Biography
One of most accomplished and talented African-American actresses of her generation, Alfre Woodard earned an Oscar nomination and multiple Emmy wins in a prolific film and TV career that spanned over three decades. Woodard worked primarily in drama, where she was celebrated for her grounding force in "Passion Fish" (1992), "Crooklyn" (1994), "How to Make an American Quilt" (1995) and "Down in the Delta" (1998), though she occasionally offered …
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Career Milestones
| First began performing with the Arena Stage Theater in Washington, DC | ||
| Moved to Los Angeles and joined the Mark Taper Forum's Improvisational Theatre Project | ||
1977 | Breakthrough stage role in "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf" | |
1978 | Made TV-movie debut in "The Trial of the Moke" (PBS episode of "Great Performances") | |
1978 | Made film debut in "Remember My Name" | |
1979 | Delivered a fine turn as the deadpan hotel manager in Robert Altman's satirical film "Health" | |
1982 | Played Marsha Fulbright on the short-lived CBS supernatural detective drama, "Tucker's Witch" | |
1983 | Offered an Emmy-winning turn as the mother of youth killed by cops in three episodes of "Hill Street Blues" (NBC) | |
1983 | Received Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her role as the housekeeper in "Cross Creek" | |
1985 | Joined season four of the popular medical drama, "St. Elsewhere" as Dr. Roxanne Turner | |
1985 | Played Roz Dupree on the short-lived NBC sitcom "Sara" | |
1986 | Delivered an Emmy-winning turn as a rape victim in the pilot episode of NBC's drama series "L.A. Law" | |
1986 | First portrayed South African activist Winnie Mandela to Danny Glover's Nelson Mandela in "Mandela" (PBS) | |
1987 | Again teamed with Glover as Winnie and Nelson Mandela in the HBO biopic "Mandela" | |
1988 | Played Bill Murray's overworked assistant in the comedy "Scrooged" a modernization of Charles Dickens's novella, A Christmas Carol | |
1989 | Offered a well-received performance as the mother of basketball player in the NBC TV-movie "A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story" | |
1991 | Again teamed romantically with Glover in Lawrence Kasdan's "Grand Canyon" | |
1992 | First credit as producer (associate) "The Colors of Love" | |
1995 | Offered a compelling performance in the CBS TV-movie "The Piano Lesson" | |
1995 | Played Maya Angelou's daughter in the female ensemble drama "How to Make an American Quilt" | |
1996 | Delivered a small but incisive turn as the trial judge in the legal thriller "Primal Fear" | |
1996 | Portrayed a scientist who favors fleeing from the Borg in "Star Trek: First Contact" | |
1997 | Gave an award-winning performance as a nurse caring for the men who were part of the Tuskegee syphilis study in the HBO film "Miss Evers' Boys" | |
1997 | Undertook the role of Berenice in small screen remake of "The Member of the Wedding" (USA Network) | |
1998 | Reprised her role as Dr. Roxanne Turner in an episode of "Homicide: Life on the Street" (NBC) | |
1998 | Starred in and co-produced the drama "Down in the Delta" directed by Maya Angelou | |
1999 | Appeared with CCH Pounder in "Funny Valentine" (BET/Starz!) | |
1999 | Reteamed with Lawrence Kasdan for "Mumford" | |
2000 | Acted in the ensemble of "What's Cooking?" | |
2000 | Appeared in featured role in the film "Love & Basketball" | |
2000 | Co-starred with Ving Rhames in the Showtime original movie "Holiday Heart" | |
2001 | Portrayed a psychiatrist's boss in "K-Pax," co-starring Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey | |
2003 | Appeared in the Rosanna Arquette-directed documentary, "Searching for Debra Winger" | |
2004 | Cast as a Detective in the thriller "The Forgotten" starring Julianne Moore | |
2005 | Appeared in the comedy "Beauty Shop" starring Queen Latifah | |
2005 | Joined the cast of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" in its second season as single mom, Betty Applewhite; received an Emmy nomination in 2006 for Supporting Actress in a Comedy | |
2006 | Earned an Emmy nomination for Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or TV-Movie for "The Water is Wide" (CBS) | |
2007 | Appeared in the CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, "Pictures Of Hollis Woods"; earned an Emmy nomination in 2008 for Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or TV-Movie | |
2008 | Featured in Tyler Perry's "The Family That Preys" | |
2009 | Earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word for the Children's album, Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales; Alfre was a producer | |
Awards
1983 | Academy Award for Actress In a Supporting Role in Cross Creek |
1984 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in Hill Street Blues |
1986 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in St. Elsewhere |
1987 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer In a Drama Series in L.A. Law |
1987 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In a Miniseries or Special in Unnatural Causes |
1988 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performer In a Drama Series in St. Elsewhere |
1990 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In a Miniseries or Special in A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story |
1992 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture in Passion Fish |
1993 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female in Passion Fish |
1995 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In a Miniseries or Special in The Piano Lesson |
1996 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress In a Miniseries or Special in Gulliver's Travels |
1996 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in How to Make An American Quilt |
1996 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in The Piano Lesson |
1997 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Miss Evers' Boys |
1997 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress In a Miniseries or Special in Miss Evers' Boys |
1998 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Drama Series in Homicide: Life on the Street |
1998 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in Miss Evers' Boys |
1999 | Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead in Down in the Delta |
2000 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Holiday Heart |
2003 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Drama Series in The Practice |
2006 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress In a Miniseries or Movie in The Water is Wide |
2006 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in Desperate Housewives |
2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in Desperate Housewives |
2007 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in Desperate Housewives |
2008 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress In a Miniseries or Movie in Pictures of Hollis Woods |
2012 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries in Steel Magnolias |