Lynn Hamilton began her career in Chicago's community theater scene. At 29, she made her Broadway debut in 1959's Only in America and went on to appear in numerous Broadway and Off Broadway productions, while also taking her talents to the small screen with roles on the television series Gunsmoke and Room 222. One of her most memorable roles was as Donna Harris on NBC's Sanford and Son. She also starred as Miss Verdie on The Waltons, Vivian Potter on the daytime drama Generations, ex-con Cissie Johnson on the 1991 nighttime soap Dangerous Women, and Georgia Anderson in Roots: The Next Generation. Her additional TV credits include roles on 227, The Golden Girls, NYPD Blue, Cold Case, and Judging Amy.