Biografie

31. Dezember 1906 · Houston, Texas, USA

8. Oktober 1985 · Inglewood, Kalifornien, USA (nicht bekannt gegeben)

1,57 m

Most of her roles were uncredited

Usually played maid roles

Despite going uncredited in most of her film roles, she was well known to black audiences of the era. Some black theaters would feature her name on the marquee when her films were shown, rather than the names of the films' leading actors.

In 1974, she was inducted into the Black Filmmaker's Hall of Fame.

The title character in Lynn Nottage's play By the Way, Meet Vera Stark is based in part on Theresa Harris. She is portrayed by actress Sanaa Lathan.

Originally went to school to become an teacher, like her mother, and after that studied singing.

Studied at the UCLA Conservatory of Music.

[on the struggles she faced as a Black actress in old Hollywood] I never felt the chance to rise above the role of maid in Hollywood movies. My color was against me. The fact that I was not 'hot' stamped me as either an uppity 'Negress' or relegated me to the eternal role of stooge or servant. I can sing but so can hundreds of other girls. My ambitions are to be an actress. Hollywood had no parts for me