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Phylicia Rashād

Acting 78 years old Houston, Texas, USA ★ 1.5
Born: June 19, 1948

Biography

Phylicia Rashad (née Ayers-Allen; born June 19, 1948) is an American actress. She was most recently dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University before her three-year contract ended in May 2024. Known for her roles on stage and screen, she has received two Tony Awards as well as nominations for six Primetime Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

She is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992) which earned her two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nominations in 1985 and 1986. She also played Ruth Lucas on Cosby (1996–2000), and Brenda Glover in Little Bill (1999–2004). She was also Emmy-nominated for her roles in A Raisin in the Sun (2008) and This Is Us (2019–2021).

On stage, Rashad became the first Black actress to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play, for a revival of A Raisin in the Sun (2004). She won her second Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Dominique Morisseau's Skeleton Crew (2022). Her other Broadway credits include Into the Woods (1988), Jelly's Last Jam (1993), Gem of the Ocean (2004), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008).

She has appeared in various films such as For Colored Girls (2010), Good Deeds (2012), Creed (2015), Creed II (2018), Creed III (2023), and The Beekeeper (2024). She lent her voice to the Disney-Pixar animated film Soul (2020).

In the 21st century, she has directed revivals of three plays by August Wilson, in major theaters in Seattle, Princeton, New Jersey; and Los Angeles. She also directed Purpose (play) in its 2024-2025 run at the Helen Hayes Theater on Broadway.

External Links

🎬 IMDb 📷 Instagram 🐦 Twitter

Known For

Psych
Psych Winnifred Guster 2006
This Is Us
This Is Us Carol Clarke 2016
Station 19
Station 19 Pilar 2018
Empire
Empire Diana DuBois 2015
The Good Fight
The Good Fight Renetta Clark 2017

Jimmy's Seen (2)

Creed
Creed Mary Anne Creed 2015
The Beekeeper
The Beekeeper Eloise Parker 2024

Filmography

Acting Credits (95)

