You probably remember Esther Rolle best from the classic seventies TV series Good Times. It was really something of an anomaly back then: the show, which ran for six seasons from 1974-79, showcased a Black family, trying to support each other the very best they could.

Originally, the writers and Norman Lear himself wanted Esther’s character, Florida Evans, to be a mother raising her three kids on her own. But Esther put her foot down and demanded that John Amos, the actor who had appeared as her husband on Maude, be an integral part of the show as well. And you know what? It worked. Esther and John had great chemistry together.