Geraldine Ann "Geri" Jewell (born September 13, 1956) is an American actress, stand-up comedian, diversity consultant, and motivational speaker, noted for roles on the 1980s sitcom The Facts of Life and the mid-2000s western Deadwood.

[4] Growing up, Jewell's parents were determined not to raise her differently from the rest of their children, lest she think she wasn't as capable as her siblings.

[5] After her diagnosis of cerebral palsy, Jewell and her family moved to Orange County, California so that she could have access to better care as well as schools that could accommodate her needs.

Jewell described her school life as lonely and sheltered; she said she never had a best friend growing up, and was never able to practice her social skills.

[4] Although she always knew she was interested in the arts, Jewell first studied accounting and psychology at college before committing to the theater.

It was at Fullerton College where she befriended Alex Valdez, a blind comedian, who encouraged her to do stand-up at The Comedy Store.

The Facts of Life was a spin-off from Diff'rent Strokes, which featured Edna Garrett, the housekeeper in the Drummond household.

He told me not to worry about it, that I was going to find other work because I was very talented, and I was the first person with a disability to break ground in a series.

Jewell told the audience at the White House to face their fears and uncertainties first in order to love others.

In 1986, Jewell said her new role as an advocate for the disabled allowed her to pick up the pieces of her life, and to find purpose.

She also found success as a consultant to Fortune 500 companies on creating better accommodations and more inclusive culture for the disabled workforce.

In an interview with Adrienne Faillace for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation, Jewell explained how she co-created her character on Deadwood with the creator David Milch.

[15][16][17] Jewell's most recent autobiography, I'm Walking as Straight as I Can, received the 2012 Gold Award by the Independent Publishers.