Alfre Ette Woodard (born November 8, 1952) is an American actress.
Alfre Woodard: Personal life
Woodard was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to African American parents: 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. She is a founder and board member of Artists for a New South Africa and is also active in the Democratic Party. In February 2009 she joined 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.
Alfre Woodard speaks for the Barack Obama campaign in New Philadelphia, Ohio, on 2008-02-20.
Alfre Woodard: Career
Woodard has made numerous guest appearances in television series and motion pictures. She was nominated for an Academy Award 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 and Down in the Delta as a single alcoholic mother from Chicago forced to spend a summer with her uncle in Mississippi.
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 The Winter's Tale. She starred in Tyler Perry's latest film The Family That Preys.
Alfre Woodard's latest film is the upcoming American Violet, where she plays the mother of a 24-year-old African American woman who is wrongfully swept up in a drug raid.
Alfre Woodard: Awards and nominations
Alfre Woodard - 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
- 2007 - Black Reel Awards- Best Supporting Actress Network/Cable- The Water is Wide
Alfre Woodard - 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 - Black Reel Awards- Best Actress Network/Cable- Holiday Heart
- 2001 - Black Reel Awards- Best Actress in a Motion Picture- What's Cooking
- 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
- 2006 - BET Awards- Best Actress
- 2006 - Black Movie Awards- Outstanding Supporting Actress - Something New
Alfre Woodard: Filmography
- Remember My Name (1978) as Rita
- HealtH (1980) as Sally Benbow
- The Sophisticated Gents (1981) as Evelyn Evers
- Cross Creek (1983) as Geechee
- Sara (1985) as Rozalyn Dupree
- St. Elsewhere (1985-1987) as Dr. Roxanne Turner
- Extremities (1986) as Patricia
- Mandela (1987) as Winnie Mandela
- Scrooged (1988) as Grace Cooley
- Miss Firecracker (1989) as Popeye Jackson
- A Mother's Courage:The Mary Thomas Story (1989) as Mary Thomas
- Grand Canyon (1991) as Jane
- Passion Fish (1992) as Chantelle
- The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag (1992) as Attorney Ann Orkin
- Rich in Love (1993) as Rhody Poole
- Heart and Souls (1993) as Penny Washington
- Bopha! (1993) as Rosie Mangena
- Blue Chips (1994) as Lavada McRae
- 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
- Gulliver's Travels (1996) as Queen of Brobdingnag
- Primal Fear (1996) as Judge Miriam Shoat
- Follow Me Home (1996) as Evey
- A Step Toward Tomorrow (1996) as Dr. Sandlin
- Cadillac Desert (1997) as Narrator
- Miss Evers' Boys (1997) as Eunice Evers
- The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue (1997) as Maise the Cat
- Down in the Delta (1998) as Loretta Sinclair
- Funny Valentines (1999) as Joyce May
- The Wishing Tree (1999) as Clara Collier
- Mumford (1999) as Lily
- What's Cooking? (2000) as Audrey Williams
- Holiday Heart (2000) as Wanda
- Love & Basketball (2000) as Camille Wright
- Dinosaur (2000) as Plio
- K-PAX (2001) as Claudia Villars
- Searching for Debra Winger (2002) as Herself
- 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
- Pictures of Hollis Woods (2007) as Edna Reilly
- American Violet (2008) as Alma Roberts
- The Family That Preys (2008) as Alice Pratt
- My Own Worst Enemy (2008) as Mavis Heller
- Reach for Me (2009) as Evelyn
- Three Rivers (2009) as Dr. Sophia Jordan
Alfre Woodard: References
Alfre Woodard: External links
- Alfre Woodard at the Internet Movie Database
- Alfre Woodard at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
- Alfre Woodard 2006 Interview on Sidewalks Entertainment
