| Vivian Smallwood | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born: | June 18, 1933 USA |
| Died: | July 22, 2017 |
| Role: | Phyllis |
| IMDb profile | |
Vivian Lee Smallwood (June 18, 1933 – July 22, 2017; age 84) played Phyllis during Season 1 of The Shield. She was known by her stage name Rappin' Granny, which she used to perform hip-hop music.
Biography and career[]
Smallwood lived in Castaic, California, near Los Angeles. She worked as a postal worker and began rapping in the mid 1980s. Smallwood participated in a rap contest at a South-Central Los Angeles roller rink and took first place with an anti-drug themed rap. By 1989, she was performing in a group with her son and won several local awards. In 1992, Smallwood was signed to Tandem Records.
Aside from music, Smallwood started acting in the 1990s. She appeared in TV shows like Malcolm in the Middle, Six Feet Under, Everybody Hates Chris, and How I Met Your Mother. Smallwood also appeared in films like The Ladykillers and Dirty Girl.
In 2006, Smallwood was a contestant on NBC's America's Got Talent and managed to enter the final round.
Smallwood died from natural causes on July 22, 2017, at the age of 84.
The Shield credits[]
- Season 1 : "Pay in Pain"
Selected filmography[]
- Dirty Girl (2010)
- The Ladykillers (2004)
Television appearances
- How I Met Your Mother (2012)
- Parks and Recreation (2011)
- Everybody Hates Chris (2005-2007)
- Six Feet Under (2004)
- The Shield (2002)
- Malcolm in the Middle (2002)
