Alfre Woodard

Alfre Woodard ( ; born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. Known for portraying strong-willed and dignified roles on stage and screen, she has received various accolades, including four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards as well as nominations for an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and two Grammy Awards. In 2020, ''The New York Times'' ranked her as one of "The 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century". She is a board member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Woodard began her acting career in theater. After her breakthrough role in the Off-Broadway play ''For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf'' (1977). She received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in ''Cross Creek'' (1983). She earned a BAFTA Award for Best Actress nomination for her role in ''Clemency'' (2019). Woodard's notable films include ''Grand Canyon'' (1991), ''Passion Fish'' (1992), ''Heart and Souls'' (1993), ''Crooklyn'' (1994), ''How to Make an American Quilt'' (1995), ''Primal Fear'' (1996), ''Star Trek: First Contact'' (1996), ''Down in the Delta'' (1998), ''12 Years a Slave'' (2013), and ''Juanita'' (2019). She voiced Sarabi in ''The Lion King'' (2019).

Woodard gained prominence for her television role as Dr. Roxanne Turner in the NBC medical drama ''St. Elsewhere'', for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1986, and for Guest Actress in 1988. She's received four Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles in the NBC drama series ''Hill Street Blues'' in 1984, the NBC series ''L.A. Law'' in 1987, the HBO film ''Miss Evers' Boys'' (1997), and ''The Practice'' in 2003. From 2005 to 2006, Woodard starred as Betty Applewhite in the ABC comedy-drama series ''Desperate Housewives''. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) she portrayed the "Black" Mariah Dillard Stokes in the Netflix series ''Luke Cage'' (2016–2018).

She is also known for her work as a political activist and producer. Woodard is a founder of Artists for a New South Africa, an organization devoted to advancing democracy and equality in that country. Provided by Wikipedia