Louise Beavers (1902-1962) was an American film and television actress, primarily active from the early 1920s until her death. She became one of the most prolific and recognizable African American actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age, although her career was largely defined by stereotyped supporting roles such as a maid, cook, or "mammy". Her most acclaimed and celebrated performance is as Delilah Johnson in the film *Imitation of Life* (1934), a role that earned her enormous critical acclaim for the depth and humanity she brought to the character, but which did not lead to an Academy Award nomination, an honor denied to African American actors at the time. Her extensive filmography includes over 160 titles, including *She Done Him Wrong* (1933), *Holiday Inn* (1942), and *Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House* (1948). In television, she was a pioneer, becoming one of the first African American women to play the lead role in the sitcom *Beulah* (1952-1953). For her contributions, she was posthumously inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1976.