Ruth & Boaz
Ruth & Boaz Naomi 2025
Diarra from Detroit
Diarra from Detroit Vonda 2024
The Beekeeper
The Beekeeper Eloise Parker 2024
Heaven Down Here
Heaven Down Here Nancy 2023
Curses!
Curses! Georgia (voice) 2023
Our Son
Our Son Maya 2023
Being Mary Tyler Moore
Being Mary Tyler Moore Self (voice) 2023
Creed III
Creed III Mary-Anne Creed 2023
Sherri
Sherri Self - Guest 2022
The Gilded Age
The Gilded Age Elizabeth Kirkland 2022
Inside the Black Box
Inside the Black Box 2022
tick, tick... BOOM!
tick, tick... BOOM! "Sunday" Legend #12 2021
Show of Titles
Show of Titles "There's No Business Like Show Business" Performer 2021
Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist
Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist Self 2021
Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous
Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous Anna Campbell 2021
Twenty Pearls: The Story of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Twenty Pearls: The Story of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Narrator (voice) 2021
Soul
Soul Libba Gardner (voice) 2020
Between the World and Me
Between the World and Me Self 2020
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Grandmother Journey 2020
Black Box
Black Box Lillian 2020
Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King
Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King Self - Actress 2020
A Fall from Grace
A Fall from Grace Sarah 2020
Little America
Little America Margaret Jean the Queen 2020
Tamron Hall
Tamron Hall Self - Guest 2019
David Makes Man
David Makes Man Dr. Woods-Trap 2019
Creed II
Creed II Mary Anne Creed 2018
Charlie's Place
Charlie's Place Narrator (voice) 2018
Station 19
Station 19 Pilar 2018
Tour de Pharmacy
Tour de Pharmacy Victoria Young 2017
JFK: The Lost Inaugural Gala
JFK: The Lost Inaugural Gala Self - Host 2017
The Good Fight
The Good Fight Renetta Clark 2017
This Is Us
This Is Us Carol Clarke 2016
Jean-Claude Van Johnson
Jean-Claude Van Johnson Jane 2016
VH1 Hip Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens
VH1 Hip Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens 2016
Creed
Creed Mary Anne Creed 2015
Emily & Tim
Emily & Tim Emily (Segment 5) 2015
August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand
August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand Self 2015
Empire
Empire Diana DuBois 2015
Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee Self 2014
Gods Behaving Badly
Gods Behaving Badly Demeter 2013
Do No Harm
Do No Harm Dr. Vanessa Young 2013
Sofia the First
Sofia the First Mountain Witch (voice) 2013
Steel Magnolias
Steel Magnolias Clairee 2012
Good Deeds
Good Deeds Wilimena Deeds 2012
Change of Plans
Change of Plans Dorothy 2011
Frankie & Alice
Frankie & Alice Edna 2010
For Colored Girls
For Colored Girls Gilda 2010
Just Wright
Just Wright Ella McKnight 2010
Dreams Worth While: The Journey of "A Raisin in the Sun"
Dreams Worth While: The Journey of "A Raisin in the Sun" Self 2008
A Raisin in the Sun
A Raisin in the Sun Lena Younger 2008
Psych
Psych Winnifred Guster 2006
Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris 2005
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy Nell Timms 2005
God and the Inner City
God and the Inner City Self (voice) 2003
The Cosby Show: A Look Back
The Cosby Show: A Look Back Self / Clair Huxtable (archive footage) 2002
NBC 75th Anniversary Special
NBC 75th Anniversary Special Self 2002
Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man
Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man Cassandra Hawkins 2001
The Old Settler
The Old Settler Elizabeth Barney 2001
The Visit
The Visit Dr. Coles 2001
Bull
Bull 2000
Little Bill
Little Bill Brenda Glover (voice) 1999
Free of Eden
Free of Eden Desiree 1999
Dinosaur - Preshow
Dinosaur - Preshow Dr Helen Marsh 1998
Cosby
Cosby Ruth Lucas 1996
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
The Rosie O'Donnell Show Self - Guest 1996
Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored
Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored Ma Ponk 1996
The Babysitter's Seduction
The Babysitter's Seduction Kate Jacobs 1996
The Possession of Michael D.
The Possession of Michael D. Dr. Marion Hale (Psychiatrist) 1995
In the House
In the House 1995
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Lady Fulton (voice) 1995
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel Elizabeth Jessup 1994
David's Mother
David's Mother Gladys Johnson 1994
Hallelujah
Hallelujah Mayor Turner 1993
Intimate Portrait
Intimate Portrait Self 1993
Bob Hope's Four-Star Christmas Fiesta from San Antonio
Bob Hope's Four-Star Christmas Fiesta from San Antonio Self 1992
Jailbirds
Jailbirds Janice Grant 1991
Polly: Comin' Home!
Polly: Comin' Home! Aunt Polly 1990
Blossom
Blossom 1990
The Earth Day Special
The Earth Day Special Clair Huxtable 1990
Polly
Polly Aunt Polly 1989
False Witness
False Witness Lynne Jacobi 1989
The Debbie Allen Special
The Debbie Allen Special Self 1989
Mickey's 60th Birthday
Mickey's 60th Birthday Disneyland Cleaning Lady 1988
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Jane Goodfellow (voice) 1987
A Different World
A Different World Clair Huxtable 1987
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin Eliza 1987
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show Clair Huxtable 1984
Reading Rainbow
Reading Rainbow Narrator (voice) 1983
We're Fighting Back
We're Fighting Back 1981
The Broad Coalition
The Broad Coalition 1972
Tony Awards
Tony Awards Self - Presenter 1956
The Emmy Awards
The Emmy Awards Self 1949
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 1948
Coretta Scott
Coretta Scott Self - Narrator (voice)
Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Affair
Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Affair Judge Elaine Carter

Directing Credits (1)

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