Alfre Woodard

Biography

Alfre Ette Woodard (born November 8, 1952) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has been nominated for an Academy Award and Grammy Award, 12 times for Emmy Awards (winning four), and has also won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. She is known for her role in films such as Cross Creek, Miss Firecracker, Grand Canyon, Passion Fish, Primal Fear, Star Trek: First Contact, Miss Evers' Boys, K-PAX, Radio, Take the Lead and The Family That Preys.

Known For

Grey's Anatomy

Private Practice

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

The Daily Show

Desperate Housewives

Frasier

The Jennifer Hudson Show

True Blood

All Movies (119)

• The Inquisitor2025 · as Narration
• Salem's Lot2024 · as Dr. Cody
• Summer Camp2024 · as Mary
• The Book of Clarence2024 · as Mother Mary
• Weathering2023 · as Mum
• Space Oddity2023 · as Dr. Olsen
• The Gray Man2022 · as Margaret Cahill
• Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color2021 · as Alma Thomas (voice)
• Fatherhood2021 · as Marian
• Dreamland: The Burning of Black Wall Street2021 · as Mary Parrish (voice)
• The Making of Clemency2020 · as Herself
• Clemency2019 · as Warden Bernadine Williams
• The Lion King2019 · as Sarabi (voice)
• No Small Matter2019 · as Narrator (voice)
• The Lion King: Can You Feel The Love Tonight with Robin Roberts2019
• Juanita2019 · as Juanita
• Saint Judy2018 · as Judge Benton
• Burning Sands2017 · as Professor Hughes
• Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise2016 · as Self
• So B. It2016 · as Bernadette
• Captain America: Civil War2016 · as Miriam
• Mississippi Grind2015 · as Sam
• Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band2015 · as Mary Lou Williams (voice)
• Knucklehead2015 · as Sheila
• A Path Appears2015 · as Self
• Annabelle2014 · as Evelyn
• Nelson Mandela Redrawn2014 · as Self
• 12 Years a Slave2013 · as Mistress Shaw
• The Door2013 · as E
• Steel Magnolias2012 · as Ouiser
• Black Panther2010 · as Dondi Reece
• Medal of Honor2008 · as Narrator
• Reach for Me2008 · as Evelyn
• Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys2008 · as Alice Pratt
• American Violet2008 · as Alma Roberts
• Henry Box Brown2008
• Pictures of Hollis Woods2007 · as Edna Reilly
• Nefertiti and the Lost Dynasty2007 · as Self - Narrator
• King Leopold's Ghost2006 · as Ilanga (voice)
• Take the Lead2006 · as Augustine James
• The Water Is Wide2006 · as Mrs. Brown
• Something New2006 · as Joyce McQueen
• Beauty Shop2005 · as Ms. Josephine
• The Forgotten2004 · as Det. Anne Pope
• Radio2003 · as Principal Daniels
• The Singing Detective2003 · as Chief of Staff
• A Wrinkle in Time2003 · as Mrs. Whatsit
• The Core2003 · as Stickley
• Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property2003 · as Narrator
• Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives2003
• The Wild Thornberrys Movie2002 · as Akela (Cheetah Mother) (voice)
• Searching for Debra Winger2002 · as Self
• K-PAX2001 · as Claudia Villars
• The Wild Thornberrys: The Origin of Donnie2001 · as Medicine Woman (voice)
• Disney's American Legends2001
• Holiday Heart2000 · as Wanda Dean
• Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks2000 · as Narrator
• Lost Souls2000 · as Dr. Allen
• The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story2000 · as Mary Parrish (voice)
• John Henry2000 · as Polly / Narrator (voice)
• Dinosaur2000 · as Plio (voice)
• Love & Basketball2000 · as Camille Wright
• What's Cooking?2000 · as Audrey Williams
• Eleanor Roosevelt2000 · as Narrator (voice)
• Mumford1999 · as Lily
• Funny Valentines1999 · as Joyce May
• The Wishing Tree1999 · as Clara
• The Underground Railroad1999
• Down in the Delta1998 · as Loretta Sinclair
• Seven Candles For Kwanzaa1997 · as Narrator
• The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue1997 · as Maisie (voice)
• Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Nature1997 · as Narrator (voice)
• Follow Me Home1997 · as Evey
• Miss Evers' Boys1997 · as Eunice Evers, R.N.
• The Member of the Wedding1997 · as Berenice Sadie Brown
• Star Trek: First Contact1996 · as Lily Sloane
• A Step Toward Tomorrow1996 · as Dr. Sadlin
• Primal Fear1996 · as Shoat
• Special Report: Journey to Mars1996 · as Tamara O'Neil
• How to Make an American Quilt1995 · as Marianna
• The Piano Lesson1995 · as Berniece Charles
• Crooklyn1994 · as Carolyn Carmichael
• Aliens for Breakfast1994 · as Mrs. Marks
• Blue Chips1994 · as Lavada McRae
• Malcolm X: Make It Plain1994 · as Narrator
• Bopha!1993 · as Rosie Mangena
• Heart and Souls1993 · as Penny Washington
• Passion Fish1992 · as Chantelle
• Rich in Love1992 · as Rhody Poole
• The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag1992 · as Ann
• Grand Canyon1991 · as Jane
• Blue Bayou1990 · as Jessica Filley
• A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story1989 · as Mary Thomas
• Miss Firecracker1989 · as Popeye Jackson
• Scrooged1988 · as Grace Cooley
• The Child Saver1988 · as Andrea Crawford
• Mandela1987 · as Winnie Mandela
• Unnatural Causes1986 · as Maude DeVictor
• L.A. Law: Pilot1986 · as Adrianne Moore
• Extremities1986 · as Patricia
• Puss in Boots1985 · as Princess Lovinia
• Words by Heart1985 · as Claudie Sills
• Black Hollywood1984 · as Self
• Sweet Revenge1984 · as Vicki Teague
• Go Tell It on the Mountain1984 · as Esther
• The Killing Floor1984 · as Mattie
• Cross Creek1983 · as Geechee
• Precious Blood1982 · as Narrator
• For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf1982 · as Woman who lost her stuff
• The Ambush Murders1982 · as Karisha Ellsworth
• HealtH1980 · as Sally Benbow
• Freedom Road1979 · as Katie
• The Trial of the Moke1978 · as Lucy Smith
• Remember My Name1978 · as Rita
• Hate to See You Go—
• Playing for Your Heart: The Making of “Love & Basketball”— · as Self
• The Thing That Hurts—
• Pockets of Heaven—
• 2034—

