Esther Rolle was born in Pompano Beach, Florida, on November 8, 1920, and died in 1998, when she was 78 years old. She was the tenth of 18 children born to Jonathan Rolle and Elizabeth Rolle, who came to the United States from the Bahamas. She had two sisters who were also actors. Their names were Estelle Evans and Rosanna Carter. They remember her for her part as Florida Evans on the TV shows “Maude” and its spin-off “Good Times.” Rolle became famous as an actress in her 50s, even though she started playing later in life. She won several awards for her acting, including a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Special for the TV movie “Summer of My German Soldier.”
Esther Rolle net worth was about $1 million at the time of her death. She had earned this money through acting and different businesses. In her will, she left money, a house, savings, mutual funds, shares in a company, and interests in other businesses. Rolle kept up a strong and respectable public image. Even though she was famous, a lot of her private life stayed private.
Quick Bio
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Esther Elizabeth Rolle |
| Date of Birth | November 8, 1920 |
| Place of Birth | Pompano Beach, Florida, USA |
| Date of Death | November 17, 1998 |
| Age at Death | 78 years |
| Cause of Death | Complications from diabetes |
| Net Worth | Estimated around $1 million |
| Famous For | Role as Florida Evans on the TV sitcoms Maude and Good Times |
| Spouse | Oscar Robinson (married 1955, divorced 1975) |
| Children | None |
| Education | Spelman College, Hunter College, The New School, Yale University |
| Awards | Primetime Emmy Award for Summer of My German Soldier (1979), NAACP Image Award |
| Siblings in Acting | Estelle Evans, Rosanna Carter |
| Ethnicity | Bahamian-American |
| Burial Place | Westview Community Cemetery, Pompano Beach, Florida |
| Notable Traits | Advocate against racial stereotypes in Hollywood, founding member of Negro Ensemble Company |
Esther Rolle Net Worth in 2025
The amount of money Esther Rolle had when she died in 1998 is thought to have been around $1 million Celeb Net Worth says she was worth about $1 million thanks to her great acting career, which included playing the famous Florida Evans on the TV shows “Maude” and “Good Times,” as well as in a number of movies and plays. According to a different source, she left behind an estate worth more than $1.7 million. It included $200,000 in cash, a $400,000 home, over $1 million in treasuries, 1,000 shares in a company, several mutual funds, and a 2% stake in a business called El Toro, Ltd.
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Business Ventures and Income Sources
Esther Rolle’s main source of income came from her successful acting career. She was best known for her role as Florida Evans on the TV shows Maude and Good Times, as well as other roles she played in movies, plays, and TV movies.
Investments
Like other Good Times cast members, Esther Rolle wisely put her money into a number of different businesses over the years. When she died, her fortune had the following:
- Cash on hand (about $200,000)
- Real land (a house worth about $400 000)
- More than $1 million in government bonds
- 1,000 shares in a business
- A number of mutual funds
- A two percent stake in a business called El Toro, Ltd.
Business Ventures
There isn’t a clear record of Esther Rolle owning or running large businesses, but these different investments show she worked to increase her wealth beyond her acting salary.
Rolle was one of the founders of the Negro Ensemble Company and fought against negative race stereotypes, focusing on making a difference rather than making money.
Real State Ownership and Properties
Esther Rolle had lived in the Baldwin Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles for many years. This house had three bedrooms, was 2,800 square feet, and was built in 1955. It had a pool and views of the city. After she died in 1998, the house was sold for $395,000. It had been on the market for $460,000 earlier that year. This land in the Beverly Hills area was a big part of her estate and real estate holdings.
Even though there isn’t a full public record of other real estate deals or properties she owns, this Baldwin Hills home is the most famous and well-known property linked to Esther Rolle. Real estate like this was part of her estate when she died, along with cash, treasury securities, company shares, mutual funds, and an interest in a small business.
Esther Rolle’s Personal Life
Life in general
This person was born in Pompano Beach, Florida, on November 8, 1920. Esther Rolle had a rough voice and a smile with gaps in her teeth. She was a strong person on and off screen. She spoke out against the disrespectful treatment of African American characters on TV and in the theater, and she publicly quit the sitcom Good Times when she thought it wasn’t up to par. Rolle died on November 17, 1998, at the age of 78, from problems caused by diabetes.
Family
Jonathan Rolle and Elizabeth Iris Rolle (née Dames), who came to the United States from the Bahamas, had 18 children. Esther Rolle was the tenth. Her parents were born in Nassau, Bahamas, and moved to Florida when they got married. Rolle grew up in a big family with deep roots in Bahamian culture and tradition.
Kids
Oscar Robinson and Esther Rolle were married from 1955 until they split up in 1975. She didn’t have any kids.
Brothers
She has a lot of brothers. Two of her sisters, Estelle Evans and Rosanna Carter, became movie stars. In the arts, her family was well-known, and Rolle and her sisters helped give African Americans more roles in theater and movies. As a founding member of the Negro Ensemble Company, Esther Rolle brought attention to the musical background of her family.
Career Journey
- Career and Dance in the 1950s and 1960s: Worked in New York City’s clothing district, studied African dance, and by 1960 was in charge of the dance group Shogola Oloba.
