Charlayne Woodard

Charlayne Woodard
Born
Charlaine Woodard

(1953-12-29) December 29, 1953 (age 69)
EducationArt Institute of Chicago (BFA)
Occupation(s)Actress, playwright
Years active1977–present
Spouse
Alan Michael Harris
(m. 1991)

Charlaine "Charlayne" Woodard (born December 29, 1953) is an American playwright and actress. She is a two-time Obie Award winner as well as a Tony Award and Drama Desk nominee. She was a series regular on the hit FX TV series Pose. She played the title role in the Showtime movie Run For The Dream: The Gail Devers’ Story. Starring as Cindy in the ABC Movie of the Week, Woodard was the first black Cinderella portrayed on TV or film. She is in Marvel Studios' miniseries Secret Invasion as Priscilla Fury, which premiered on June 21, 2023.

Career

Woodard began her professional career in 1976 performing in the road company of Don't Bother Me I Can't Cope, written by Mickey Grant and directed by Vinette Carroll, the first black female director on Broadway. In 1977, she made her Broadway debut in the revival of Hair, directed by Tom O’Horgan; played a supporting role in the movie version of Hair, directed by Milos Forman; starred as Cindy in the NBC Movie of the Week, Cindy; and performed on The Johnny Carson Show.

In 1978, she was in the original company of the hit musical Ain't Misbehavin', for which she was nominated for both a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She reprised her role at Her Majesty's Theater in London's West End; the Aquarius theater in Los Angeles; and ten years after the Broadway opening, the Broadway revival with the original cast. NBC taped and broadcast the hit musical with the original Broadway cast. RCA released the original cast album.

Charlayne Woodard has written and performed five solo plays: Neat, Pretty Fire, In Real Life, The Night Watcher and Flight.

The Garden, a two-hander commissioned by the La Jolla Playhouse, was produced at both Baltimore Center Stage and The LaJolla Playhouse. Woodard's plays are published by Dramatists Play Service.

As an actress, Woodard's off-Broadway theatre credits include Daddy (2019) by Jeremy O. Harris, directed by Danya Taymor Signature Theater; played Gertrude to Oscar Issac's Hamlet, directed by Sam Gold, at the Public Theater; War (2016)  by Brandon-Jacobs Jenkins, directed by Liliana Blain-Cruz at Lincoln Center; the 2014 revival of The Substance of Fire by John Robin Baitz, directed by Trip Cullman at Second Stage; The Witch of Edmonton (2010) directed by Jessie Berger, for which she was awarded her second Obie Award, at The Red Bull Theatre Company; world premiere of in the Blood (1999) by Suzan-Lori Parks directed by David Esbjornson for which she was awarded her first Obie Award; Fabulation (2004) by Lynn Nottage, directed by Kate Whorisky at Playwright's Horizons; Stunning (2009) by David Adjmi, directed By Anne Kauffman at LCT3; Sorrows and Rejoicings, written and directed by Athol Fugard at Second Stage for which she received an Audelco Award; The Caucasian Chalk Circle (1990), directed by George C. Wolfe at the Public Theatre; Twelfth Night (1989) alongside Michelle Pfeiffer, Gregory Hines, Jeff Goldblum, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio at Shakespeare in the Park; Paradise (1985) a musical with lyrics by George C. Wolfe, music by Robert Forest, directed by Ted Pappas at Playwrights Horizons. Woodard's regional credits include: Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Chris Ashley, as well as Shout Up A Morning, directed by Des McAnuff, both at the La Jolla Playhouse; The Taming of the Shrew (Kate), directed by Rebecca Taishman at Shakespeare Theatre Company; The Good Person of Szechwan, adapted by Tony Kushner, directed by Lisa Peterson at the LaJolla Playhouse; and Purgatorio by Ariel Dorfman, directed by David Esbjornson at Seattle Rep.

Notable film roles include Hard Feelings (1982) for which she received a Canadian Genie Award for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress nomination; Crackers (1984) alongside Sean Penn, Donald Sutherland and Jack Warner, directed by Louis Malle; Twister (1989), alongside Tim Robbins, Dylan McDermott and Harry Dean Stanton, directed by Michael Almereyda; One Good Cop (1991) alongside Michael Keaton (1991); An Eye for an Eye (1995) opposite Sally Field and Kiefer Sutherland; Tituba in the 1996 drama film The Crucible, alongside Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder, directed by Nicolas Hytner; Touched By Evil (1997) alongside Paula Abdul; Around The Fire (1998) directed by John Jacobson; John Sayle’s Sunshine State (2002) alongside Angela Bassett; M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable (2000) and its sequel Glass (2019) alongside Samuel L. Jackson; The Million Dollar Hotel (2000) alongside Mel Gibson, directed by Wim Wenders; Things Never Said (2013) written and directed by Charles Murray.

Among Woodard's many TV roles are Priscilla Fury in Marvel Studios' miniseries, Secret Invasion (2023) which reunites her with Jackson; season regular on Pose (2018); recurring roles on In Treatment Season 4; Animal Kingdom (2021); Prodigal Son 2019 – 2020); Sneaky Pete (2019); Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008); Sweet Justice (1994); Sister Peg on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (2002 to 2011), ER  (2006–2007); and Chicago Hope (1994–2000).