All TV Shows (55)

• The Boroughs2026 · as Judy Daniels
• The Last Frontier2025 · as Jacqueline Bradford
• Number One on the Call Sheet2025 · as Self
• Monsieur Spade2024 · as Virginia Dell
• Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur2023 · as Mimi (voice)
• The Jennifer Hudson Show2022 · as Self - Guest
• The Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart2020 · as Self
• Star Trek: Lower Decks2020 · as Lilly Sloane (voice)
• See2019 · as Paris
• A Series of Unfortunate Events2017 · as Aunt Josephine
• Marvel's Luke Cage2016 · as Mariah Dillard
• Empire2015 · as Renee
• Variety Studio: Actors on Actors2014 · as Self
• State of Affairs2014 · as President Constance Payton
• The Last Ship2014 · as Amy Granderson
• Women, War & Peace2011 · as Narrator (voice)
• Memphis Beat2010 · as Lieutenant Tanya Rice
• Who Do You Think You Are?2010 · as Self
• Black Panther2010 · as Dondi Reece (voice)
• Three Rivers2009 · as Dr. Sophia Jordan
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
• My Own Worst Enemy2008 · as Mavis Heller
• True Blood2008 · as Ruby Jean Reynolds
• Private Practice2007 · as Dee Bennett
• Class of 30002006
• Rachael Ray2006 · as Self - Guest
• The Megan Mullally Show2006 · as Self - Guest
• Grey's Anatomy2005 · as Justine Campbell
• Desperate Housewives2004 · as Betty Applewhite
• Static Shock2000 · as Jean Hawkins (voice)
• The Wild Thornberrys1998 · as Medicine Woman (voice)
• Cadillac Desert1997 · as Narrator (voice)
• The Practice1997 · as Denise Freeman
• The Daily Show1996 · as Self
• Gulliver's Travels1996 · as Queen of Brobdingnag
• Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child1995 · as Winsome (voice)
• Frasier1993 · as Edna (voice)
• Homicide: Life on the Street1993 · as Dr. Roxanne Turner
• HBO First Look1992 · as Self
• American Experience1988 · as Narrator (voice)
• L.A. Law1986 · as Adrianne Moore
• Sara1985 · as Rozalyn Dupree
• WonderWorks1984 · as Claudie Sills
• Reading Rainbow1983 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
• St. Elsewhere1982 · as Roxanne Turner
• Tucker's Witch1982 · as Marcia Fulbright
• Faerie Tale Theatre1982 · as Self - Guest
• Faerie Tale Theatre1982 · as Princess Lovinia
• The Sophisticated Gents1981 · as Evelyn Evers
• Hill Street Blues1981
• Palmerstown, U.S.A.1980
• The White Shadow1978 · as Sandra Wilcox
• What Really Happened to the Class of '65?1977
• The Oscars1953 · as Self
• Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Mrs. Brown