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Chip Fields
Laverne Bernard (born August 5, 1951), better known by her stage name Chip Fields or Chip Hurd, is an American actress, singer, television director, dialogue coach, and producer who has appeared in popular films, television series, and Broadway theatre. She is best known for portraying Lynnetta Gordon, the abusive birth mother of Penny Gordon Woods (played by Janet Jackson), in a four–episode story arc (1977) of the 1970s sitcom Good Times.
Laverne Bernard was born on August 5, 1951 in Harlem, New York, to Patsy Styles. Along with her elder sister Patricia Bernard, she was raised by uncle Louis Bernard. She attended the New York High School of Performing Arts. During her senior year of high school, she became pregnant by her high school boyfriend Anthony Fields and later transferred to Newark Prep to graduate with her diploma. In 1969, she married Anthony Fields and gave birth to her first daughter Kim Fields.
In May 1972, Fields made her acting debut as Carlotta in the Broadway comedy Tough to Get Help. The show opened and closed with only one performance at the Royale Theatre on May 4, 1972. In 1973, she was recruited by Ronnie Spector to reform The Ronettes. The group released two singles "Go Out and Get It" (1973) and "I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine" (1974) on Buddah Records. Spector later disbanded The Ronettes and Field resumed with her solo career. She landed a role as an extra in the 1974 American romantic comedy-drama film Claudine. In the same year, she appeared in the television film Change at 125th Street. In November 1975, she returned to Broadway and starred in revival of the musical Hello, Dolly!.
In 1976, she appeared on the American television sitcom Good Times, originally as a character named Rochelle who appeared one of J.J.'s girlfriends in season four two-part episode "J.J.'s New Career". The following year, Fields returned to the show to portray a different character named Lynnetta Gordon, the abusive mother of a child name Millicent "Penny" Gordon. During the auditioning process, Fields had her biological daughter Kim Fields audition for the role of Penny Gordon, but lost the role to child star Janet Jackson. Fields went on to appear as Lynnetta Gordon in four episodes of Good Times. In 1978, Fields was cast as a series regular in the live-action television series The Amazing Spider-Man. Portraying the role of Rita Conway, a secretary for Daily Bugle and friend of Peter Parker / Spider-Man, the show was a ratings success. The series ended up being the 19th-highest-rated show of the entire season, but CBS was reluctant to commit to giving the show a regular/fixed time slot for the 1978-79 season, as the series was expensive to produce and continued to underperform with older audiences. The second season consisted of seven episodes which aired infrequently throughout the 1978–79 TV season. The series continued to do well in the ratings during its second season, however CBS cancelled the series soon after the second season ended.
In the early 1980s, Fields began making frequent guest appearances on several television films and sitcoms including The Night the City Screamed, Hill Street Blues, The Facts of Life Goes to Paris, and T. J. Hooker. In 1983, she opened her own performance academy called The Rainbow Connection, which specializes in drama and dance. In 1984, she appeared in the sitcom The Facts of Life, portraying the role of Diane Ramsey; mother of Tootie Ramsey (portrayed by her biological daughter Kim Fields). In an interview with Jet magazine, Fields stated "Knowing everybody over there at NBC made them scrutinize me harder and not take me seriously. It flattered me for people to think of me as too young to be Kim's mother but that got in the way during the audition." She returned to Broadway for the third time, securing the roles of Sylvia and Barbara Ann in the gospel musical Don't Get God Started.
In 1994, she appeared in several episodes of American sitcom Living Single, again portraying the mother Laverne Hunter to her real-life daughter Kim Fields' character Regine Hunter. In the same year, she made her debut as television director, directing the season-two episode "Groom and Doom" of sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. She began working as a dialogue coach, acting consultant, and television director for several sitcoms including The Parkers, Girlfriends, One on One, All of Us, , The Parkers, as well as episodes of Romeo!, Just Jordan, Hannah Montana, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, and Meet the Browns.
She divorced her first husband Anthony Fields in 1974. In 1982, she gave birth to her second daughter Alexis Fields. In August 1994, she remarried to a technical director named Ervin Hurd.
