Virginia Capers

Eliza Virginia Capers (September 22, 1925 – May 6, 2004) made a guest appearance on The Golden Girls as Greta Wagner, the mother of Lorraine Wagner-Zbornak, the fiance of Michael Zbornak, Dorothy's son, in the Season 3 episode titled "Mixed Blessings". A veteran stage, film and television actress,  she won the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical in 1974 for her performance as Lena Younger in Raisin, a musical version of Lorraine Hansberry's play A Raisin in the Sun.

Personal life
Born in Sumter, South Carolina, Capers attended Howard University and studied voice at theJuilliard School inNew York City.

Career
She made her Broadway theatre debut in the musical Jamaica in 1957 as the understudy for Adelaide Hall in the role of Grandma Obeah, taking over the role when Hall left the show. Capers went on to appear in Saratoga and Raisin.

Capers was a familiar face to television audiences. In addition to a recurring role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, she appeared in many television programs, including Have Gun Will Travel, Marcus Welby, M.D., My Three Sons, Mannix, The Waltons, Mork & Mindy, Highway to Heaven, St. Elsewhere, Murder, She Wrote, Evening Shade, Married... with Children, The Practice and ER.

Capers appeared in such films as What's Love Got to Do with It (1993), The Great White Hope (1970), Lady Sings the Blues (1972), The Toy (1982), Teachers (1984), Norwood (1970), The North Avenue Irregulars (1979), Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) and Beethoven's 2nd (1993).

Capers founded the Lafayette Players, a Los Angeles repertory theatre company for African-American performers. She was the recipient of the National Black Theatre Festival Living Legend Award, the Paul Robeson Pioneer Award, and the NAACP Image Award for theatre excellence.

Capers provided the narration for the adventure game Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers.

Death
Capers died on May 6, 2004, of complications from pneumonis in Los Angeles, Californis, aged 78.