Maidie Ruth Gamble was born on October 16, 1912, in Villa Rica, Georgia, to Louis and Lila Gamble. She pursued higher education, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bennett College in 1934 and a master's degree from Columbia University three years later. Additionally, she attended the Actors Lab in Hollywood from 1946 to 1949.
Maidie Norman's film career began in 1947 with the role in The Peanut Man. Throughout the 1950s, she appeared in various films, including Bright Road, Torch Song, About Mrs. Leslie, Susan Slept Here, and Written on the Wind. Although her roles were often limited to servant characters, Norman demonstrated her professionalism and skill in executing these parts.
In 1962, Norman had the opportunity to showcase her talent alongside Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in the film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?. Norman's versatility as an artist was further demonstrated in the late 1960s and 1970s, when she worked as an artist-in-residence at Stanford University and as a lecturer, director, and acting teacher at UCLA.
Throughout the 1970s, Norman was a prominent figure on television, appearing in various shows such as Mannix, Adam 12, Streets of San Francisco, Kung Fu, The Jeffersons, and Roots: The Next Generation in 1979. Norman was also a founding member of the American Negro Theater West and was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1977.
In recognition of her contributions to the field of Black Theater, an award in her name is presented annually at UCLA for outstanding research by an undergraduate. Maidie Norman passed away on May 6, 1998.
