(AURN News) — Toukie Smith, the groundbreaking model and actress best known for playing Eva Rawley on the hit NBC sitcom “227,” died at 74, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
Smith died Nov. 4 in a New York hospital after a long battle with multiple sclerosis, according to Airyn and Julian De Niro, her twins with actor Robert De Niro.
Born in Philadelphia in 1952, Smith began modeling in 1972 and became one of the most recognizable Black faces in fashion. She worked with legendary designers including Hubert de Givenchy, Thierry Mugler, Issey Miyake and Patrick Kelly. In 1978, Bloomingdale’s named her Model of the Year. Her brother was pioneering fashion designer Willi Smith, who died of AIDS-related complications in 1987.
Beyond “227,” Smith appeared on “Miami Vice” and in “The Preacher’s Wife” and several other films.
Rest in peace, Toukie Smith.
