She is also known for her work as a political activist and producer. Woodard is a founder of Artists for a New South Africa, an organization devoted to advancing democracy and equality in that country.[5]
Early life and education
Woodard was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Constance, a homemaker, and Marion H. Woodard, an entrepreneur and interior designer.[6] She is the youngest of three children and was a cheerleader in high school.[7] Woodard attended Bishop Kelley High School, a private Catholic school in Tulsa, graduating from there in 1970. She studied drama at Boston University, from which she graduated.[5]
Career
1970s
Woodard made her professional theater debut in 1974 on Washington, D.C.'s Arena Stage.[8] On off-Broadway, she performed in the play So Nice, They Named it Twice at The Public Theater in early 1976.[9] In 1976, she moved to Los Angeles, California. She later said, "When I came to L.A., people told me there were no film roles for black actors. I'm not a fool. I know that. But I was always confident that I knew my craft."[10] Her breakthrough role was in the Off-Broadway play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf in 1977.[5] The next year, Woodard made her film debut in Remember My Name, a thriller written and directed by Alan Rudolph. In the same year, she had a leading role in The Trial of the Moke, a Great Performances television film co-starring Samuel L. Jackson.
In 1987, Woodard played the role of South African activist Winnie Mandela in the HBO film Mandela. She spent several weeks watching news clips and listening to tapes of Winnie to match her accent.[10] She did not win an Emmy, but received a CableACE Award and an NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Lead Actress category for Mandela.[8] In the next years, she began starring in comedy films like Scrooged (1988) and Miss Firecracker (1989).
1990s
In 1991, Woodard starred in drama film Grand Canyon, directed by Lawrence Kasdan. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and earned $40,991,329 at the box office.[15][16] The next year, Woodard received major critical acclaim for her performance opposite Mary McDonnell in the drama film Passion Fish, written and directed by John Sayles. The film depicts the struggles of a recently paralyzed daytime soap opera star, and how her outlook is influenced by her nurse, Chantelle, a recovering drug addict played by Woodard.[17] The Rolling Stone's Peter Travers described her performance as "superb".[18] She was a promising contender for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress category, but did not receive a nomination.[19] However, she did receive her first Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female.[20] In that same year, she had a comedic role in the fantasy film Heart and Souls opposite Robert Downey, Jr., for which she was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In the 2000s, Woodard's film career showcased her versatility in a range of genres, including the ensemble comedy-drama What's Cooking? (2000), the romantic drama Love & Basketball (2000) as the lead character's mother, science fiction films K-PAX (2001), The Core (2003), and The Forgotten (2004), the biographical drama Radio (2003), comedies The Singing Detective (2003) and Beauty Shop (2005), the romantic drama Something New (2006), and the dance-musical Take the Lead (2006). Woodard also was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance as a drug addict in the Holiday Heart (2000). In addition, she performed voice work in a variety of feature and television documentaries,[8] as well as a voice role in Walt Disney's Dinosaur. The film was a financial success, grossing over $349 million worldwide.[31]
On television, Woodard guest-starred in two episodes of The Practice in 2003, for which she won her fourth Primetime Emmy Award.[12][32] In 2005, she joined the cast of the ABC comedy-drama series Desperate Housewives as Betty Applewhite, the new mystery housewife. Her character was introduced in the last episodes of the series' first season, and became the center of the second season's mystery. Series creator Marc Cherry noted: "There's nothing strategically black about her character. Her color is incidental."[33] Woodard stated that she had never seen the show before being offered the role, leading the producers to send her fifteen episodes of the show, which she divided amongst various family members. After they compared storylines, Woodard recalled that she became "instantly hooked" on the series.[34] As soon as Woodard accepted the role of Betty Applewhite, she reported experiencing heavy media attention.[35] Woodard's portrayal of Betty was praised and resulted in a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2006.[36] However, her mystery as a whole had mixed reviews. In a review of the second-season premiere, Michael Slezak of Entertainment Weekly thought that the Applewhite mystery would help reduce the show's chances of falling into a sophomore slump. He praised Woodard's acting as well as her character's storyline, opining, "there's something so inherently warm and maternal in Woodard's performance, such apple-pie wholesomeness, that it makes her touches of menace all the more chilling."[37] However, as the season progressed, there were many complaints about Betty's lack of interaction with the other housewives.[38] She left the series in the second-season finale episode.
Woodard was nominated for Primetime Emmys for her roles in the television films The Water Is Wide and Pictures of Hollis Woods (2007).[12] She starred as lead in the Tyler Perry's drama film The Family That Preys in 2008. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but her performance received acclaim.[39]Los Angeles Times critic Bob Baker said in his review: "The film takes off when Woodard's and Kathy Bates' characters go on a Thelma & Louise-style road trip.",[40] while The Washington Post's Neely Tucker wrote: "By far the best thing about the enterprise is Woodard. If she's not in this thing, I think it goes kaput.".[41] In next year, she appeared in the independent drama American Violet, playing the mother of a 24-year-old African-American woman wrongfully swept up in a drug raid.[8] She also starred in two short-lived television series: NBC's My Own Worst Enemy (2008), and CBS's Three Rivers (2009).
