LOS ANGELES – Marion Ramsey, known for appearing in the “Police Academy” movies and dying on the Broadway stage in 1978’s “Eubie!”, Died in her Los Angeles home. She was 73.
Roger Paul of Roger Paul Inc., the agency that runs Ramsey, confirmed the news to Variety. Ramsey recently fell ill, but her exact cause of death has not yet been determined.
Although many may know Ramsey for her role as Officer Laverne Hooks in the ‘Police Academy’ films, her career began much earlier. In 1964 she appeared in “Hello, Dolly!”, And in the 1970s she established herself as a theater, film and television talent. On stage she performed in ‘Miss Moffat’, and on screen she participated in the variety show ‘Keep On Truckin’ ‘on ABC and played a regular role in’ Cos’.
But 1984 brought about the role that would call Ramsey’s success. With the first “Police Academy”, Ramsey found a film franchise that would see her through the 1980s. She continued to appear in the films in 1989 with the sixth episode, “Police Academy 6: City Under Siege”.
Ramsey still shone on screen after her departure from the franchise – which further included another film and two series. She played one-off roles in ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ and ‘MacGyver’, while DI Holler was voiced from 1992 to 1993 in the animated ‘The Addams Family’.
The actor continued her career until the 2010s and reunited with Steve Guttenberg, co-member of the “Police Academy” for ‘Lavalantula’ (2015) and ‘2 Lava 2 Lantula!’ (2016). Her last acting recognition comes in 2018’s “When I Sing”, a film about a woman who suddenly went up in the music industry after a long, mostly disappointing music career.
Ramsey has also been an active advocate for HIV and AIDS awareness.
She is survived by her three brothers.