Veteran actress CCH Pounder has worked extensively as a character actor in film and television. Over the years, Pounder has earned a reputation for playing professional characters, particularly law enforcement or special government agents. For Pounder, acting has always been her lifelong passion.
Since her acting debut in the late 1970s, CCH Pounder has stayed consistent in her commitment to her career. The septuagenarian actress has starred in well over 130 productions. With a four-decade career, here’s everything to know about CCH Pounder.
1. She Was Named in Honor of Older Female Relatives
Although famous for her shortened name, the actress was born Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder. She was born in Georgetown, British Guyana, on Christmas Day, December 25, 1952. Pounder was named after her grandmothers and godmothers, with each of her three first names given as an honor. During her early years, Pounder’s father, Ronald Arlington Pounder, managed a sugar plantation. As such, the actress was raised on a sugar plantation.
2. CCH Pounder Was Raised in London
The family eventually moved to London, England, while CCH Pounder was still young. Pounder’s mother, Betsy Enid Arnella (nee James), worked in the United States Embassy in London. She attended high school in London and eventually attended Hastings College of Arts and Technology in East Sussex. Pounder enrolled at the college to study painting. However, during this time, her family moved to the United States. Although she initially transferred her studies, Pounder dropped out as a freshman in the United States.
3. CCH Pounder Had Her BFA from Ithaca College
After her family moved to the United States, they settled in New York. Known as the home of theater in the U.S., CCH Pounder reconnected with a long-lost childhood passion. She opted to study acting instead of painting or newscasting like her parents wanted. She enrolled at the prestigious Ithaca College and earned a BFA in 1975.
4. She Landed Her Earliest Notable Projects in the Late 1980s
CCH Pounder joined the cast of NBC’s legal drama series L.A. Law in a recurring role as Judge Roseann Robin. She joined the show in season 1 and only appeared for that season. However, her character returned in seasons 5 and 6 but in a guest role. In 1987, Pounder had her first major role on television. She played Dawn Murphy on Fox’s sitcom Women in Prison.
However, the show was short-lived and canceled after its first season. On the big screen, Pounder was part of Go Tell It on the Mountain’s ensemble cast, which also included Alfre Woodard, Ruby Dee, Giancarlo Esposito, and Ving Rhames. CCH Pounder also played Peaches Altamont in the Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner-led black comedy Prizzi’s Honor (1985).
5. CCH Pounder’s Biggest Projects on Television
CCH Pounder was one of many stars that appeared on the award-winning NBC medical drama ER. She was cast in a supporting role as Dr. Angela Hicks. As a supporting cast, Pounder’s Dr. Angela Hicks appeared in seasons 1 to 4. In the 2000 TV film, Pounder played Wesley Snipes’ mother in Disappearing Acts. The movie also starred Sanaa Lathan, Regina Hall, John Amos, and Aunjanue Ellis.
CCH Pounder joined Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2001. Cast as Carolyn Maddox, the role became Pounder’s longest-running character, having been on the show from 2001 to 2010. She also played Claudette Wyms in The Shield from 2002 to 2008. In 2004, she portrayed Winnie Mandela in Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story.
Pounder played Mrs. Irene Frederic in Warehouse 13 (2009–2014) and District Attorney Tyne Patterson in Sons of Anarchy (2013–2014). She joined NCIS: New Orleans in 2014 as Dr. Loretta Wade, playing the role until 2021. Pounder’s latest projects on television were the 2023 miniseries Full Circle and Netflix’s 3 Body Problem (2024). On the big screen, she portrayed African-American civil rights leader, politician, educator, and writer Anna Arnold Hedgeman.
6. CCH Pounder’s Highest-Grossing Films
CCH Pounder’s third highest-grossing film is the 1997 Face/Off. The John Travolta and Nicolas Cage movie was a Box Office success, grossing $245.7 million against an $80 million budget. CCH Pounder joined the Monsterverse franchise in its third installment, Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). In the movie, Pounder played a minor role as Senator Williams. However, although a Box Office disappointment, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is CCH Pounder’s second-highest-grossing movie with Box Office earnings of $387.3 million.
So far, Pounder’s highest-grossing movie has been James Cameron’s Avatar films. CCH Pounder played Mo’at, Neytiri’s (Zoe Saldana) mother and the spiritual leader of the Omaticaya. The 2009 Avatar grossed $2.923 billion at the Box Office. Pounder briefly reprised her role in the 2022 sequel Avatar: The Way of Water. The sequel was also a Box Office success, grossing $2.320 billion. Both films have combined Box Office earnings of over $5 billion.
7. CCH Pounder Lost Her Husband in 2016
The actress has only been married once. She married Boubacar Kone in the early 1990s, and their marriage produced three children—Libya Kone, Matthew Kone, and Nicole Kone. Pounder and Boubacar Kone stayed married for a quarter of a century before his death in 2016. Since his death on August 3, 2016, Pounder has never remarried. She stayed focused on raising her children and on acting. If you enjoyed reading about CCH Pounder, read everything to know about Debra Jo Rupp.
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