As a kid, I remember frequently watching The Facts of Life.
The popular sitcoms and dramas from the 1980s were always enjoyable and impacted viewers worldwide long after I was born.
Few television programs from that era lasted more than ten years, but the Different Strokes spinoff did and for good reason.
There are still many fans of the show’s plots and characters today.
But one particular figure stands out to admirers in particular.
The Facts of Life repeats still bring back many beautiful memories from my youth. The program debuted in 1979 and became well-liked right away.
It centered on Edna Garrett, a housemother at a boarding school for only girls in New York. While navigating her life, viewers witnessed Edna help the girls through their highs and lows.
There was a reoccurring side character who continues to motivate fans worldwide while Charlotte Rae, an accomplished actress, played Edna.
On the program, Geri Tyler was a recurrent supporting character played by Geri Jewell. One of the girls on the sitcom, Blair, had a fake cousin named Geri. In addition to being renowned for her humor and talent, Geri Jewell made television history as it featured the first actor with a physical impairment, cerebral palsy.
Many people still today concur that Geri’s cerebral palsy was depicted realistically. The fact that Geri Jewell, the actress who played the part, had the illness in real life was probably beneficial.
Before The Facts of Life ever aired on television, Norman Lear reportedly approached Jewell, according to Mental Floss. Lear came to Jewell after performing a stand-up comedy routine.
Jewell clarified:
“I received a standing ovation, and in the elevator, I met Norman. You’ll hear from me very soon, youngster, he added. He called me three months later with the “Cousin Geri” episode from season two.
Jewell could portray her situation and the needs of other persons with disabilities because of a part that was specifically created for her. As already established, the character of Geri marked the debut of a recurring disabled person on primetime television.
Geri was born in Buffalo, New York, USA, on September 13, 1956. Sadly, Geri was born three months early due to her mother’s involvement in a car accident while she was expecting her. She received a cerebral palsy diagnosis when she was 18 months old.
“It was quite damaging. In the only televised interview Geri’s mother, Olga, ever did during Geri’s acting career, she said, “I knew a lot about cerebral palsy, so I understood what I was in for.
Geri received the same treatment as her siblings and brothers growing up. Geri was among the group; she interacted with her three siblings in play, quarrels, and laughter. She required particular care, of course, just like any child.
Geri, however, received extra attention for a longer period and began physical therapy at a young age. Her parents urged Geri to eat with a spoon taped to her hand, and her arm sandbagged to steady the trembling because they wanted her to be as independent as possible.
That way of thinking influenced her entire upbringing.
In 1984, Geri remarked, “They thought if I didn’t learn to fight when I was young, I wouldn’t know when I was older.”
She outlined the fundamental principles of the conflict in her autobiography:
“Your mind is aware of what your body should be doing, but the body is not receiving the brain’s signals. We can lessen the obvious effects of our impairment by studying how our muscles would function if half of our brains weren’t on vacation.
Geri didn’t recognize she was “different” until she finished seventh grade. She hoped to attend high school dances and games with her classmates and sisters, but that didn’t happen.
Her mother’s only option was to support her despite her broken heart.
Fortunately, Geri was able to draw attention by acting and making jokes.
In 1978, she began performing stand-up comedy; it all came quite effortlessly to her. Geri had always been a clown; as a young child, she even fan-mailed her hero Carol Burnett.
When Geri performed stand-up at The Comedy Store, she was discovered, and in 1980, she was allowed to play a pivotal role in The Facts of Life. She was fired in 1984 after appearing in twelve episodes over four years.
The producers opted not to renew the well-known actress’ contract despite her being a household figure in Hollywood.
“I had no money. For securities fraud and embezzlement, my manager was taken into custody. My life was a complete mess, and I was forced to appear on every major talk show to promote a book that had little to do with my real issues. It was spreading the false narrative that I had overcome my cerebral palsy and achieved success. It was hypocritical in light of how I lived my life,” she said.
Fortunately, Geri Jewell could get back up, and once The Facts of Life ended, she continued to succeed. She appeared in well-known television series like The Young and the Restless and 21 Jump Street, all of which had a long run and enduring impact.
She played a character with impairments in one of her most recent and memorable appearances in the television series Deadwood. The character Jewel was also shown to have cerebral palsy.
Gay activist and motivational speaker Geri currently works to support people with disabilities.
Today is different because I’m calmer and less emotionally erratic, which enables me to unwind more. However, in the 1980s, when I was having problems with my sexuality, had a dishonest manager who took all of my money, a program that didn’t extend my contract, and a book that was published that I detested, I couldn’t handle it. I can’t believe I made it through those years at all. I’m fortunate to be still alive, she says.
Gerri was one of my favorite characters on The Facts of Life, and I adored her on- and off-screen comedy.
