Nell Hardy Carter was an American actress and vocalist who enjoyed a twenty-five year career in film, stage, television, and the recording industry. Born as Nell Ruth Hardy on September 13, 1948 in Birmingham, Alabama, she and her eight siblings were raised a low-income neighborhood by their parents, Horace L. and Edna M. Hardy. At the age of 11 she sang in a church choir and in youth groups. She also appeared on “The Y Teens,” a local radio show.

After graduating from A.H. Parker High School in Birmingham in 1966, she moved to New York City, New York and changed her surname to Carter. At first she performed in nightclubs and coffee houses.  In January 1971, however, she landed her first Broadway stage role as “Sharon” in Soon, which also starred Richard Gere and Barry Bostwick. In 1974 she was the musical director for What Time of Night It Is, a Westbeth Playwrights Feminist Collective production. Also in 1974, she appeared in the musical Miss Moffat alongside Bette Davis.

In 1978 Carter was cast in the musical revue, Aint Misbehavin. She won a Tony award for her performance as “Nell.” She reprised this role in 1982 in the televised version on NBC, garnering  an Emmy award.

Carter is best known for her starring role in Gimme a Break!, an NBC sitcom that ran from October 1981 through May 1987. Here she starred as Nellie Ruth Nell Harper, a housekeeper and parent figure to the Kanisky family. This role garnered her two Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations. Carter went on to appear in a number of movies and television shows including The Grass Harp (1995), The Proprietor (1996), Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, You Take the Kids, and Ally McBeal. Also during the 1990s, she provided voiceovers for several characters in animated projects, such as Bebe’s Kids (1992).

In 1997, Carter returned to Broadway to play Mrs. Hannigan in the twentieth anniversary revival of Annie. However, she claimed racism when advertisements appeared that featured a white woman in the role instead of her. The producers denied the allegation