Chicago comedian and actor Erica Watson has died at age 48 while living in Jamaica.
Her death was reported in a Facebook post by her brother, who said she died Saturday night due to complications from COVID-19. According to April Williams of the Chicago office of Gill Talent Group, who represented her, Watson had recently moved to Montego Bay and celebrated a birthday.
Watson was best known for playing Miss Tiny on Season 1 of “The Chi.” She also was a frequent contributor to “Windy City Live” on ABC7-Chicago and worked as a stand-up comic.
“Erica was many things,” Williams told the Tribune. “She was a brilliant comic, a really strong, grounded actress, and she was near and dear to our hearts.”
Erica Faye Watson was born in Chicago in Feb. 1973 and raised in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. According to her online biography, she attended St. Thomas the Apostle Elementary School and Kenwood High School and graduated from Columbia College Chicago.
In addition to her role on “The Chi,” she appeared in the 2015 Spike Lee movie “Chi-Raq,” the Oscar nominated film “Precious” and the Chris Rock movie “Top Five.” She played Pearlie Mae in the 2017 Chicago-set short film “BlacKorea.”
She also was outspoken about body positivity and was fearless, Williams said. “She was a Black woman, a heavyset Black woman, but she was never afraid to step on stage. And she encouraged others to do the same.”
In addition to her own career, Watson was a mentor to young performers in Chicago, sharing her contacts and giving advice. Online tributes have followed the news of her death, including from filmmakers, fans and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who tweeted: “I’m sorry to hear about the passing of Erica Watson. Erica was a talented, bright light. With every conversation, she made you feel as if you had been friends for years, even if you had only met virtually. I send my prayers to her friends and family.”
According to Williams and the Facebook post by her brother Eric Williams, services will be held in Chicago at a later date.
dgeorge@chicagotribune.com
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