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Chip Fields
Laverne Bernard (born August 5, 1951), better known by her stage name Chip Fields or Chip Hurd, is an American actress, singer, television director, dialogue coach, and producer who has appeared in popular films, television series, and Broadway theatre. She is best known for portraying Lynnetta Gordon, the abusive birth mother of Penny Gordon Woods (played by Janet Jackson), in a four–episode story arc (1977) of the 1970s sitcom Good Times.
Laverne Bernard was born on August 5, 1951 in Harlem, New York, to Patsy Styles. Along with her elder sister Patricia Bernard, she was raised by uncle Louis Bernard. She attended the New York High School of Performing Arts. During her senior year of high school, she became pregnant by her high school boyfriend Anthony Fields and later transferred to Newark Prep to graduate with her diploma. In 1969, she married Anthony Fields and gave birth to her first daughter Kim Fields.
In May 1972, Fields made her acting debut as Carlotta in the Broadway comedy Tough to Get Help. The show opened and closed with only one performance at the Royale Theatre on May 4, 1972. In 1973, she was recruited by Ronnie Spector to reform The Ronettes. The group released two singles "Go Out and Get It" (1973) and "I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine" (1974) on Buddah Records. Spector later disbanded The Ronettes and Field resumed with her solo career. She landed a role as an extra in the 1974 American romantic comedy-drama film Claudine. In the same year, she appeared in the television film Change at 125th Street. In November 1975, she returned to Broadway and starred in revival of the musical Hello, Dolly!.
In 1976, she appeared on the American television sitcom Good Times, originally as a character named Rochelle who appeared one of J.J.'s girlfriends in season four two-part episode "J.J.'s New Career". The following year, Fields returned to the show to portray a different character named Lynnetta Gordon, the abusive mother of a child name Millicent "Penny" Gordon. During the auditioning process, Fields had her biological daughter Kim Fields audition for the role of Penny Gordon, but lost the role to child star Janet Jackson. Fields went on to appear as Lynnetta Gordon in four episodes of Good Times. In 1978, Fields was cast as a series regular in the live-action television series The Amazing Spider-Man. Portraying the role of Rita Conway, a secretary for Daily Bugle and friend of Peter Parker / Spider-Man, the show was a ratings success. The series ended up being the 19th-highest-rated show of the entire season, but CBS was reluctant to commit to giving the show a regular/fixed time slot for the 1978-79 season, as the series was expensive to produce and continued to underperform with older audiences. The second season consisted of seven episodes which aired infrequently throughout the 1978–79 TV season. The series continued to do well in the ratings during its second season, however CBS cancelled the series soon after the second season ended.
In the early 1980s, Fields began making frequent guest appearances on several television films and sitcoms including The Night the City Screamed, Hill Street Blues, The Facts of Life Goes to Paris, and T. J. Hooker. In 1983, she opened her own performance academy called The Rainbow Connection, which specializes in drama and dance. In 1984, she appeared in the sitcom The Facts of Life, portraying the role of Diane Ramsey; mother of Tootie Ramsey (portrayed by her biological daughter Kim Fields). In an interview with Jet magazine, Fields stated "Knowing everybody over there at NBC made them scrutinize me harder and not take me seriously. It flattered me for people to think of me as too young to be Kim's mother but that got in the way during the audition." She returned to Broadway for the third time, securing the roles of Sylvia and Barbara Ann in the gospel musical Don't Get God Started.
In 1994, she appeared in several episodes of American sitcom Living Single, again portraying the mother Laverne Hunter to her real-life daughter Kim Fields' character Regine Hunter. In the same year, she made her debut as television director, directing the season-two episode "Groom and Doom" of sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. She began working as a dialogue coach, acting consultant, and television director for several sitcoms including The Parkers, Girlfriends, One on One, All of Us, , The Parkers, as well as episodes of Romeo!, Just Jordan, Hannah Montana, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, and Meet the Browns.
She divorced her first husband Anthony Fields in 1974. In 1982, she gave birth to her second daughter Alexis Fields. In August 1994, she remarried to a technical director named Ervin Hurd.