- Theater Debut (1962): Made her professional acting debut as Felicity in Jean Genet’s play The Blacks. She became well-known in New York stage shows like Blues for Mr. Charlie (1964), Amen Corner (1965), and Day of Absence (1965).
- In 1964: She made her film debut in Nothing But a Man, where she played Sister Sarah.
- Negro Ensemble Company (1967): Began as an original member of this important theater group that put on plays by African Americans.
- Breakthrough Role (1972–1974): Played Florida Evans on the CBS show Maude for two seasons, which made her famous all over the country.
- From 1974 to 1979: She played Florida Evans on the show Good Times, which was about an African American working-class family. In 1976, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for this part.
- Award-Winning TV Movie (1978): For her part as Ruth in the TV movie Summer of My German Soldier, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress. She was the first African American actress to win in that category.
- TV and movie roles that didn’t end (1980s–1990s): Shown up in a number of TV movies and TV shows, including The Love Boat, Murder, She Wrote, and Touched by an Angel (1979). Had major parts on stage in shows like “A Raisin in the Sun” (1989) and “Member of the Wedding” (1989).
Physical Measurements
- Height: Approximately 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm)
- Weight: Not specifically documented but described as having a larger, fuller figure during her acting career, especially noted in the 1970s when her image as a “fat black woman” opened acting opportunities
- Build: Fuller figure, which helped shape her career roles
- Distinctive features: Gap-toothed smile and a gravelly, gruff voice
- General appearance: Known for her strong, dignified presence and warm but firm demeanor in her performances
Struggles with Mental Health, Addiction & Homelessness
There is no reliable public information that Esther Rolle had problems with her mental health, drugs, or being homeless during her lifetime. The sources we have mostly talk about her successful acting career, her fight against negative racial stereotypes, and her health problems later in life, especially her diabetes, which finally caused kidney failure that required dialysis. These health issues made it hard for her to work and may have led to her death at age 78 in 1998.
Esther Rolle was known for being tough and having a strong attitude. She quit the TV show Good Times in part because she didn’t agree with how African American characters were portrayed. She was more upset about bad images than her own problems with addiction or homelessness. There aren’t any reliable records or stories that she was homeless or addicted at any point.
Current Status
Esther Rolle died in 1998, but her influence is still important and well-known in 2025. Many people remember her as a leader who fought for the rights and fair portrayals of African Americans on TV and in the theater. In her famous part as Florida Evans on Good Times, she was one of the first African American women on network TV to play the head of a working-class family.
Esther Rolle famously quit Good Times because she didn’t agree with the show’s shift toward negative stereotypes. This shows how committed she is to honesty in portrayal. She was also one of the first people to receive the NAACP Civil Rights Leadership Award, which shows how important she was to culture as a whole.
In the past few years, her life and work have been honored with displays like “The Life of Esther Rolle,” which shows how important she was to culture and what she did. There are still projects that use her voice, like the Netflix animated reboot of Good Times, which uses her original part to show how Black families and social issues are still relevant today.
Public Perception & Media Coverage
Trailblazing Advocate for Black Representation:
- A lot of people admired Esther Rolle for how hard she worked to make sure that African Americans were shown on TV in a real and respectful way. She fought against Hollywood stereotypes, especially when it came to portraying Black families and characters.
- She insisted that her Good Times character, Florida Evans, be part of a two-parent family, which goes against how Black fathers are usually portrayed negatively. She said, “I was proud of the family life I was able to introduce to television.” Because of this, she was one of the first people in the 1970s to push for more Black families to be shown on TV.
Beloved Television Icon:
- Rolle became well-known and liked for her part as Florida Evans on Maude and later as the lead in the spin-off Good Times.
- People liked how she played strong, upright characters who were strong, dignified, and resilient. She won a Primetime Emmy Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1979, which added to the praise she received from critics.
Recognition and Legacy:
- The NAACP put Rolle in the NAACP Hall of Fame and gave her the Chairman’s Civil Rights Leadership Award to recognize her work on civil rights and culture representation.
- As an actress and campaigner, she used her fame to improve the images of Black Americans. Her legacy is celebrated in exhibitions and retrospectives.
Public Image Summary:
- Rolle’s public image was one of honor, strength, and action. She was known for her rough voice, gap-toothed smile, and strong personality.
- Not only is she remembered as a great actress, but also as a strong supporter of equal rights and good representation of people of color in the arts.
FAQs
How much was Esther Rolle worth when she died?
It was thought that Esther Rolle was worth around $1 million when she died.
Who inherited Esther Rolle’s estate?
The exact details are secret, but her estate, which was worth more than $1 million, was given to family and close friends. There is some talk that it may have gone to a daughter named Shirley May Robinson.
Did Esther Rolle have children?
It’s not known if Esther Rolle had any blood or adopted children.
What happened to Esther Rolle?
She died in 1998 from problems caused by her diabetes.
Who was Esther Rolle’s husband?
He died in 1975. They were married from 1955 to 1975.
Was Esther Rolle related to Ralph Carter in real life?
Not at all. Ralph Carter played Esther Rolle’s son on the TV show Good Times.
Conclusion
It is said that Esther Rolle was a pioneer in American television and that her strong performance as Florida Evans and her fight for real Black representation will last forever. She had a good net worth when she died, which showed how successful her work had been. She has been an inspiration to many generations and will go down in TV history as a culture icon.
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