Gloria Reuben (1964- ) is a Canadian actress. She played Jeanie Boulet on the television show “E.R.” from 1995 to 1999. In 2000 she went on tour with Tina Turner as a backing singer. She has been in films like “Timecop” (1994), “Nick of Time” (1995) and “Feast of All Saints” (2001). Currently in 2009 she plays Roz on “Raising the Bar” on TNT on Monday nights.
On “E.R.” she played the first regular character on television who was HIV-positive. The producers had promised her character would not die. But in 1999, when she got burnt out and told them she was leaving the show, they wanted her character to die. She said no: how would that affect all those viewers who are HIV-positive? She got her way.
She went from playing an HIV-positive character on television to someone who speaks out against AIDS. It is, even now, the number one killer in America of black women ages 25 to 34.
Before she became an actress she was a beauty queen and a model. In 1986 she became Miss Black Ontario. Her mother and father are both from Jamaica, but because her father is white some said she did not represent the black experience. When asked about that in 2008, she noted that some say that Obama is “not black enough”.
One time when an interviewer kept calling her “African American” she got upset and said she is not African American but Jamaican Canadian.
Modelling led to acting. In 1988 she left Toronto, where she grew up, and went to Los Angeles. She made enough from appearing in television ads, like for Luvs Diapers and Nestle’s Sweet Success, that she could work full-time at becoming an actress.
In 1996 People magazine named her one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. According to this blog she is the eighth most beautiful black woman in the world.
Even in her 40s she is still beautiful. A man in line at Fedex told her that she looks like a young Gloria Reuben – not knowing that he was talking to Gloria Reuben herself!
It is her eyes mainly that make her beautiful, but her lips, her thick, black hair and cheekbones help too.
Although she is famous as an actress, music is her first love. She started learning to play the piano at age five, joined rock bands when she got older and in time studied music and ballet at the Royal Canadian Conservatory.
She had always wanted to be a singer. So when she met Tina Turner backstage one time and Turner asked her if she wanted to go on tour with her as a dancer and backing singer, she jumped at it. It was one of the greatest experiences of her life. Later she came out with some songs of her own. One of them is a strangely laid-back cover of Chaka Khan’s “Sweet Thing”.
In 1999 she moved back to the East Coast, to New York – she missed the winters! – and got married to television producer Wayne Isaak. She lives there still with her husband. No children as far as I know.
– Abagond, 2009.
See also:
Gloria Reuben, in addition to being beautiful woman is very good speaker and very smart. She has a deep commitment to helping others. While she has been an outspoken voice for aids prevention for some time, Gloria is now becoming known as an advocate for energy reform to protect the planet and its people.
On top of all her talents, Gloria has a beautiful voice. Visit her website and listen to a few of her songs. They’re great.
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You a very pretty women (WOW).
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Mrs. Reuben:
Hello; you’re not quite single enough for me to give the true words I’d like to say regarding your grace and beauty. Soon, when surrogates or replicants or clones are legalized; put an order in for me: PLEASE .
—–{—–@ (rose)
AL G
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She is mixed, not black.
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so how bout the new boyfriend!!
the other so called activist
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” You look like a young Gloria Reuben” What a great compliment!
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Lovry baby how was ur day
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All the great stuff said about this brilliant, beautiful, uniquely talented (and proud Canadian/Jamaican) woman hits the mark – but, what? – no mention of her brilliant, beautiful, uniquely talented brother, (the equally AWESOME) late Denis Simpson???!!
I’d always longed and hoped for a show that paired these two siblings as characters together – oh, would that have been an explosion of intelligence, gorgeousness, compassion, and delight!!
Onwards & Upwards, Gloria!
SheLa
P.S.
Gloria & Denis ARE siblings, yeah?
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all id really like to say why did you leave the tv show ER? you were one of my favort chariters on their, i read that you were a dancer for on tour with tina turner. wow ..i bet that was freaken amazing, what was she realy like in person?im glade your canadien eh…lol peace and luv ur fan Faith stewart from canada ,ontario.
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She’s a stone-cold Phoxx! She is a great actress, she’s smart, exhudes grace and confidence, and is great as a public speaker, exhibiting poise and graciousness. I suspect that she is also a Mighty Potent Force.
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I liked her on ER.
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Both of Gloria’s parents are Jamaican born and bred, one white, one black. White side of her family immigrated to Jamaica from Lebanon maybe 2 centuries ago.
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@ Billie
Do you have a source for that?
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Current series of “Finding your Roots”, PBS, plus word-of-mouth from people in Ontario 🙂
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@ Billie
Thanks for the correction. I updated the post.
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