Francesca P. Roberts


Francesca P. Roberts is an American actress from Los Angeles. She is best known for playing "Big Bertha" in a live action movie Super Mario Bros. in 1993, as well as Anita Craig in ABC's sitcom TV series Baby Talk, which only lasted from 1991 to 1992 and Anna-May in Frank's Place.

Early life and education

Roberts was born on December 19, 1953 in Los Angeles, California but raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. The daughter of Margaret B. Roberts and Bobby Ray Louis Roberts, Sr.. The oldest of 5 children. She has two younger sisters Melanie and Bianca, as well as two younger brothers who are now both deceased, Bobby, Jr. and Gregory. She attended three colleges: University of New Orleans, Southern Illinois University and L'Ecole de Mime Jacques LeCoq in Paris, France. She did stage work at the North Hollywood's Group Repertory Theatre, New Orleans' Free Southern Theatre, Reseda Megaw Theatre, and with Hollywood's Touchstone Group.
She is a graduate of Mount Carmel Academy.

Career

She was originally involved in stage work before appearing on TV.
She made her first television appearance in Starsky & Hutch in 1979, only appearing in a minor role. Then she moved on to make her debut film appearance in Inside Moves, starring John Savage. She would continue on by making numerous TV guest appearances that had main or minor roles, in the likes of Private Benjamin, a show that was based off the film with the same name, Fame, The Facts of Life, Frank's Place and Baby Talk. She would appear in movies, such as the 1993 live action movie, based off the Mario video game series, Super Mario Bros., playing as "Big Bertha", a bouncer of the Boom Boom Bar, Legally Blonde as judge "Marina R. Bickford", and Heart of Dixie as "Keefi". She frequently appears in film or TV, playing characters for only just a minimum time.
In 1994, she appeared on Martin, playing as "Judge Wheatley" in two episodes "Crunchy Drawers" & "No Justice, No Peace".
Roberts usually plays characters who are courtroom judges in movies or TV.

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1979Starsky & HutchCora-LeeEpisode: "Huggy Can't Go Home"
1980Inside MovesHookerFilm
1981Private BenjaminPvt. Harriet DorseyEpisode: "Judy Got Her Gun"
"Judy in the Driver's Seat"
1982Money on the SideClerkTV Movie
1983Knight RiderLibrarianEpisode: " To Catch a Sly"
1985FameThe NurseEpisode: "Coco Returns"
1985GenerationSpanish WomanTV Movie
1985The Facts of LifeVeraEpisode: "Christmas Baby"
1987-1988Frank's PlaceAnna-MayMain role
1989Have FaithSally Coleman7 Episodes
1989Heart of DixieKeefiFilm
1990Hard to KillMartha CoeFilm
1990Murder, She WroteRuthEpisode: "O'Malley's Luck"
1990The Family ManMiss CampbellEpisode: "Making Babies"
1990ABC Afterschool SpecialSallyEpisode: "Testing Dirty"
1991Gabriel's FireMiss RichardsEpisode: "The Great Waldo"
1991What a DummySheilaEpisode: "Bringing Up Baby"
1991'LucyTV Movie
1991Davis RulesMrs. BarrettEpisode: " A Man for All Reasons"
1991The Munsters TodayOkra DimpleyEpisode: "Diary of a Mad Munsterwife"
1992GladiatorMiss HigginsFilm
1991-1992Baby TalkAnita CraigMain role
1993Super Mario Bros.Big BerthaFilm
1993Mad About YouNurseEpisode: "Bedfellows"
1994The NannyNurse SmithEpisode: "Deep Throat "
1994MartinJudge WheatleyEpisode: "Crunchy Drawers"
"No Justice, No Peace"
1992S.F.W.Kim MartinFilm
1994My So-Called LifeMs. MandevilleEpisode: "Father Figures"
1994Melrose PlaceMarciaEpisode: "Sex, Drugs and Rockin' the Cradle"
1995SafePatient No. 2Film
1995Step by StepDr. PostleyEpisode: "A Foster/Lambert Production"
"Can't Buy Me Love"
1996Eye for an EyeParent of Murdered Children Group #2Film
1996High Incident?Episode: Till Death Do Us Part
1996MoeshaMaxineEpisode: "Reunion"
1997Hangin' with Mr. CooperNicoleEpisode: "Security"
1997'ClaraEpisode: "Chinese Take-Out"
1997Fired UpMrs. Francis13 episodes
1998The Odd Couple IIPassengerFilm
1998-1999MaggieKimberly8 episodes
1994-1999Home ImprovementMargeEpisode: "Knee Deep"
"Future Shock"
"It's My Party"
"Slip Sleddin' Away"
1999It's Like, You Know...Mrs. RobinsonEpisode: "Arthur 2: On the Rocks"
2000City of AngelsIris ForchetteEpisode: "The Prince and the Porker"
2000Family LawJanet MoriartyEpisode: "One Mistake"
2000Gideon's CrossingRae TrayfieldEpisode: "The Gift"
2000FelicityClinic WorkerEpisode: "Surprise"
1999-2000Ally McBealJudge Cynthia HarrisEpisode: "Love on Holiday"
"Love Unlimited"
20017th HeavenMrs. MillerEpisode: "Regrets"
2001Go FishPrincipal FieldsEpisode: "Go Four-Point Plan"
2001Legally BlondeMarina R. BickfordFilm
2001The DistrictMrs. NunezEpisode: "Melt Down"
2002That '80s ShowProfessor WebsterEpisode: "Double Date"
2003Presidio Med?Episode: "Suffer Unto Me the Children..."
2003The DivisionJudgeEpisode: "Body Double"
2003-2004'Darla HandyEpisode: "Wild and the Innocent"
"Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
"Badlands"
"A Hard Day's Night"
"Brothers in Arms"
2004QuintupletsPrincipal WilcoxEpisode: "Teacher's Pet"
2004In Good CompanyLoan OfficerFilm
2002-2005Judging AmyASA Teresa WillingsEpisode: "Getting Out"
"Maxine Interrupted"
"The Cook of the Money Pot"
2006Grey's AnatomyEstelle ByrdEpisode: "Let the Angels Commit"
2007Man in the ChairJuanitaFilm
2007Love Is a Four Letter Word Judge DoolittleTV Movie
2007TakePrincipalFilm
2007Big ShotsDr. Seaver-FilnerEpisode: "Greatest Amerimart Hero"
"The Good, the Bad, and the Really Ugly"
"Tall, Dark and Hairless"
"Pilot"
2005-2008Boston LegalJudge Jamie AtkinsonEpisode: "Guardians and Gatekeepers"
"Word Salad Days"
"Truly, Madly, Deeply"
"Schadenfreude"
"'Til We Meat Again"
2009Pushing DaisiesAmelia StingwellEpisode: "Water & Power"
2009The ForgottenFlora WilliamsEpisode: "River John"
2010OutlawJudge Jenny HagopianEpisode: "In Re: Curtis Farwell"
2010-2011'Judge Martha DreyerEpisode: "Angel's Knoll"
"Silver Lake"
"Hondo Field"
2012WilfredFeliciaEpisode: "Service"
"Dignity"
"Progress"
2015Bad Judge?Episode: "The Fixer"
2015It's Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaSandy LawlerEpisode: "Charlie Work"
2016ShamelessMs. TaylorEpisode: "Pimp's Paradise"
2017EmpireJudge BarnesEpisode: "Fortune Be Not Crost"