Suzzanne Douglas

Suzzanne Douglas (born April 12, 1957) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as matriarch Jerri Peterson on the WB sitcom The Parent 'Hood, starring Robert Townsend which originally ran from 1995–1999. Douglas portrayed Amy Simms in the 1989 dance/drama film Tap alongside Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis, Jr; for which she received an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. In addition to Tap, Douglas has starred in several other motion pictures, among them How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998), Jason's Lyric (1994), The Inkwell (1994) as well as the 2003 Disney/ABC version of Sounder with Carl Lumbly. Douglas is also best known for her portrayal as Cissy Houston in the Lifetime TV movie Whitney in 2015. 2Early life and education Born in Chicago, Illinois, Douglas was one of four children born to Lois Mae Thompson and Donald Douglas, Sr. Raised by a single mother, Douglas grew up in a public housing complex on the city's south side. Douglas became interested in the arts as a child, citing 1965's The Sound of Music as her inspiration for acting. Douglas attended Thornton Township High School, graduating in 1975. After high school, Douglas studied at Illinois State University; graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degre