Birth Place: Houston, TX, USA
Phylicia Rashad has brought laughter to millions of television viewers around the world, moved theatre-goers to tears, thrilled movie fans, offered new insights to students by teaching master classes at renowned learning institutions that include Howard University, Julliard, and Carnegie Mellon, served on boards of prestigious organizations, and broken new ground as a director. She is one of the entertainment world's most extraordinary performing artists. She became a household name when she portrayed “Claire Huxtable†on The Cosby Show, earning numerous honors and awards for over two decades. She teamed up with Bill Cosby in later years on television as “Ruth Lucas†on Cosby.
She portrayed the role of Dr. Vanessa Young in the NBC series, Do No Harm. She has also been a force on the stage, appearing both on and off-Broadway, often in projects that showcase her musical talent such as "Jelly's Last Jam, "Into The Woods, "Dreamgirls" and "The Wiz" as well as dramatic roles in August Osage County (“Violet Westonâ€), in Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (“Big Mama†-- a role that she reprised on the London Stage), in August Wilson’s Gem Of The Ocean, (“Aunt Ester†--Tony Award nomination), and in Shakespeare’s Cymbeline (“Queen Britanniaâ€) at Lincoln Center.
She received both the Drama Desk and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play, as “Lena Younger†in the Broadway revival of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin In The Sun. She appeared in Tyler Perry's Good Deeds, and starred in his highly acclaimed film version of Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf. She received Critics’ rave reviews for her directorial debut at the Seattle Repertory Theatre with August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean, and for The Ebony Repertory Theatre’s production of A Raisin in the Sun in the spring of 2011. She recently directed August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.
She is the first recipient of the Denzel Washington Chair in Theatre at Fordham University, and has received Honorary Doctorates from Spelman College, Fordham University, Carnegie Mellon University, Howard University, Providence College, Morris Brown College, Clark Atlanta University, Barber Scotia College, St. Augustine College, and Brown University. She serves on the Advisory Board of the PRASAD Project and the Board of Directors of True Colors Theatre, the Broadway Inspirational Voices, The Actors Center, the Center for African American Studies at Princeton University, and the ADEPT Center, which is steering the restoration of the historic Brainerd Institute. A native of Houston, Texas, she graduated magna cum laude from Howard University.
From: Photos: Go Inside Opening Night of PURPOSE at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
From: Photos: BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY Opens At Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum
From: Photos: BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY Opens At Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum
From: Photos: BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY Opens At Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum
From: Photos: BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY Opens At Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum
From: Photo Flash: Phylicia Rashad and the Cast of IMMEDIATE FAMILY Celebrate Opening Night at the Taper
From: Photo Blast From The Past: 2012 Tony Nominees - The Woman
From: Photo Flash: A RAISIN IN THE SUN Opens at CTG/Kirk Douglas Theatre
Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew
Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew
Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew
Phylicia Rashad, Skeleton Crew
Phylicia Rashad, Head of Passes
Phylicia Rashad, Head of Passes
Phylicia Rashadevery tongue confess
Phylicia Rashad, Gem of the Ocean
Phylicia Rashad, A Raisin In The Sun
Phylicia Rashad, A Raisin in the Sun
Phylicia Rashad, A Raisin in the Sun
Phylicia Rashad, A Raisin in the Sun
Phylicia Rashad, Blue
Phylicia RashadBlues for an Alabama Sky
Established by theatrical producer Barbara Whitman in 2021, this award recognizes a woman, trans, or non-binary director who has developed a clear and distinctive artistic voice and demonstrated unique vision in their theatrical work.
Read the full list of 2024 Drama League Nominations! Nominations include Cabaret, Merrily We Roll Along and more.
Bishop Arts Theatre Center will continue its 30th Anniversary season with the Regional premiere of Cheryl West’s Fannie: The Music & Life of Fannie Lou Hamer, a collaborative production with Dallas Theater Center. Learn how to purchase tickets.
Steppenwolf Theatre Company will present two additional weeks of performances for its world premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ epic family drama Purpose. Learn how to purchase tickets.
Amas Musical Theatre has revealed the line-up of talent that will be on hand to celebrate the company's 55th Anniversary at its annual Gala Benefit Concert. Learn more about the gala and see how to purchase tickets.
