Alfre Woodard is an American Actress, born on November 8, 1952. She has received many accolades and nominations she’s known for her strong willed and dignified characters on stage and screen. She has received including, four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and three Screen Guild Awards, as well as nominations for an Academy Awards and two Grammy Awards.
The New York Times ranked her as one of The 25 Greatest Actors Of the 21th Century in year 2020. She is also a board member of Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences…
Alfre started her acting career in theatre. Later her breakthrough portrayal in the Off-broadway play for Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow Is Enuf in 1977, she made her first debut in Remember My Name in 1978. She received an Academy Award for best supporting actress nomination for her portrayal in Cross Creek in 1983.
She starred in movies such as Grand Canyon in 1991, Passion Fish in 1992, Heart and Souls in 1993, Crooklyn in 1994, How To Make an American Quilt in 1995, Primal Fear in 1996, Star Trek: First Contact in 1996, and Down In The Delta in 1998. She received a BAFTA AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING CHARACTER nomination for her portrayal in Clemency in 2019.
She also played in 12 Years a Slave in 2013, Annabelle in 2014, Captain America: Civil War in 2016, Juanita in 2019, The Remake Of The Lion King in 2019, and The Gray Man in 2022. She is the mindblowing actress and had received numerous accolades and nominations.
She gained prominence for her television character 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 won four times Primetime Emmy Awards for her character in the NBC drama series Hill Street Blues in 1984, the NBC series L. A. Law in 1987, the HBO movie Miss Ever’s Boys in 1997, and The Practice in 2003.
She also starred in Marvel Cinematic Universe she played the “Black” Mariah Dillard Stokes in the Netflix series Luke Cage in 2016-2018…
She is also a social activist and known as political activist and producer. She is a founder of Artists for a New Southern Africa, an organization devoted to advancing democracy and equality in that country… she loves to help people and support on the basis of their needs.
Alfre was born and grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Constance, a homeworker, and Marion H. Woodard, was an Entrepreneur and Interior Designer. Alfre is the youngest child of their parent’s three children. Alfre attended Bishop kelley high school, a private Catholic School in Tulsa, she graduated from there in 1970.
Alfre completed her theatre study from Boston University, from which she graduated.
Her first film came in 1974 on Washington, D. C. ‘s Arena Stage. She moved to LA, California in 1976. She stated later, that people told me there were no film portrayals for Black Actors. I’m not a Fool. I know that. But she was very confident for her craft. Her breakthrough character was in the Off- Broadway play for Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf in year 1977.
After, a year later, Alfre, made her first film in Remember My Name, the film was thriller written and Directed by Alan Rudolph. The exact year, she had a leading character in the Trial Of The Moke, a Great Act Television Film co-starring Samuel L. Jackson.
In year 1980, she had a character in the Ensemble Comedy film “Health”, which is, directed by Robert Altman. Also she appeared in the NBC miniseries The Sophisticated Gents, and had a regular character along with Catherine Hicks and Tim Matheson, in the short lived Comedy series, Tucker’s Witch in year 1982-1983.
And after some times later in 1983, she appeared opposite Mary Steenburgen in the biography drama movie Cross Creek directed bh Martin Ritt. Her performance made her received the nomination for the Academy Award for best supporting actress. In 1983, she won her first ever Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding Supporting actress in a drama series.
Alfre’s, next TV character was on the short lived NBC sitcom SARA starring Geena Davis. After some year later, she received critical acclaim of her lead act in a number of made-for-tv films. She received a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for her portrayal in films, including: WORDS BY HEART in 1985, UNNATURAL CAUSES in 1986, and A MOTHER’S COURAGE : THE MARY THOMAS STORY in 1989.
Alfre, married to Writer Roderick Spencer, and the couple shared Two Children together who’s name as, Mavis and Duncan. She lives in Santa Monica, California with her husband and their children. Alfre follows Christian Science. Her daughter Mavis, served as Golden Globe for the 2010 Golden Globe Awards. Alfre is an activist for a wide spectrum of causes.
Alfre is a founder and board member of Artists for a New South Africa, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating the African AIDS pandemic and to advancing democracy and equality in South Africa since 1989…. Alfre also supports LGBTQ, rights and same sex marriage. In Feb-2019, she attached to a group of American film directors and actors on a cultural trip to Iran at the invitation of the “House of Cinema” forum in Tehran.
She once revealed about her great grandpa Alex Woodard who was born into Slavery in Houston County, Georgia, in the early 1840s. When he was about 14 or 15 year old, her grandpa was separated from his family, when his master relocated to Jackson Parish, Louisiana. Alax had purchased 80 acres of farmland in Jackson pariah. On April 15, 1898, he and his wife Elizabeth sold their 80 acres to her brother.
Alfre Woodard is an amazing actress and had received numerous accolades and nominations.
