Flossie, celebrated her getting the part but died before the show aired.
Harry became the first African American to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Her performance on 227 inspired NBC producers to create a television pilot for her entitled Jackée. The pilot episode failed with audiences and is now shown as an episode of 227.
After leaving 227 in 1989, Harry starred opposite Oprah Winfrey in the adaptation of Gloria Naylor's novel, The Women of Brewster Place. In 1991, Harry joined the cast of The Royal Family, whose run ended after one season when star Redd Foxx died unexpectedly that autumn.
From 1994-99, Harry played Tia Mowry's character's adoptive mother on the sitcom, Sister, Sister. She won NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for two consecutive years in 1999 and 2000. First on ABC, the series moved to the WB network until it ended. She had a recurring role as Vanessa on The CW series Everybody Hates Chris. She currently has a recurring role on the BET Series Let's Stay Together.
Theater
In 1994, Harry made her return to the theater by starring as Billie Holiday in the play Lady Day at Emersons Bar and Grill. Following that stage production, she fulfilled the role of "madam who runs a bordello" in the Broadway musical The Boys From Syracuse, a play based on William Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors.In 1992, she starred as the assistant coach in Ladybugs. Harry served as a guest panelist on the 2000 revival of To Tell the Truth. Harry appeared on the second season of VH1's Celebrity Fit Club 2 in 2005.
In the mid-2000s, she appeared in stage productions of The Sunshine Boys, Damn Yankees, and A Christmas Carol. She most recently toured nationally in JD Lawrence's The Clean Up Woman.
Actress
- 2011: Nurse Jackée (short) Nurse Jackée
- 2011: Let's Stay Together (TV series) Delores
- 2011: The Ideal Husband (TV movie) Vivian Peterson
- 2010: Christmas Cupid (TV movie) Vivian
- 2010: Friends & Lovers (TV series) Omar's Mother
- 2010: The Clean Up Woman Jasmine
- 2010: Knight to D7 (short) Nurse Hamilton
- 2006: Everybody Hates Chris (TV series) Vanessa See all 25 episodes (2006-2009)
- 2009: G.E.D. Mama
- 2009: Man of Her Dreams Louise Smith
- 2008: The Mighty B! (TV series) … Nurse (voice)
- 2007: The Last Day of Summer (TV movie) Lola The Lobster (as Jackee Harry)
- 2006: All You've Got Butt Short Salesman
- 2005: One on One (TV series) Sherri St. Croix
- 2005: That's So Raven (TV series) Dava
- 2004: You Got Served Mama
- 2003: The Nick at Nite Holiday Special (TV movie) Jackée, The Baker
- 2003: 7th Heaven (TV series) Ms. Beane
- 2000: Twice in a Lifetime (TV series) Darcy Green / Louise Lutrelle
- 1994: Sister, Sister (TV series) Lisa Landry See all 119 episodes (1994-1999)
- 1996: Unhappily Ever After (TV series) Ms. Blake, guidance counselor
- 1995: Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (TV series) … Giant's Wife (voice)
- 1994: Dave's World (TV series) Estelle
- 1993: Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun (video) Charmayne (as Jackee)
- 1991: The Royal Family (TV series) Ruth 'CoCo' Royal See all 8 episodes (1991-1992)
- 1992: Designing Women (TV series) Vanessa Chamberlain
- 1992: Ladybugs Julie Benson (as Jackée)
- 1990: We'll Take Manhattan (TV movie) Yvonne
- 1990: ABC TGIF (TV series) Lisa
- 1985: 227 (TV series) Sandra Clark See all 99 episodes (1985-1989)
- 1988: Amen (TV series) Roxanne Farley / Florence Hawkins (1988-1989)
- 1989: "The Reluctant Agent" (Movie) Diner Waitress / FBI Agent
- 1989: Double Your Pleasure (TV movie) LindaCavanaugh/Sharlene Cavanaugh
- 1989: Jackée (TV movie) Sandra Clark (as Jackée)
- 1989: The Women of Brewster Place (TV movie) Etta Mae
- 1988: Crash Course (TV movie) Edna Savage (as Jackée)
- 1988: The Cheech Show (TV movie) Sheila
- 1987: Alf Loves a Mystery (TV movie) Countess (as Jackee Harry)
- 1987: The Incredible Ida Early (TV movie) Ida Early
- 1984: The Cotton Club Dancer
- 1984: Moscow on the Hudson Woman (uncredited)
- 1983: Another World (TV series) Lily Mason (1983-1986)