Alfre Woodard Biography
Summary
"Alfre Ette Woodard" (born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. She has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won four Emmy Awards, three SAG Awards and one Golden Globe Award.
Biography
Personal life
Woodard was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Constance, a homemaker, and Marion H. Woodard, an entrepreneur and interior designer. Woodard attended Bishop Kelley High School, a private Catholic school in Tulsa. She studied drama at Boston University, from where she later graduated. Woodard lives in Santa Monica, California, with her husband, writer Roderick Spencer, and their two adopted children, Mavis and Duncan. Woodard follows Christian Science.
Career
Woodard has made numerous guest appearances in television series and motion pictures. She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the 1983 film "Cross Creek". She also appeared as Lily Sloane, Zefram Cochrane's assistant in "Star Trek: First Contact".
Woodard's television credits include "Hill Street Blues", "St. Elsewhere", "Puss in Boots", "L.A. Law", and "Homicide: Life on the Street". Woodard has won four Primetime Emmy Awards for her television performances in "Hill Street Blues", "L.A. Law", the television movie "Miss Evers' Boys", and "The Practice". She has also received Emmy nominations for "Words by Heart", "St. Elsewhere", "Unnatural Causes", a second for "St. Elsewhere", "A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story", "The Piano Lesson", "Gulliver's Travels", "Homicide: Life on the Street", and "The Water Is Wide". From 2005 to 2006, Woodard starred in the ABC series "Desperate Housewives", and received another Emmy nomination for her role as Betty Applewhite. Woodard has appeared on stage in such plays as "Map of the World", "Drowning Crow", "Me & Bessie", and "A Winter's Tale".
Awards and nominations
Awards
1984 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - "Hill Street Blues"
1987 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series - "L.A. Law"
1996 - Screen Actors Guild - Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie or Miniseries - "The Piano Lesson"
1997 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or A Special - "Miss Evers' Boys"
1998 - Screen Actors Guild - Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie or Miniseries - "Miss Evers' Boys"
1998 - Golden Globe - Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture - "Miss Evers' Boys"
2003 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series - "The Practice"
Nominations
1984 - Academy Award - Best Supporting Actress - "Cross Creek"
1985 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a special - "Words By Heart Wonderworks"
1986 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - "St. Elsewhere"
1987 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special - "Unnatural Causes"
1988 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series - "St. Elsewhere"
1990 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special - "A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story The Magi"
1993 - Golden Globe - Best Supporting Actress - "Passion Fish"
1995 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special - "The Piano Lesson (Hallmark Hall of Fame)"
1996 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Supporting Actress for a Miniseries or Special - "Gulliver's Travels"
1998 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series - "Homicide: Life On The Street"
2001 - Golden Globe - Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture - "Holiday Heart"
2006 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie - "The Water Is Wide"
2006 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series - "Desperate Housewives"
Filmography
"St. Elsewhere" (1985-1987) ... as Dr. Roxanne Turner
"Extremities" (1986) ... as Patricia
"Scrooged" (1988) ... as Grace Cooley
"Grand Canyon" (1991) ... as Jane
"Passion Fish" (1992) ... as Chantelle
"The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag" (1992) ... as Attorney Ann Orkin
"Heart and Souls" (1993) ... as Penny Washington
"Crooklyn" (1994) ... as Carolyn Carmichael
"How to Make an American Quilt" (1995) ... as Marianna
"The Piano Lesson" (1995) (TV) ... as Berniece
"Star Trek: First Contact" (1996) ... as Lily Sloane
"Primal Fear (1996) ... as Judge Miriam Shoat
"Follow Me Home" (1996) ... as Evey
"Miss Firecracker (1989) ... as Popeye Jackson
"Miss Evers' Boys" (1997) ... as Eunice Evers
"Down in the Delta" (1998) ... as Loretta Sinclair
"The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue" (1997) ... as Maise the Cat
"Mumford" (1999) ... as Lily
"Holiday Heart" (2000) ... as Wanda
"Love & Basketball" (2000) ... as Camille Wright
"K-PAX" (2001) ... as Claudia Villars
"The Wild Thornberrys Movie " (2002) ... as Akela
"The Singing Detective" (2003) ... as Chief of Staff
"The Core" (2003) ... as Talma Stickley
"Radio" (2003) ... as Principal Daniels
"A Wrinkle In Time" (2003) ... as Mrs. Whatsit
"The Forgotten" (2004) ... as Detective Anne Pope
"Beauty Shop" (2005) ... as Miss Josephine
"Desperate Housewives" (2005-2006) ... as Betty Applewhite
"Something New" (2006) ... as Joyce McQueen
"Take the Lead" (2006) ... as Principal Augustine James
External links
(Alfre Woodard 2006 Interview) on "Sidewalks Entertainment"
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Alfre Woodard.