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1978 Cindy Cindy TV movie
1979 Hair White Boys
1981 The Big Bang and Other Creation Myths Vocalist (voice) Short
1982 Hard Feelings Winona Lockhart
1984 Crackers Jasmine
1987 The Adventures of Mr. Men Mrs. Crumb, Jack (voice) Direct to video, US dub
1988 God Bless the Child Chandra Watkins TV movie
Me and Him Dancing Secretary
1989 Twister Lola
1991 He Said, She Said Cindy
One Good Cop Cheryl Clark
1993 The Meteor Man Janice Farrell
1994 Angie Floor Nurse
Babyfever Eartha
1995 Buffalo Girls Doosie TV movie
1996 Eye for an Eye Angel Kosinsky
Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story Gail Devers TV movie
The Crucible Tituba
1997 Touched By Evil Detective Duvall TV movie
1998 The Wedding TV movie
Around the Fire Kate
2000 The Million Dollar Hotel Jean Swift
Unbreakable Mrs. Price
2001 H.M.O. TV movie
2002 Sunshine State Loretta
2003 D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear Mildred Muhammad TV movie
2005 Lackawanna Blues Bill's Woman TV movie
2006 Southern Comfort Female Detective TV movie
2013 Things Never Said Charlotte
2019 Glass Mrs. Price

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1982 Taxi Nina Chambers Episode: "Nina Loves Alex"
1985 Spenser: For Hire Dorothy Marks Episode: "Blood Money"
1988 Wiseguy Emanja Mora Episode: "Blood Dance"
1988–89 Roseanne Vonda Green Recurring cast: Season 1–2
1990 A Different World Medic Episode: "21 Candles"
1991–92 Days of Our Lives Desiree McCall Regular Cast
1991–93 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Janice Recurring cast: Season 2–3
1994 Frasier Arlene Episode: "Flour Child"
Sweet Justice Harriet Battle-Wilkins Episode: "The Power of Darkness: Parts 1 & 2"
Chicago Hope Dr. Paula Michelson Episode: "Shutt Down"
1996 Bless This House Charlene Episode: "The Bowling Method"
1996-00 Chicago Hope Gina Wilkes Recurring cast: Season 3–5, guest: Season 6
2002–11 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Sister Peg Guest: Season 3–4 & 8 & 12, Recurring cast: Season 5–6
2003 Boomtown Marvella King Episode: "Fearless"
2004 Strong Medicine Margaret Morganfield Episode: "The Real World Rittenhouse"
The Division Mrs. Davis Episode: "Lost and Found"
2006 In Justice Sister Gloria Quinn Episode: "The Public Burning"
Shark Prof. Emily Chambers Episode: "Fashion Police"
2006–07 ER Angela Gilliam Recurring cast: Season 13
2008 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Terissa Dyson Episode: "Pilot" & "The Turk"
2009 Medium Dr. Richards Episode: "The Man in the Mirror"
2012 Bones Diane Rollins Episode: "The Patriot in Purgatory"
2015 Chasing Life Monica Bradley Episode: "Cancer Friends with Benefits"
The Leftovers Lois Makepeace Episode: "A Matter of Geography"
2016 The Blacklist Allison Gaines Episode: "The Director (No. 24): Conclusion"
People of Earth Judy Episode: "Lost and Found"
2018–19 Pose Helena St. Rogers Main Cast: Season 1 & Season 2
2019 Sneaky Pete Hickey Recurring cast: Season 3
Bluff City Law Gertrude LaRue Episode: "When the Levee Breaks"
2019–20 Prodigal Son Dr Gabrielle Le Deux Recurring cast: Season 1
2020 Bull Dawn Taylor Episode: "Child of Mine"
2021 All Rise Judge Prudence Jenkins Episode: "Caught Up in Circles"
In Treatment Rhonda Recurring cast: Season 4
Animal Kingdom Pamela "Pam" Johnson Recurring cast: Season 5
2023 Secret Invasion Priscilla Fury / Varra Main cast
Mayfair Witches Dolly Jean Mayfair Recurring cast

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
1978 Tony Award Best Supporting Actress in a Musical Ain't Misbehavin' Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress In A Musical Ain't Misbehavin' Nominated
1983 Genie Awards Genie Award for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress Hard Feelings Nominated
1985 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Hang On To The Good Times Nominated
1992 Los Angeles Critics Award Best Play Pretty Fire Won
Los Angeles Critics Award Best Playwright Pretty Fire Won
NAACP Award Best Play Pretty Fire Won
NAACP Award Best Playwright Pretty Fire Won
1996 Irving & Blanche Theater Vision Award Neat Won
Backstage West Garland Award Best Play Neat Won
2000 Obie Award Best Performance In The Blood Won
2001 Backstage West Garland Award Best Playwright In Real Life Won
Backstage West Garland Award Best Actor In Real Life Won
Audelco Award In Real Life Won
Drama Desk Award Best solo Performance In Real Life Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Best solo Performance In Real Life Nominated
2006 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Awarded
2010 Los Angeles Critics Award Best Solo Performance The Nightwatcher Won
Los Angeles Critics Award Best Play The Nightwatcher Nominated
NAACP Award Best Solo Performance The Nightwatcher Won
NAACP Award Best Play The Nightwatcher Nominated
Audelco Award The Nightwatcher Won
Obie Award Best Performance Witch of Edmonton Won
2018 Matadour Award Excellence in Classical Acting Won

This page was last updated at 2023-11-14 18:41 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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