Actress. Born in Orange, New Jersey, the youngest of five children of Ona and William Fisher, a carpenter. Her father died when she was two years old. She attended Metuchen High School, where she was a cheerleader in addition to landing a leading role in the senior play. As a teen, she entered beauty contests, winning the titles of Miss Black New Jersey, Miss Essex County Fair, and she became the first black semifinalist in the New Jersey State Fair beauty contest. She won a contest sponsored by Coca-Cola that won her a her a two-year scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, and became the first black actor accepted as a player in the Repertory Theater at Lincoln Center. In 1957 she made her Off-Broadway debut in 'Simply Heavenly.' In 1960, she starred in 'The New Girl in the Office,' an informational short about integration inspired by new federal equal employment policies. She made her television debut in 'The Play of the Week' and then in 1961, became the first black actor to win a speaking role in a nationally aired commercial. In 1965 she appeared in a stage production of 'Danton's Death' she also toured with a production of 'A Raisin in the Sun.' She appeared in guest roles in television's 'The Defenders,' 'My Three Sons,' 'Room 222,' and 'Love, American Style.' In 1970 the series, 'Mannix,' was retooled in its second season in hopes of boosting ratings, she was added to the cast as Peggy Fair, Joe Mannix's widowed secretary, it would become her signature role. More than just answering phones, she would also occasionally go undercover to help solve crimes, her performance earned her an Emmy nomination. In 1970, she became the first black actress to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role in Drama. She would be nominated again for each of the following three years, and between 1971 and 1974, received four Golden Globe nominations for her role in 'Mannix,' winning twice, another first. After 'Mannix' was canceled in 1975, she appeared in guest roles in 'Fantasy Island,' 'Knight Rider,' 'Hotel,' and a recurring role as Judge Heller in 'General Hospital,' but the roles were few, and she descended into spiral fueled by personal issues, drug addiction, and poor health, ending in an arrest and rehab. Her career never recovered. Her last film was the low budget 'Mankiller' (1987) and her last television appearance was in the 1990 TV movie 'Doners.'