American actor and singer Leslie Uggams, who began her career as a child actress in the 1950s, is one of the most notable and seasoned artists in the industry with a decades-long career.
Most famously known for her roles in Deadpool, Roots, Empire and New Amsterdam, the actress is about to make her debut in Julian Fellowes's historical drama series The Gilded Age Season 3.
In addition to a successful acting career, on both stage and screen, Leslie Uggams is also an accomplished singer and was the first Black singer on CBS' variety show Sing Along With Mitch in the 1960s.
Recently, the actress appeared on the Fresh Air program and was interviewed by host Terry Gross, where she talked about her wide-spanning career.
The actress revealed that even after accomplishing so much as an actress, she is always looking forward to her future projects:
''I just think, what's my next gig?''
More on this in our story.
The Gilded Age star Leslie Uggams on her decades-long career
While Leslie Uggams has been working in the Hollywood industry since age 6, the actress never reflected on the effect she had on the small & big screens and the people around her.
As The Gilded Age actress revealed to Gross, she was always contemplating the next project in her career. This interview gave her a moment to think and reflect on her long career, and she said:
''I realize when I run into so many different people and they - you know, they go, oh, you're such an icon, and I go, oh, I guess I am. I've been doing this a long time. But I always think in terms of, I'm working, baby. I'm happy.''
Since Leslie Uggams has been in the industry since her childhood, she has experimented a lot with her roles and projects. While Uggams is usually quick to understand her characters, she was lost when she received the Deadpool script.
Uggams debuted as the Blind AI in 2016's Deadpool, a role which she also reprised in 2018's Deadpool 2. While the actress was seen in a new avatar for the film, she revealed that she initially had no clue that her character was blind:
''I got the script, and I read it, and I didn't understand what the heck was going on... I had no idea [that her character was blind]''
Leslie Uggams shares details about her The Gilded Age character
After a decades-spanning career, there is no stopping Leslie Uggams, as she will soon debut as Mrs. Ernestine Brown on HBO's The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 7.
With the ongoing clash between the old money and new money families in the show, Mrs. Brown will add even more character as Uggams teased:
''She is a busybody. She likes to stir the pot, which she does.''
While The Gilded Age is a fictional historical series, it is partly inspired by the events of late 1800s New York, where the Old Money families were threatened by the arrival of the New Money baron class and their ambitious wives.
With The Gilded Age Season 3, the show is slowly shifting gears and addressing a new storyline with black-skinned people, as Leslie Uggams discussed with Terry Gross:
''What I love about the new storyline is that there was the dark-skinned situation and then there was the high yellow - that they would call them when my mother was a kid - situation. And they're addressing that in "The Gilded Age," which is wonderful because there is - the storyline is right on the mark when it comes to who came from slaves, who was highly educated and had mixed blood. So it's a good season.''
Leslie Uggams will debut in The Gilded Age Season 3 Episode 7 on HBO Max on August 3, 2025.
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