Outer Banks is a teen drama about a murder mystery. The discovery of gold. Resolving a century’s worth of mysteries. I think you get the idea. So, you may be asking why the program contains some secrets for the audience to solve.
You are probably scratching your brain, trying to figure out what this author is on about. ICYMI, there was an on-screen homage to Carol Sutton following episode 6 of the second reason. There are a lot of new faces on the Outer Banks, but none of them have a message for them.
Carol Sutton, Who Is She?
For one thing, she’s Pope’s Mee-Maw. The stories of Season 2 are primarily focused on Pope’s family and their relationship to the key. He visits Mee-Maw at an assisted care home to discover more about his past. Despite her initial reluctance, she finally admits that the key belonged to one of their ancestors, Denmark Tanny. But before Mee-Maw can say anything further, the screen fades to black, and the words “In Loving Memory of Carol Sutton” appear. Put on some sad music in the background.
Mee-Maw, a.k.a. Carol Sutton, is a one-episode character who leaves a lasting impact on viewers, mainly as she played a vital role in the season’s mystery. It didn’t take long for people to start looking up her acting credits.
She’s also been in Queen Sugar, Roots, Lovecraft Country, and other films and this Netflix series (via IMDb). Despite her minor roles in television and cinema, she is most renowned for her work on stage in New Orleans. These tweets said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell crowned Sutton the “Queen of New Orleans Theater.”
Sutton died tragically in December 2020 because of COVID-19 problems. She was 76 years old at the time. Her last days were spent in Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, where she was treated. The Netflix series was one of her last acting roles, so the episode concludes with a tribute to her. Though she is no longer with us, her legacy lives on via the almost 100 films, shows, and plays to which she contributed.
Carol Sutton, New Orleans Star Known For Role In ‘Steel Magnolias,’ Dies At 76
On Thursday, Carol Sutton, who starred in more than 100 films, plays, and television series, died of coronavirus complications in New Orleans. She was 76 years old at the time.
Sutton made her television debut in 1974 with “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” and went on to act in feature films, play leading parts in theatre, and do additional television work. She worked successfully despite her refusal to leave her community, landing parts in films such as “The Big Easy,” “The Pelican Brief,” Monster’s Ball,” “Ray,” “Steel Magnolias,” and “The Help,” and “Poms.” In November, Sutton was diagnosed with the virus and admitted to the hospital.
Sutton began honing her acting skills in 1968 when she joined one of the Deep South’s few African-American theatre troupes. The Dashiki Project Theatre was situated in New Orleans and produced plays that highlighted the intricacies of African-American life. It was created by students from Dillard University and other historically black schools and institutions in Louisiana. Sutton had little trouble finding employment, thanks partly to her mother, Marguerite Bush, a community volunteer in the city.
Sutton often related tales of her mother driving the family automobile from their Central City area to pick up the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he came to the city in 1957. Carol claimed to have ridden in the rear seat with her sleeping siblings.
King was reportedly in town for meetings that aided in the formation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which became a vital force in the civil rights movement. Sutton began a more than 40-year career with Total Community Action, an organization that assists low-income families and children with special needs; she decided to pursue acting the same year. In 2011, she stepped down from her social and educational efforts.
Sutton’s unique ability to imbue ordinary people with empathy and dignity moved seamlessly from theatre to television to movies. Her acting approach was also deceptively natural. While it is unclear if Sutton considered herself a method actress, she possessed the ability to remain in character long after the rest of the ensemble had left the stage.
According to Adella Gautier, an actor and lifelong acquaintance, Sutton’s life appeared to resemble that of her role in at least one incident. In 1974, Sutton was cast as Vivian, Jane Pittman’s pregnant daughter-in-law, in the award-winning television production of “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” directed by Cicely Tyson. According to Gautier, Sutton was likely pregnant during the audition, but the issue became evident when she got on set, who also performed in the film but did not make the final cut.
Carol was nine months pregnant at the time. Gautier laughed as he stated this. “She was in a boat,” says the narrator. “And there she was, with her huge tummy,” says the narrator. Sutton’s recent television credits include “Tremé,” “True Detective,” “Queen Sugar,” and “Lovecraft Country.”
According to Donald Matthews, Sutton was as available to her fans as she was to her friends. The latter grew up a block away from her in Central City and subsequently performed alongside her and constructed sets for Dashiki plays. She never left home, where she grew up on Josephine Street, and reared her son and daughter throughout her 60-year career in show business. Her children and siblings are still alive.
“Everyday folks,” Matthews observed of Carol. “When people complimented her on her performance at a play, she’d respond, “Yeah, lady, I’m some pleased.” She used the city buses often and carried her change purse in her bra.
Gautier recalls Sutton’s kindness. “She’d reach into her bosom and… give you a $50 cash and say, ‘Hey, go grab some beer,'” Gautier said. “She was a beer drinker,” says the narrator. ‘Don’t worry, I got it,’ she’d reply whenever the bill arrived during dinner.’
“You knew there would be a role for Carol Sutton if there were a filmmaking project in New Orleans,” said Batou Chandler, an assistant director who worked with her on multiple films. “Because you’ll want to work with Carol again after you’ve worked with her.”
Despite this, Sutton’s flexography only reveals half of the tale. She performed in a variety of local theatre plays, including “Sty of the Blind Pig,” “Member of the Wedding,” “The Women,” “Our Town,” and “A Raisin in the Sun.” She toured worldwide with the musical “One Mo’ Time,” in addition to her television and film performances.
Dalt Wonk, a dramatist from New Orleans, recalls her abilities overshadowing “A Bitter Glory,” a play he created about a Louisiana plantation family.
“It would be an “Upstairs Below” narrative, with white plantation owners upstairs and slaves downstairs,” Wonk said. “However, Carol and the other Black performers proved to be much more engaging as slaves, so I revised the play to focus on their tales.”
Sutton had participated in an as-yet-unreleased video presentation commemorating Breonna Taylor, an African-American emergency room technician who was shot and murdered in March during a police raid at her house in Louisville, Ky., shortly before becoming ill in November.
Sutton’s condition only lasted about a month. “Please keep us in your thoughts,” she wrote her pals on November 10 after learning that she and her kid had tested positive for the virus. She complained of severe nausea and fever the following day. She was admitted to the Touro Infirmary on November 17.
She contacted Matthews on November 22 to complain that her oxygen mask was making it difficult for her to communicate. Her health seemed to have improved sufficiently to be moved out of critical care, but she died on Thursday night in the hospital.