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is continuing its 48th season with the world premiere of Purpose. Check out footage!
Roundabout Theatre Company has revealed the complete cast for the new production of Home by Samm-Art Williams, not seen on Broadway in more than 40 years, directed by Kenny Leon. See who is starring and learn how to purchase tickets.
Check out photos from opening night of Purpose at Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
Steppenwolf Theatre Company is continuing its 48th season with the world premiere of Purpose, an epic family drama by two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Get a first look at photos.
Branden Jacobs-Jenkins has set the table for one hell of a family dinner in PURPOSE. Directed by Phylicia Rashad in a world premiere for Steppenwolf, this family drama keenly focuses on the privileged Jasper family, whose patriarch is a Civil Rights icon. The first act moves at a brilliant clip with lots of darkly funny moments during a contentious family drama, then unspools into a more serious and somber contemplation of the skeletons in the family’s closet in the second.
Get a first look at Steppenwolf Theatre Company's world premiere of Purpose, an epic family drama by two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad. Check out the video!
The 55th Annual NAACP Image Awards were announced during a ceremony on Saturday, March 16th. See the full list of winners here!
Steppenwolf Theatre Company has released a trailer for their production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' PURPOSE. Watch video footage here!
Steppenwolf Theatre Company's world premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ epic family drama Purpose has added one additional week of performances. Learn how to purchase tickets.
Check out rehearsal photos for Steppenwolf Theatre Company's world premiere of Purpose, an epic family drama by two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad, here!
Amas Musical Theatre will celebrate its 55th Anniversary at its annual Gala Benefit Concert on Monday, May 13, 2024 at Baruch Performing Arts Center.
The restructuring of the industry continues - in North Carolina, Raleigh has lost one of its major institutions (for the time being) as North Carolina Theater suspends their 2024 season and files for bankruptcy. The labor movement continues to notch wins in New York, as the Atlantic Theater workers have voted to join IATSE.
We’ve all heard about the shuttering of media outlets and the departure of entertainment journalists from publications still in business. In the last couple of months, I’ve been thinking a lot about how the dearth of theater coverage is changing our perception of the art form.
In honor of Black History Month, On the Verge Theatre is presenting Tied, a one-man play by Crystal Rae on-stage February 22 - 25, 2024 at Bering Church. Check out production photos here!
The Broadway premiere of The Outsiders, the new musical based on the novel by S.E. Hinton & Francis Ford Coppola’s film, begins previews tonight, Saturday, March 16. Meet the cast of The Outsiders here!
Phylicia Rashad has appeared on Broadway in 8 shows.
Phylicia Rashad has not appeared in the West End.
Phylicia Rashad has been nominated for several awards throughout her career, including Outstanding Actress in a Play at the Drama Desk Awards for "Skeleton Crew," Distinguished Performance Awards at the Drama League Awards for "Skeleton Crew," Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play at the Outer Critics Circle Awards for "Skeleton Crew," Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play at the Tony Awards for "Skeleton Crew," and a Distinguished Performance Award at the Drama League Awards for "Head of Passes." She was also nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play at The Lortels for "Head of Passes," Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Resident Play at the Helen Hayes Awards for "Every Tongue Confess," Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play at the Tony Awards for "Gem of the Ocean," Best Leading Actress in a Play at the BroadwayWorld Awards for "A Raisin In The Sun," Outstanding Actress - Play at the Drama Desk Awards for "A Raisin in the Sun," Outstanding Actress in a Play at the Outer Critics Circle Awards for "A Raisin in the Sun," Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play at the Tony Awards for "A Raisin in the Sun," Outstanding Lead Actress at The Lortels for "Blue," and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Resident Play at the Helen Hayes Awards for "Blues for an Alabama Sky."
Phylicia Rashad has won several awards, including Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play at the Tony Awards for "Skeleton Crew," Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play at The Lortels for "Head of Passes," Best Leading Actress in a Play at the BroadwayWorld Awards for "A Raisin In The Sun," Outstanding Actress - Play at the Drama Desk Awards for "A Raisin in the Sun," and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play at the Tony Awards for "A Raisin in the Sun."
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