Ronnie Claire Edwards
Edwards at The Waltons 40th Anniversary in 2012
Born(1933-02-09)February 9, 1933
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedJune 14, 2016(2016-06-14) (aged 83)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1963–2007

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.

Early life

Edwards was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.[1]

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, in the CBS television series The Waltons, created by Earl Hamner, Jr. She played Charlene's mother Ione Frazier on two episodes of CBS's Designing Women. 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 (1985) opposite Geena Davis. She briefly appeared on an episode of PBS's Antiques Roadshow (2008) from Dallas, Texas, when she brought in for appraisal a chair formerly owned by P.T. Barnum. 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, in which Edwards had a role. She subsequently retired from acting.[2][3]

Her work in films included The Dead Pool (1988).[1]

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 in 1993.[4] She also co-wrote a musical play Idols of the King as a tribute to Elvis Presley's career, legacy and most passionate fans.[5]

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 bassist Flea in 2008.[6] She died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease[1] in her sleep on June 14, 2016, at age 83.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role
1963 All the Way Home Sally
1978 Five Days from Home Marian Lemoore
1980 Getting Wasted Mrs. Carson
1985 Perfect Melody
1986 Nobody's Fool Bingo
1988 The Dead Pool Molly Fisher
1994 8 Seconds Carolyn Kyle
2000 Sordid Lives Funeral Guest
2002 A Day Out with Gordy Flo

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1974 The American Parade "The 34th Star"
1974 Paper Moon "Gimme That Old Time Relation"
1974 This Is the West That Was TV film
1975–1981 The Waltons Corabeth Walton Godsey Recurring role
1976 Future Cop Dr. Avery "Pilot"
1978 When Every Day Was the Fourth of July Mrs. Najarian TV film
1982 A Wedding on Walton's Mountain Corabeth Walton Godsey TV film
1982 Mother's Day on Walton's Mountain Corabeth Walton Godsey TV film
1982 A Day for Thanks on Walton's Mountain Corabeth Walton Godsey TV film
1983–1984 Boone Aunt Dolly Sawyer Main role
1984 Dallas Lydia "Barbecue Five"
1985 Falcon Crest Maxie McCoy "Vicious Circle"
1985 Sara Helen Newcomb Main role
1985 Crazy Like a Fox "Desert Fox"
1985 Dynasty Sister Theresa "The Gown", "The Titans"
1987–1988 Designing Women Ione Frazier "Nashville Bound", "Come on and Marry Me, Bill"
1988 Just in Time Carly Hightower Main role
1988 Murder, She Wrote Sylvia McMasters "Snow White, Blood Red"
1989 Sweet Bird of Youth Aunt Nonnie TV film
1990 In the Heat of the Night Lorraine Reeves "Perversions of Justice"
1990 Guess Who's Coming for Christmas? Martha TV film
1991 The Torkelsons Bootsie "The Cotillion", "A Kiss Is Still a Kiss", "For Love or Money", "Men Don't Leave"
1993 A Walton Thanksgiving Reunion Corabeth Walton TV film
1994 Star Trek: The Next Generation Talur "Thine Own Self"
1994 A Walton Wedding Corabeth Walton Godsey TV film
1999 Inherit the Wind Mrs. Haley TV film
2003 Sweet Potato Queens TV film
2007 12 Miles of Bad Road Harlene "Collateral Verbiage", "Moonshadow", (final appearance)

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Washington Post Staff (June 17, 2016). "Ronnie Claire Edwards, actress on 'Waltons,' dies at 83". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  2. ↑ Korosec, Thomas (July 22, 2009). "Q&A with Ronnie Claire Edwards". D Magazine. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  3. ↑ Wilonsky, Robert (January 25, 2010). "Swiss Ave. Church, Now Actor's Home and Artists Residence, Almost a City Landmark". Dallas Observer. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  4. ↑ The Herald Staff (August 20, 1993). "They Would Never Credit Mrs. Godsey". The Herald. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  5. ↑ USA Today Staff (June 15, 2016). "Ronnie Claire Edwards of 'The Waltons' dies". USA Today. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  6. ↑ Barnes, Mike (June 15, 2016). "Ronnie Claire Edwards, Actress on 'The Waltons,' Dies at 83". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 31, 2018.

Further reading

  • Ronnie Claire Edwards, The Knife Thrower's Assistant: Memoirs of a Human Target, Hawk Publishing Group, (October 2000), ISBN 978-1-930709-16-4
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