Vernee Watson

Vernee Watson Headshot

Actress • Writer

Birth Date: January 14, 1954

Age: 70 years old

Birth Place: North Trenton, New Jersey

A character actress with an extensive and decades-long career in some of the most well-known American television shows of their time, Vernee Watson-Johnson was perhaps most familiar to a generation as Viola 'Vy' Smith, the mother of Will Smith's lead character in the hugely popular sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (NBC 1990-96). She also worked extensively as an animation voice artist. Offscreen, she was also in the media in 2005 when she appeared as a witness for the defense at the second trial of Michael Jackson on child molestation charges.

Born and raised in North Trenton, NJ, as Vernee Christell Watson, Watson-Johnson worked steadily from her entrance into show business at the dawn of the 1970s. Beginning with a very small role in the blaxploitation favorite "Cotton Comes to Harlem" (1970), she spent the rest of the decade in projects as diverse as the movie "Trick Baby" (1972), television sitcoms including "That's My Mama" (ABC 1974-75), "Good Times" (CBS 1974-79) and "What's Happening!" (ABC 1976-79), as well as the memorable John Travolta-starring television film "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" (1976). It was during this period that Watson-Johnson earned her earliest recurring roles in television series. The first was as Vernajean, one of the "unteachable" Sweathogs in the high school comedy "Welcome Back, Kotter" (ABC 1975-79), and the other in the short-lived, odd couple police comedy "Carter Country" (ABC 1977-79). The late 1970s would also bring her first voice roles on animated shows, "Scooby's All-Star Laff-a-Lympics" (ABC 1977-78) and "Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels" (ABC 1977-1980), beginning a lengthy aspect to her career in which she went on to voice multiple animated characters for producers Hanna-Barbera Productions and Warner Brothers Animation. In the 1980s, Watson-Johnson continued to gather a respectable CV as a television actress and voice artist, becoming the sort of character actress whose face and voice were familiar to viewers even if they were unaware of her name. She made four appearances in "The Love Boat" (ABC 1977-1986) as four different characters, played the title character's sister in the hit sitcom "Benson" (ABC 1979-1986) and co-starred opposite Margaret Colin and Hector Elizondo as secretary Denise Willums on a sitcom set in the New York District Attorney's Office, "Foley Square" (CBS 1985-86). Watson-Johnson's first appearance in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" came during the hit sitcom's first season. Although her irascible, show-stealing part only featured in a handful of episodes, she appeared prominently in the show's opening title credits. During the five years she was involved with the show, Watson-Johnson's voice acting skills would also be used in "Baby Talk" (ABC 1991-92), the television follow-up to the Amy Heckerling's hit comedy "Look Who's Talking" (1989).

Although she continued working steadily in low-profile roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Watson-Johnson's most prominent appearances in front of the camera came during Michael Jackson's 2005 trial, when she testified for the defense in her role as the acting instructor of the unnamed accuser, whom she had tutored at the Los Angeles Academy of Fine Arts. It was the second and more serious occasion in which she made an extracurricular appearance based on her work as an acting teacher; she had appeared on "The People's Court" (Syndicated 1981-1993) opposite a former acting student who had not had any work after her lessons. (Watson-Johnson won her case.) Following the Jackson trial, she continued her regular guest television appearances, including a recurring role on "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS 2007- ) as Althea, the sardonic nurse who always happened to be on duty when one of the characters needed to go to the hospital.

