Actor Leslie Uggams has had an exciting career in both theater and film.
Even with a remarkable career spanning seven decades, the singer and actress from Harlem is best known for her role in the *Deadpool* series.
However, her marriage to White Australian Grahame Pratt in 1965 challenged expectations for interracial relationships, making her life story worthy of a movie.
In 1953, Leslie, a talented singer, recorded a song for MGM when she was just 10 years old. Her aunt, soprano Eloise Uggams, recommended that she attend the famous Julliard School of Music in New York and the Professional Children’s School of New York.
But her career didn’t stop after her musical success; in 1969, she hosted *The Leslie Uggams Show,* the first network variety show hosted by a Black person since *The Nat King Cole Show.*
However, Leslie got to know and fell in love with actor Grahame Pratt behind the scenes. During one of her famous tours in Australia, the pair reconnected in Sydney after first meeting as students at the Professional Children’s School in New York.
Leslie was aware of the challenges of dating a white man because she had dated one in her youth and her aunt had discouraged her from thinking about a future with him. Leslie shared with Ebony in 1967, “I remember the shock I felt once when I was dating a white boy.”
He sent me a color photo of himself. I showed it to my aunt. He was a young, attractive man with nice hair. I thought he was very good-looking. But my aunt lectured me after she saw the picture. “Well, I guess he’s alright,” she said, “but only on dates, huh, honey? When you’re ready to settle down, you’ll marry a nice [Black] fella, won’t you?”
Leslie said that after their lucky meeting, she kept visiting Grahame.
“At just 21 years old, it was surprising that I started to fall in love with him.”
It would be a full year before she saw him again after she left Australia.
Leslie was worried about how her family would react and what would happen if Grahame moved to the U.S. for her job, but despite her worries, they had fallen in love. When they had been engaged for five months, Grahame visited her in New York.
“I wanted to know if my family would truly accept Grahame and not just tolerate him, knowing their views on mixed marriages,” she said.
Leslie didn’t have to worry because Grahame was Australian.
“Many white Americans feel awkward about their situation, but he didn’t.” He got along well with my friends, so he easily fit in with them. And both the men and women liked him.
While living in New York, Leslie said she received hate mail because of their marriage, even though they didn’t face the same racial issues as many others in the country.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Leslie said about her marriage, “It wasn’t as difficult as I expected. I think it’s because Grahame wasn’t a white man in America.” Naturally, they did receive some negative mail.
Leslie shared, “I sometimes get anonymous letters about being married to a white man when I go on tour in the United States. I remember getting one, of all places, in Detroit.” It was addressed to “The Little Negro Entertainer.” Those letters were painful to read and often used that term.
Grahame took on the role of Leslie’s manager, and the couple had two daughters, Danielle in 1970 and Justice in 1976.
Leslie got the lead role in the miniseries Roots in 1977, a year after their second child was born. For that role, she was nominated for an Emmy for her character Kizzy.
Two years later, she played Lillian Rogers Parks in the miniseries Backstairs at the White House, earning another Emmy nomination for Best Actress.
In 1983, she won a Daytime Emmy Award for hosting the NBC game show Fantasy, and in 1996 she played Rose Keefer on All My Children.
Leslie has also made appearances on shows like Family Guy, I Spy, Hollywood Squares, The Muppet Show, The Love Boat, and Magnum P.I.
After fifty-five years of marriage and a granddaughter named Cassidy, Leslie and Grahame are still happily together.
“We have a lot of fun together, but it’s not always sunshine and roses,” Leslie said about their happy marriage. “We enjoy being together.”
Their love has stood the test of time and defied expectations. They support each other because they are loyal to one another and have always helped each other.
This Penny In Circulation is Worth $85,000 – Here’s How To Spot It
Do you know how to spot this penny? Coins are one of those things that are hiding everywhere, and sometimes they can be worth much more than their actual coin value. And most recently, news sources have been reporting that this coin is worth a pretty penny!
According to Coin Trackers, the New York Post, KHOU, and Daily Mail UK, a mint condition 1943 copper wheat penny could earn you more than $85,000! According to KHOU (who consulted with Royal Coin and Jewelry, a Houston dealer specializing in rare coins), in 1943, pennies were made of steel and were additionally zinc-plated to prevent rust. Coin Week explains, “Because copper was needed for purposes relating to World War II, all 1943 cents were planned to be struck on zinc-coated steel planchets.” WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW
At some point during that year, however, a few copper blanks made it into the minting process— and it is these “mistake” coins that are now being sold for amounts somewhere in the 5 and 6 figures. As mentioned, these 1943 copper wheat pennies must be in mint condition to net values in the $85,000 range. But even in lesser conditions, they have still been selling at an average price of $60,000 (according to Coin Tracker). Saul Teichman, an expert in U.S. Mint errors explains (via Coin Week) that collectors drive up the value of the coin, explaining:
“1943 copper cents have a special cachet with collectors. As for market value, the 1943 cents sell for much more than other errors struck around the same time. ” “Many other World War II errors are rarer than 1943 copper or 1944 steel cents but bring a fraction of a price as they lack that special cachet.”
According to media sources, coin collectors must be cautious about 1943 copper wheat penny dupes.
Now that these pennies have been getting a lot of attention, the market is rife with counterfeit copies. Coin Trackers said that many fraudsters will file down the left side of the number 8 on a 1948 copper penny to make it look like a genuine from 1943. Others will take a regular steel penny and coat it with a copper covering in order to make it appear like the real deal. If you’re concerned about a counterfeit, Coin Trackers advises using a magnet to test the coin.
As Daily Mail UK explains, “A solid copper penny will not stick to a magnet, while a steel penny with copper plating will.” So, what are you waiting for? Go take a look at your collection, because you may just have one of the luckiest pennies around! Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
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