Bio: Pam Grier was born in Winston-Salem, NC, one of four children of Gwendolyn Sylvia (Samuels), a nurse, and Clarence Ransom Grier Jr., an Air Force mechanic. Pam has been a major African-American star from the early 1970s. Her career started in 1971, when Roger Corman of New World Pictures launched her with The Big Doll House (1971), about a women's penitentiary, and The Big Bird Cage (1972). Her strong role put her into a five-year contract with Samuel Z. Arkoff of American-International Pictures, and she became a leading lady in action films such as Jack Hill's Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974), the comic strip character Friday Foster (1975) and William Girdler's 'Sheba, Baby' (1975). She continued working with American-International, where she portrayed William Marshall's vampire victim in the Blacula (1972) sequel, Scream Blacula Scream (1973).During the 1980s she became a regular on Miami Vice (1984) and played a supporting role as an evil witch in Ray Bradbury's and Walt Disney Pictures' Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983), then returned to action as Steven Seagal's partner in Above the Law (1988). Her most famous role of the 1990s was probably Jackie Brown (1997), directed by Quentin Tarantino, which was an homage to her earlier 1970s action roles, She occasionally did supporting roles, as in Tim Burton's Mars Attacks! (1996), In Too Deep (1999) and a funny performance in Jawbreaker (1999). She also appeared in John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars (2001) and co-starred with Snoop Dogg in Bones (2001). Her entire career of over 30 years has brought only success for this beautiful and talented actress.A sister of Grier's died from cancer in 1990 and the son of that sister committed suicide because of his mother's illness. Pam herself was diagnosed with cancer in 1988 and given 18 months to live, which has had an effect on how she has chosen to live. She has never been wed, although she has been romantically linked to Richard Pryor and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the past.
Tivia: Her early films such as Women in Cages (1971) and The Big Doll House (1971) were shot in The Philippines. While there she contracted a deadly tropical disease and nearly died. She lost her hair and was temporarily blind for almost a month. It took nearly a year for her to recover.When she met her boyfriend they found out they both grew up in Denver, CO. She subsequently found out that he grew up in her house, after her family had moved out.Was the first black woman to appear on the cover of "MS. Magazine" (August 1975 issue).Auditioned for a part in Pulp Fiction (1994) and at the time, right after Rosanna Arquette took the nod, was considered for the part of Bonnie (Jimmie's wife). She didn't land either role. Then Jackie Brown (1997) came along. Quentin Tarantino renamed the character of Jackie Burke from "Rum Punch" to "Jackie Brown" as an homage to Foxy Brown (1974).Profiled in "Women of Blaxploitation: How the Black Action Film Heroine Changed American Popular Culture" by Yvonne D. Sims (McFarland, 2006).Named as one of "Ebony" Magazine's "100 Most Fascinating Women of the 20th Century".While a student at UCLA, she sang back-up for singer-composer Bobby Womack. Interestingly, Womack's composition and 1972 recording of the song "Across 110th Street" was the theme song of the film Jackie Brown (1997), which marked a major comeback for Grier in the starring and title role. She was nominated for a Golden Globe and an NAACP Image Award for her performance.On 10/17/1998 she was awarded a "Career Achievement Award" at the 34th Annual Chicago International Film Festival.Got thrown out of Los Angeles' Troubadour nightclub with John Lennon in 1974 for fighting after Lennon disrupted a Smothers Brothers performance by standing up in the audience and singing.Inducted into the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum Hall of Fame in 2012-13.Trained in martial arts since childhood and has studied Karate, Aikido, Kung Fu and Jiujitsu.The first actress to play the DC Comics character Amanda Waller in a live-action adaptation.Born on exactly the same day as co-star Philip Michael Thomas: 5/26/49.Considered for Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago (2002).Graduated from East High School, Denver, CO.Was a runner-up in the Miss Colorado Universe beauty pageant.Sister of Rodney Grier and Gina Grier-Townsie.