Marion Ramsey

Marion Ramsey (May 10, 1947 – January 7, 2021) was an American actress, singer, and songwriter born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her career began on stage, and she went on to build a body of work spanning Broadway, television, and film over several decades.

Ramsey's Broadway career ran from 1964 to 1986 and included productions such as Soon, Eubie!, Rock 'N Roll! The First 5,000 Years, Grind, and Uptown...It's Hot! She also toured the United States in the musical Hello, Dolly!

Her television career began with a guest appearance on the sitcom The Jeffersons, and she subsequently became a series regular on Cos, the Bill Cosby sketch comedy program. She was among the main cast members of the Police Academy television series, which aired from 1997 to 1998, though she did not make a guest appearance in that sitcom. From 1988 to 1989, she provided the voice of Denise Pidgeon in the animated Police Academy series.

Ramsey is perhaps most widely recognized for portraying the soft-spoken Officer Laverne Hooks in the Police Academy film franchise. She appeared in six installments of the series: Police Academy (1984), Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985), Police Academy 3: Back in Training (1986), Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol (1987), Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach (1988), and Police Academy 6: City Under Siege (1989). She did not appear in the seventh film, Police Academy: Mission to Moscow (1994). In 2015, she reunited with Police Academy co-stars Steve Guttenberg and Michael Winslow in the Syfy film Lavalantula, and reprised her involvement in its sequel, 2 Lava 2 Lantula!, the following year. Additional film credits include Recipe for Disaster and Return to Babylon.

Later in her career, Ramsey made guest appearances on the Adult Swim programs Robot Chicken and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Her final acting role came in the 2018 independent film When I Sing.

As a songwriter, Ramsey collaborated with composer Haras Fyre, who wrote songs including "Supernatural Thing," "This Time I'll Be Sweeter," and "Satan's Daughter" for Gary Glitter, among others. She was also committed to AIDS awareness and performed in Divas Simply Singing, an annual charitable fundraising event. Ramsey was a close friend of actress and singer Nell Carter.

Ramsey died at her home in Los Angeles on January 7, 2021, following a short illness. She was survived by three of her brothers.