The Devastating Death Of Dallas Star Roseanna Christiansen
The acting world has been hit with a sad piece of news, as performer Roseanna Christiansen has passed away at age 71. Her husband, Steven Rizzo, reported her passing to The Hollywood Reporter, saying that the actress was at the Antelope Valley Medical Center in California when she died, with the cause of death yet to be released.
Christiansen was best known for her role as the maid Teresa on the soapy CBS drama series "Dallas," spending nine years on the show, from 1982 to its final year on air in 1991. She was also known for her work on "The Jeffersons." In addition to her on-screen work, Christiansen was also an acting coach and, according to THR, an ordained minister. In her last screen appearance, the 2020 docuseries "Acting on Faith," she spoke about the effect that her Christian faith had on her career.
Christiansen is survived by her husband, as well as two children, Josiah and Grace, and her sister Elba. In his statement about her death, Steven Rizzo said, "Though in years her life was too short, she spent enough time here to plant the seeds of love, encouragement and beauty into everyone she met."
Christiansen played a maid on two major series
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Roseanna Christiansen was born in New York City on March 11, 1951. She caught the acting bug early, making her stage debut at just nine years old.
As for her on-screen work, Christiansen first gained attention with a role in Season 8 of "The Jeffersons," with her first appearance coming in the episode "My Maid, Your Maid." Ironically, her other noteworthy role, that of Teresa on "Dallas," also saw her playing a housekeeper. However, unlike "The Jeffersons," on which she only had a three-episode arc, Christiansen appeared on over 100 episodes of the iconic nighttime soap. Other roles of Christiansen include an episode of "Matlock" and a small part in the 1980s romantic comedy "The Perfect Match."
Christiansen's last credited acting role was in the 2015 movie "Kidzz," written and directed by her child Josiah Rizzo (via IMDb). Our thoughts go out to Roseanna Christiansen's friends, family, and fans at this time.