Robert Townsend paid tribute to Suzzanne Douglas on Wednesday (July 7) as hundreds of other fans and former co-stars mourned her tragic death. On Twitter, the actor reflected on the five years they spent filming together as Robert and Jerri Peterson on the 90s sitcom, “The Parent ‘Hood.”
“My heart is full because yesterday I lost my amazing dancing partner on TV for [five] years Suzzanne Douglas,” Townsend wrote. “We did ‘Work’ on ‘THE PARENT ‘HOOD.’”
“I just remember a lot of laughter and a lot of tears,” he added. “Her regal bright light will be missed.”
On Tuesday (July 6), another one of Douglas’ “The Parent ‘Hood” co-stars, Reagan Gomez, also paid tribute to the late actress. Gomez declared Douglas “a natural hair LEGEND” and said she “needs her flowers.”
On Twitter, she also reminded her followers of Tap, the 1989 film that Douglas starred in alongside Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr.
“Y’all need to get into Tap! All of the tap legends including a young Savion Glover. It was so good and Suzzanne was incredible,” she wrote. “A movie with Gregory Hines, Suzzanne Douglas, [Sammy] Davis Jr. and a baby Savion Glover. Get into it!!”
As reported by REVOLT, Douglas’ family broke the news on Tuesday that she passed away. The cause of her death has not yet been revealed. She was 64 years old.
“A beautiful and talented actress made her transition today. She warmed our hearts on movie screens and television sets all over the world,” her cousin Angie Tee wrote on Facebook. “… I can remember growing up, there weren’t very many Black actresses who had starring roles but there was my cousin with the lead role in Tap starring alongside great dancers such as Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr.”
“She also performed with Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg in How Stella Got Her Groove Back. The Inkwell, Jason’s Lyric and so much more the list goes on,” she continued. “The world will miss your talent but your soul will live on forever Rest in Paradise my beautiful cousin Suzzanne you will be missed RIP.”
See Townsend’s tweet below.