Rochelle Oliver

Rochelle Oliver
Born(1937-04-15)April 15, 1937
DiedApril 13, 2024(2024-04-13) (aged 86)
New York City, U.S.
Occupations
  • Acting coach
  • actress
Years active1959–2003 (acting)
Spouses
(m. 1959; died 1972)
    (m. 1997; died 2016)
    Children1

    Rochelle Oliver (April 15, 1937 – April 13, 2024) was an American acting coach and actress.

    Early life and career

    Oliver studied acting with Uta Hagen.[1] Her stage appearances include The Brothers Karamazov, The Cave Dwellers, The Diary of Anne Frank and Toys in the Attic, the latter of which earned her a Clarence Derwent Award in 1960.

    In 1958, she appeared on television in the "Saw My Baby There" episode of Naked City. In 1963, she played the part of Jean Lowell in the episode "The Noose" from The Defenders.[2] In 1970, she had a recurring role as Barbara Lamont in the series The Best of Everything.[3][4] In 1976, she played the part of Dr. Marsha in Paul Mazursky's Next Stop, Greenwich Village.[5] From 1993 to 2003, she appeared as Judge Grace Larkin in Law & Order.[6]

    Oliver had been teaching acting since the 1970s.[1] She was on the faculty of HB Studio in New York City until her death in 2024.[7]

    Personal life and death

    Oliver was Jewish.[8] In 1959, she married actor James Patterson, with whom she had a son. They remained together until his death in 1972.[9][10] In 1997, Oliver married actor Fritz Weaver. They remained together until Weaver's death in 2016.[11]

    Oliver died in New York City on April 13, 2024, two days before her 87th birthday.[12]

    Filmography

    Film
    Title Year Role Director Notes
    The Happy Hooker 1975 Norma Nicholas Sgarro
    Next Stop, Greenwich Village 1976 Doctor Marsha Paul Mazursky
    Lianna 1983 Betty John Sayles
    In Defense of Kids 1983 Mrs. Giankanis Gene Reynolds TV movie
    1918 1985 Mrs. Mary Vaughn Ken Harrison
    On Valentine's Day 1986 Mrs. Vaughn Ken Harrison
    Courtship 1987 Mrs Vaughn Howard Cummings
    The Appointments of Dennis Jennings 1988 Woman on TV Dean Parisot Short
    An Unremarkable Life 1989 Mary Alice Amin Q. Chaudhri
    Scent of a Woman 1992 Gretchen Martin Brest
    Hollywood Ending 2002 Script supervisor Woody Allen
    Television shows
    Title Episode Role Director Year / Air date Notes
    Naked City "Four Sweet Corners" Cora Gary Stuart Rosenberg April 28, 1959
    Naked City "Saw My Baby There " Katie Harris Stuart Rosenberg June 9, 1959
    The United States Steel Hour "Little Lost Sheep" Ernest Kinoy November 1, 1961
    The Defenders "The Noose" Jean Lowell Stuart Rosenberg April 27, 1963
    The Nurses "Credo" Sally Ellis Stuart Rosenberg January 9, 1964
    The Defenders "The Objector" Anne Wendel Leonard Horn February 11, 1965
    The Best of Everything Barbara Lamont Episode #1.1 March 30, 1970 Writer: James Lipton
    Producer: Jacqueline Babbin
    The Best of Everything Barbara Lamont Episode #1.112 Dennis Kane September 7, 1970
    The Best of Everything Barbara Lamont Episode #1.114 Alan Pultz September 9, 1970
    Ryan's Hope Episode #1.838 Jeri Jerome Lela Swift September 25, 1978
    ABC Afterschool Specials Mrs. York "Amy & the Angel" Ralph Rosenblum September 22, 1982
    Tribeca "The Hopeless Romantic" Blanche Barry Primus April 6, 1993
    Law & Order "Manhood" Judge Grace Larkin Ed Sherin May 12, 1993
    Law & Order "Big Bang" Judge Grace Larkin Dann Florek March 2, 1994
    Law & Order "Competence" Judge Grace Larkin Fred Gerber November 2, 1994
    All My Children Episode dated 20 June 1995 Alice Hart June 20, 1995
    Law & Order "Paranoia" Judge Grace Larkin Fred Gerber November 15, 1995
    Law & Order "Family Business " Judge Grace Larkin Lewis Gould November 20, 1996
    Law & Order "Faccia a Faccia" Judge Grace Larkin Martha Mitchell February 25, 1998
    Law & Order "Ill-Conceived" Judge Grace Larkin David Platt December 3, 2003

    References

    1. ^ a b Rosenfeld, Carol (2013). Acting and Living in Discovery: A Workbook for the Actor. Hackett. p. 127. ISBN 9781585107032.
    2. ^ Williams, Tony (2014-11-11). Larry Cohen: The Radical Allegories of an Independent Filmmaker, rev. ed. McFarland. p. 340. ISBN 978-0-7864-7969-6.
    3. ^ Hyatt, Wesley (2003-01-20). Short-Lived Television Series, 1948-1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops. McFarland. p. 195. ISBN 978-0-7864-1420-8.
    4. ^ Schemering, Christopher (1988). The Soap Opera Encyclopedia. Ballantine Books. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-345-35344-3.
    5. ^ "Next Stop, Greenwich Village". prod.tcm.com. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
    6. ^ Chance, Norman (2010-12-22). Who Was Who on TV. Xlibris Corporation. p. 267. ISBN 978-1-4568-2164-7.
    7. ^ "Rochelle Oliver - HB Studio | Acting Classes in NYC". HB Studio. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
    8. ^ "Jews in the News: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Julianne Margulies and Jake Gyllenhaal". Tampa Jewish Federation. October 3, 2013.
    9. ^ McHarry, Charles (May 27, 1960). "East Side Girl Jumps From Lower to Upper". Daily News.
    10. ^ "James Patterson of Stage, 40, Dies". The New York Times. August 21, 1972.
    11. ^ Berkvist, Robert (November 27, 2016). "Fritz Weaver, Tony-Winning Character Actor, Dies at 90". The New York Times.
    12. ^ Barnes, Mike (7 May 2024). "Rochelle Oliver, 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' Star and Admired Acting Teacher, Dies at 86". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 7 May 2024.