Royana Black, ‘Raising Miranda’ Star, Dead at 47

Royana Black, who starred in the title role in Raising Miranda, passed away on July 14 after suffering from acute myeloid leukemia. The actress was 47-years-old when she died, which was revealed by her family on Monday. She was in Los Angeles at the time.

The New York native made her Broadway debut in Nel Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs when she was 10-years-old. She played the role of Laurie then, who was the cousin of the show’s lead. In Raising Miranda, which debuted in 1988, she worked alongside Bryan Cranston and James Naughton, playing a teenage daughter during the brief nine-episode series. Her other roles included stints in Touched By An Angel, Medium and The Cosby Show. In 2009, Black tied the knot with her husband, John Paul Hubbell, who appeared in three seasons of E.R.

A GoFundMe was quickly set up to help support the funeral and memorial services while her husband grieves. A sibling of Hubbell’s put it all together, setting the goal at 25,000, which has already netted over $52,000 in donations. The fundraiser notes that Black had “incredible energy and spirit.” In supporting her husband during the difficult time, the page shares that all proceeds will go directly to her husband in “defraying the many expenses and financial difficulties.” The message concludes by admitting that things are tough for many people during this time, but “contribute any thing you can” and to “let Royana’s light shine through you every day.”

In surpassing the set goal, a follow-up response was shared on the page, thanking everyone who contributed for the “outpouring of generosity” and thoughtfulness during the challenging times. “Words cannot express the gratitude we feel to each and every person who continues to so graciously respond to this campaign, and share it with others to help JP with end of life costs and future expenses.”

In addition to his work on E.R., Hubbell was seen throughout four seasons on CSI: Miami. He also made brief appearances in Shameless and Southland. He also had a role in Loaded Weapon, which was a spoof on Lethal Weapon.

Hollywood has particularly been struck with losses, including the passing of iconic television personality, Regis Philbin, who died of natural causes at the age of 88. Also lost was John Saxon, an actor who was known for his work in Enter the Dragon and Nightmare on Elm Street.