Judy Pace Dies: Groundbreaking Black Actress Who Starred In ‘Brian’s Song’ Was 83

Judy Pace, a pioneering actress known for her roles in Blaxploitation films of the 1970s and her portrayal of Gale Sayers' wife in the TV movie "Brian's Song", has died at the age of 83. Pace's daughters announced that she passed away peacefully in her sleep while visiting family in Marina Del Rey, California.Judy Pace was a trailblazer for Black actresses in Hollywood, becoming the first Black woman contracted at Columbia Studios in the 1960s. Her roles in Blaxploitation films of the 1970s helped redefine representation on screen during that era. Her performance in "Brian's Song" was also groundbreaking, as she portrayed the wife of a prominent Black NFL player at a time when interracial relationships were still taboo on television.