Credits

You Look Familiar: Vernee Watson

Self
Movie
2021

Face to Face With David

Self
Show
2020

Bob Hearts AbisholaStream

Actor
Gloria
Series
2019

ClemencyStream

Actor
Mrs. Collins
Movie
2019
92%

The Mandela Effect

Actor
Nadine
Movie
2019

RelStream

Guest Star
Dr. Roberts
Series
2018
44%

The ResidentStream

Guest Star
Mary Phillips
Series
2018

Home By SpringStream

Actor
Mrs. Wilson
Movie
2018

Young SheldonStream

Guest Star
Nurse Robinson
Series
2017

Grace and FrankieStream

Guest Star
Doreen
Series
2016
90%

Rush HourStream

Guest Star
Series
2016
27%

SuperstoreStream

Guest Star
Lillian
Series
2015
93%

The Odd CoupleStream

Guest Star
Series
2015

Fresh Off the BoatStream

Guest Star
Mrs. Parker
Series
2015
94%

A Man Called Jon

Actor
Helen Black
Movie
2015

Beyond the Heavens

Actor
Chief Hauck
Movie
2013

Highland Park

Actor
May
Movie
2013

Ben and Kate

Guest Star
Show
2012

Reed Between the Lines: Extras

Actor
Show
2011

Reed Between the Lines

Guest Star
Valencia
Show
2011

SuburgatoryStream

Guest Star
Series
2011
91%

Nocturnal Agony

Actor
Lois
Movie
2011

Mike & MollyStream

Guest Star
Blanche
Series
2010

ArcherStream

Guest Voice
Cop
Series
2010
91%

The MiddleStream

Guest Star
Cashier
Series
2009

SouthlandStream

Guest Star
Mrs. Johnson
Series
2009
90%

CastleStream

Guest Star
Series
2009
82%

The MentalistStream

Guest Star
Series
2008

Applause for Miss E

Actor
Charlene
Movie
2008

The Big Bang TheoryStream

Guest Star
Althea
Series
2007
81%

DexterStream

Guest Star
Doakes' Mother
Series
2006
71%

SharkStream

Guest Star
Series
2006
52%

Ghost WhispererStream

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Series
2005

Criminal MindsStream

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Series
2005

HouseStream

Guest Star
Nurse Smits
Series
2004
90%

Desperate HousewivesStream

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ER Doctor
Series
2004
72%

Christmas with the KranksStream

Actor
Dox
Movie
2004
5%

Cold CaseStream

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Series
2003

NCISStream

Guest Star
Miss Helen Frimkes
Series
2003

Two and a Half MenStream

Guest Star
Nurse Lorna
Series
2003
65%

EveStream

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Series
2003

The GuardianStream

Guest Star
Series
2001

No Turning Back

Actor
Detective Bryan
Movie
2001

The District

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2000

CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationStream

Guest Star
Series
2000

Malcolm in the MiddleStream

Guest Star
Series
2000

Batman Beyond: Return of the JokerStream

Voice
Mrs. Carr
Movie
2000
100%

Judging Amy

Guest Star
Series
1999

Dharma & Greg

Guest Star
Series
1997

What About Your Friends: Graduation Blues

Actor
Show
1997

JAGStream

Guest Star
Series
1995

The Last Days of Russell

Actor
Show
1995

Sister, SisterStream

Guest Star
Series
1994

NYPD BlueStream

Guest Star
Loretta Murray
Series
1993
83%

The New Adventures of Captain Planet

Guest Voice
Judge
Show
1993

The X-FilesStream

Guest Star
Nurse Whitney Edwards
Series
1993
74%

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Voice
Additional Voices
Movie
1993

Diagnosis of Murder

Actor
Esther Wiggins
Movie
1992

Baby Talk

Voice
Danielle Craig
Series
1991
0%

The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirStream

Guest Star
Series
1990

Munsters Today

Guest Star
Show
1988

A Different WorldStream

Guest Star
Series
1987

Married ... With ChildrenStream

Guest Star
Renee
Series
1987

G.I. Joe: The Movie

Voice
Scientist
Movie
1987

Foley Square

Actor
Denise Willums
Show
1985

Mr. Belvedere

Guest Star
Series
1985

Punky BrewsterStream

Guest Star
Receptionist
Series
1984

Chicago Story

Guest Star
Show
1982

All Night Long

Actor
Emily
Movie
1981

The Violation of Sarah McDavid

Actor
Kip Leslie
Movie
1981

Fantasy Island

Guest Star
Series
1978

Death Drug

Actor
Carolyn
Movie
1978

Carter Country

Actor
Lucille Banks
Show
1977

Eight Is EnoughStream

Guest Star
Series
1977

What's Happening!!

Guest Star
Series
1976

Norman... Is That You?

Actor
Melody
Movie
1976

The Boy in the Plastic BubbleStream

Actor
Gwen
Movie
1976

Welcome Back, KotterStream

Guest Star
Series
1975

The JeffersonsStream

Guest Star
Carol
Series
1975

That's My MamaStream

Guest Star
Series
1974

TattletalesStream

Guest
Game Show
1974

Good TimesStream

Guest Star
Valerie
Series
1974

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