Leslie Uggams had an interesting career as a stage and film actor.
The Harlem-born singer and actress is best known for her role in the Deadpool series, but has had a stellar career spanning seven decades. But behind the scenes, her life after she married white Australian man Graham Pratt in 1965 could have been the subject of a film. Their love overcame all odds for interracial love.
Leslie was an accomplished singer who signed with MGM in 1953 at the age of 10. His aunt, singer Eloise Uggams, encouraged him to attend the Professional Children’s School in New York and the prestigious Juilliard School of Music in New York.
But her musical success was just the beginning of her adventure; by 1969, she had her TV variety show, “The Leslie Uggams Show,” the first network variety show hosted by a black person since “The Nat King Cole Show.”
Behind the scenes, though, she met and fell in love with actor Grahame Pratt. After meeting at Professional Children’s School in New York, where they were both pupils, the couple ran into one other again in Sydney during one of Leslie’s celebrity tours in Australia. Leslie knew the consequences of dating a white man because she had done it as a teenager and her aunt had advised her not to consider a future with him.
“I remember the shock I once felt when I was in a relationship with a white boy,” Leslie told Ebony in 1967. “He emailed me a color photo of himself. My sister showed it to me. He was a handsome man with beautiful hair. I thought he was breathing. But aunty looked at me and started lecturing. “I think it’ll be fine. It’s just a date, right, honey?” When you’re ready to settle down, marry a good [black] man, right?
Leslie said she continued to visit Graham after their chance meeting.
“I fell in love with him. He was amazing when I was 21.”
He did not see her for 12 months after he left Australia. The two fell in love, despite the reaction of Leslie’s family and Graham’s doubts about what it would mean for them if Leslie had to move to the United States for his job. Graham came to her after a five-month engagement in New York. “Knowing my family’s views on intermarriage, I wanted to see if they would really accept Graham and not tolerate him,” she explained.
Well, Leslie didn’t worry about anything because Graham was Australian. “He was not as aware of his situation as many white Americans.” He quickly became friendly with my friends. Because he liked them. And both men and women loved him.”
Leslie said that while she lived in New York, she didn’t face many of the racial issues that people in other countries faced, she still received hate mail because of her marriage. Leslie told People about her wedding, “It wasn’t as difficult as I expected. “I think it’s because Graham wasn’t a white American.” But of course I got the letter. “When I travel around the United States, sometimes I get anonymous letters saying I’m married to a white man,” Leslie said. “I remember getting one in Detroit.” He came to the club for “The Little Negro Entertainer.” It is always discussed this way and it is not pleasant to read.
Graham became Leslie’s manager and the couple had two daughters, Danielle in 1970 and Justice in 1976.
In 1977, a year after the birth of her second child, Leslie starred in the miniseries Roots, for which she received an Emmy nomination for her role as Kizzy. Two years later, she played the role of Lillian Rogers Parks in the miniseries Backstage at the White House, for which she received an Emmy Award nomination for Best Actress.
She played Rose Kiefer on All My Children in 1996 and won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1983 as host of the NBC game show Fantasia.
He appeared as himself in Family Guy, I Spy, Hollywood Squares, The Muppet Show, The Love Boat and Magnum P.I. appeared in TV programs such as
Lesley and Graham are still married and in love after 55 years and have two children and a grandson named Cassidy. “We laugh all the time, but things aren’t always rosy,” Leslie said of their happy marriage. We have a great time together.”
The love between these two has overcome all adversity and stood the test of time. They are loyal to each other and have always supported each other. They are inspiring.
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