2010s
From 2010 to 2011, Woodard starred as Lt. Tanya Rice in the TNT comedy-drama series Memphis Beat, winning a Gracie Allen Award for each of its two seasons. One critic said: "I originally tuned in for Jason Lee, who plays a police detective named Dwight who likes to croon the blues. But I was won over by Alfre Woodard, who plays Dwight's by-the-book boss."[42]Memphis Beat was canceled after two seasons.[43] In 2010, she appeared in the third season of HBO's True Blood as Ruby Jean Reynolds.[44] garnering another Primetime Emmy nomination in 2011 for her recurring role.[45][46] Woodard also guest-starred in Shonda Rhimes' dramas Grey's Anatomy in 2011 and Private Practice in 2012.[47][48] Also in 2012, Woodard appeared in the Lifetime television remake of the 1989 comedy-drama film Steel Magnolias as Ouiser, a role previously played by Shirley MacLaine.[49] It drew 6.5 million viewers, making it the third most-viewed Lifetime Original film in the network's history.[50] Woodard received critical acclaim for her comedic performance, as well as Primetime Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations.[12][51][52][53] In 2013, Woodard made Emmy history with 17 nominations for 16 different roles.[4] Also in 2013, she had a recurring role in the BBC America period drama Copper.[54]
In 2014, Woodard played the role of the first female President of the United States in the NBC political drama series State of Affairs opposite Katherine Heigl.[64][65][66] About her role, Woodard said, "It's fun to play the President, rather than to be the President. But what drew me was how smart the script was, and this world we hadn't seen before—this world most Americans didn't know existed before we went after Bin Laden. And that it was being done by people who knew the world. So we're not stepping too outside the boundaries; it's based in realism. And I love politics. I have worked in politics for several decades, so it was a chance to live in a world that was important to me."[67] The series premiered with generally negative reviews from critics, but most reviewers praised Woodard's performance.[68][69] Amy Amatangelo of Boston Herald gave the premiere grade "C", stating that, "Alfre Woodard isn't given a lot to do as President Constance Payton in the premiere, but, unlike Heigl, she does have the gravitas for the role, and the show would be wise to use her more. The series sets up some interesting reveals in the hour's final moments. They potentially could make the show more interesting. But for now the state of affairs is rather mediocre."[70] The series was canceled after a single season.[71]
In November 2014, Woodard was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. She said in her acceptance speech that she believes it is her responsibility to use her fame to help others less fortunate.[72] Also in November 2014, Woodard narrated "Women in Politics", an episode of season 2 of Makers: Women Who Make America.[73]
Woodard played the title character in Juanita (2019), an independent drama based on Sheila Williams' book Dancing on the Edge of the Roof.[81] She also co-starred opposite Michelle Monaghan in Saint Judy.[82] Additionally, Woodard appeared as Josephine Anwhistle in Netflix's adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events, which premiered in 2017.[83] In 2018, she took a recurring role in the Fox prime time soap opera Empire, playing Renee, Cookie Lyon's mother.[84]
In 2019, Woodard voiced Sarabi in the CGI live action remake of The Lion King, directed by Jon Favreau.[85] Also that year, Woodard played in a leading role in the prison drama film Clemency, which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The film centers on a prison warden (Woodard) who confronts her own psychological demons as she develops an emotional connection to the death row inmate (played by Aldis Hodge) she is scheduled to execute.[86] For her performance, Woodard has received wide critical acclaim.[87][88][89][90][91] She was listed as a contender for a nomination in the 2020 Academy Award for Best Actress category,[90][89] but did not receive a nomination. She received BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role nomination for her performance.[92] Also that year, Woodard began starring opposite Jason Momoa in the Apple TV+ original fantasy drama series See, a series set in a future in which the human race has lost the sense of sight.[93]
2020s
In 2021, Woodard starred opposite Kevin Hart in the drama film Fatherhood directed by Paul Weitz.[94][95] The film received mixed reviews from critics, but was a hit on Netflix. A week after its release, Netflix reported the film was on track to by watched by 61 million households through its first month of release.[96] She also appeared in the 2022 action thriller The Gray Man for Netflix, with a production budget of $200 million, making it the most expensive film made by Netflix.[97][98] Also in 2022, she had a cameo role in the Kyra Sedgwick’s directorial debut, the romantic comedy film Space Oddity. Samantha Bergeson from IndieWire wrote in her review: "Alfre Woodard, too good for this film, graces us onscreen as a kind pediatrician who treats Alex because he acts like a little kid."[99]
Woodard executive produced and co-starred in the CBC Television period drama miniseries The Porter, which premiered in 2022 to positive reviews and became the most nominated show at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards.[100][101] Woodard received Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance in a Guest role in a Drama Series for The Porter.
In 2024, Woodard reprised her role as Lily Sloane from Star Trek: First Contact in the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks "Fissure Quest." Woodard played an alternate reality version of the character.
Woodard has announced that she is producing an upcoming four-hour television miniseries about Fannie Lou Hamer, a voting rights activist and civil rights leader.[106][107] The project was first announced in 2014, and in November 2020, ABC Signature ordered it to series.[108] As of 2023, the project still was not going to production.
Woodard is an activist for a wide spectrum of causes. She is a founder and board member of Artists for a New South Africa, a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating the African AIDS pandemic and to advancing democracy and equality in South Africa since 1989. The charity has raised more than $9 million and has provided healthcare to over 3,500 South African AIDS orphans.[111] Woodard is also a board member of the Democratic Party, and campaigned for Barack Obama in both the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections.[112] She lends continuing support to the fight for LGBT rights and same sex marriage.[113] 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.[114]
On August 9, 2015, Woodard appeared on TLC's Who Do You Think You Are?. Research into her father's genealogy revealed that her great-grandfather Alex Woodard was born into slavery in Houston County, Georgia, in the early 1840s. At about age 14 or 15, Alex was separated from his family when his master relocated to Jackson Parish, Louisiana. Historians helped Woodard locate evidence that Alex was assessed a poll tax in 1867, indicating that he was registered to vote two years after the Civil War ended. By 1881, Alex had purchased 80 acres of farmland in Jackson Parish. On April 15, 1898, Alex Woodard and his wife Elizabeth sold their 80 acres to her brother, Aaron Stell, as they had moved to Wharton County, Texas, by that time.[115]
^ abcdefg"Alfre Woodard (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 22, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.