American actress Alfre Woodard stands out as one of her generation’s most versatile and powerful actresses. Throughout her 50-year professional career, Woodard has built a reputation for portraying dignified and strong-willed characters. As an established actor, Woodard has worked extensively in film, television, and theater.
From her early years in theater to her groundbreaking screen performances, Alfre Woodard has consistently defined typecasting. Her versatility has seen her take on a wide range of characters that showcase her exceptional range. She has starred in several award-nominated films and TV shows in recurring/supporting and guest roles. With her credits across several genres, here’s a look at Alfre Woodard’s most iconic roles and performances.
Cross Creek
The 1983 biographical drama romance movie Cross Creek was one of Alfre Woodard’s earliest projects on the big screen. In Cross Creek, Woodard played Beatrice “Geechee,” a strong and resilient African-American woman employed as a housekeeper for Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (Mary Steenburgen), the film’s protagonist. Cross Creek is based on the true story of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, an author who moved to rural Florida in the 1920s to focus on her writing. Alfre Woodard’s performance resonated deeply with audiences and critics. Woodard earned her first and only Academy Award nomination for her performance.
Star Trek: First Contact
Alfre Woodard joined the ensemble cast of the 1996 Star Trek: First Contact. With several other feature-length films in the franchise, First Contact is the eighth in the Star Trek franchise. In the movie, Woodard plays Lily Sloane, a human engineer and assistant of Dr. Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell). When the Borg invades Earth in the 21st century, Lily Sloane is caught up in the conflict after being rescued by Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of his USS Enterprise. Beyond Alfre Woodard’s exceptional performance, Star Trek: First Contact was a critical and commercial success. The movie grossed $146 million against a $45 million budget.
Miss Evers’ Boys
One of Alfre Woodard’s spellbinding performances of the 1990s was the 1997 made-for-television drama Miss Evers’ Boys. Woodard led the cast portraying Nurse Eunice Evers. Her character was based on the real-life Eunice Rivers Laurie, RN. Miss Evers’ Boys is set in the same four decades-long period as the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. It centered around the unethical study in which African American men were deliberately left untreated for syphilis. This was done so researchers could observe the natural progression of the disease.
Woodard’s Nurse Evers was portrayed as a compassionate yet conflicted healthcare professional. Nurse Evers is torn between her duty as a nurse and fellow African American and her obligations to the government officials conducting the study. Alfre Woodard received nominations and wins for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie at the Primetime Emmy Awards and Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film at the Golden Globe Awards.
Desperate Housewives
For many of today’s television audiences, ABC’s Desperate Housewives was one of Alfre Woodard’s memorable performances. In Desperate Housewives, Woodard played Betty Applewhite. Betty Applewhite was a mysterious and secretive new neighbor who moved to Wisteria Lane with her two sons, Mathew and Caleb. Woodard’s character was central to the mystery arc of Desperate Housewives season 2. Throughout the season, her storyline revolves around a dark secret—hiding her son Caleb in their Home’s basement. Caleb had mental health issues and was suspected of committing a violent crime. Alfre Woodard’s performance was memorable, delivering an intense and layered performance.
The Family That Preys
In Tyler Perry’s 2008 The Family That Preys, Alfre Woodard played Alice Pratt. She portrayed the character as deeply religious, hardworking, and owner of a small diner. She’s also a single mother to two adult daughters. Woodard’s Alice represents the moral heart of the film, embodying dignity and grace in the face of family struggles.
Alice Pratt is close friends with Charlotte Cartwright (Kathy Bates), a wealthy businesswoman. Despite the apparently different social statuses, both women share a bond that anchored much of the film’s emotional core. The Family That Preys also starred Sanaa Lathan, Cole Hauser, Taraji P. Henson, Rockmond Dunbar, and KaDee Strickland.
12 Years a Slave
Although not a major character in Steve McQueen’s 2013 biographical drama 12 Years a Slave, Alfre Woodard remains one of its memorable characters. In the Chiwetel Ejiofor-led movie, Woodard played Mistress Harriet Shaw, a former enslaved woman who rose to a position of power and privilege as the wife of a wealthy plantation owner. Woodard’s character is notable for highlighting the complexities of life for freed and favored Black individuals during the period of slavery. 12 Years a Slave also starred Lupita Nyong’o, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, and Brad Pitt.
Annabelle
In Annabelle, Alfre Woodard was cast as Evelyn, a crucial supporting character. Evelyn is a neighbor of the Forms and befriends the film’s protagonist, Mia From (Annabelle Wallis). Evelyn becomes a source of comfort and wisdom as Mia and her husband, John Form (Ward Horton), are haunted by malevolent forces through a possessed doll. Having lost her daughter in a car accident and blaming herself for it, Evelyn develops a deeper emotional connection to Mia’s plight to protect her family. Ultimately, Evelyn makes a significant sacrifice, offering her life in an attempt to save Mia and her baby for the demon.
Luke Cage
Having made a cameo appearance as Miriam Sharpe in the 2016 Captain America: Civil War, she portrayed her second Marvel Comics character, “Black” Mariah Stokes-Dillard, in the MCU series Luke Cage. Although Woodard’s character is significantly different from its comic book counterpart, she’s a villain and one of the series’ main antagonists. Mariah Stokes-Dillard is a Harlem councilwoman with deep political ambitions. While striving to improve the community, she’s secretly entangled in its criminal underworld. Throughout the 2-season series, Mariah Stokes-Dillard struggles with her moral compass, trying to balance her political career and family’s legacy of crime.
See
In the Apple TV+ science fiction post-apocalyptic drama See, Alfre Woodard co-led the series alongside Jason Momoa. Woodard played Paris, a wise and spiritual elder in the Alkenny Tribe. She played a crucial role as a confidante and advisor to the tribe’s leader, Baba Voss (Jason Momoa). See is set in the future, in a time where humanity has lost the sense of sight. Alfre Woodard’s character was killed off in season 2. See was one of Woodward’s most recent projects on television. Besides Alfre Woodard, actor Courtney B. Vance is another veteran with stellar performances.
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