# Tina Lifford

Tina Lifford is an American actress and playwright. She is best known for her leading role as single mother Joan Mosley in the critically acclaimed but short-lived Fox sitcom South Central (1994), and her recurring role as Renee Trussell in the NBC drama series Parenthood (2010–2015). She has starring roles in the feature films Grand Canyon (1991), Blood Work (2002), and Hostage (2005). In 2016, Lifford began starring as Violet Bordelon (Aunt Vi) in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series, Queen Sugar.

## Life and career

Tina Lifford began her career in 1980s, appearing on television shows include Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, and Murder, She Wrote. From 1983 to 1988, she had the recurring role on Knots Landing. In film, she made her debut in The Ladies Club (1986). The following years, she had appeared in films include Nuts (1987), Colors (1988), Paris Trout (1991), Grand Canyon (1991), Letters from a Killer (1998), Panic (2000), Pay It Forward (2000), Joe Somebody (2001), Blood Work (2002), Hostage (2005), and Catch and Release (2006).
Lifford played the leading role as single mother Joan Mosley in the critically acclaimed but short-lived Fox comedy-drama series, South Central (1994). In addition to her leading role on South Central, Lifford was regular cast member on the short-lived NBC drama, Crisis Center (1997). She had number of starring roles on the made-for-television movies, include The Ernest Green Story (1993), Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story (1996) playing Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mandela and de Klerk (1997) as Winnie Mandela, The Temptations (1998), and The Loretta Claiborne Story (2000) starring Kimberly Elise.
Over her career, Lifford has guest-starred in over 50 shows, include Touched by an Angel, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Any Day Now, NYPD Blue, NCIS, ER, and Nip/Tuck. She has also had recurring roles on Family Law (1999–2001), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2004–2005), Lincoln Heights (2007–2009), Parenthood (2010–2015) as Joy Bryant's mother and Scandal (2015).
In 2016, Lifford was cast in her first series regular role as of 1990s, in the Oprah Winfrey Network drama Queen Sugar, produced by Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey. She played the role of Violet Bordelon, the aunt to the Bordelon siblings Nova (Rutina Wesley), Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) and Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner). Violet was a spunky woman involved in a long-term relationship with a younger man (played by Omar Dorsey). For her performance, Lifford received two NAACP Image Awards nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, as well as Black Reel Awards nomination.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1984 | Why Me? | - | TV movie |
| 1986 | The Ladies Club | Patty | |
| 1987 | Jaws: The Revenge | Additional Voices | |
| 1987 | Nuts | Lawyer #2 | |
| 1988 | Colors | Mrs. Craig | |
| 1988 | Casual Sex? | Additional Voices | |
| 1989 | The Fabulous Baker Boys | Background Voice | |
| 1991 | New Jack City | Recovering Addict | |
| 1991 | Paris Trout | Mary Sayers | |
| 1991 | Wedlock | Policewoman | |
| 1991 | The Rape of Doctor Willis | Officer Rollins | TV movie |
| 1991 | Grand Canyon | Deborah | |
| 1992 | Bebe's Kids | Additional Voices | |
| 1993 | The Ernest Green Story | Mrs. Green | TV movie |
| 1993 | Doppelganger | Additional Voices | |
| 1993 | Born Too Soon | Latanya | TV movie |
| 1994 | In the Line of Duty: The Price of Vengeance | Jean | TV movie |
| 1995 | Babe | Sheep (voice) | |
| 1995 | Divas | Geraldine | TV movie |
| 1995 | A Streetcar Named Desire | The Neighbor | TV movie |
| 1996 | America's Dream | Sarah | TV movie |
| 1996 | Run for the Dream: The Gail Devers Story | Jackie Joyner-Kersee | TV movie |
| 1996 | After Jimmy | Susan Johnson | TV movie |
| 1996 | The Longest Season | Employment Counselor | Short |
| 1997 | Mandela and de Klerk | Winnie Mandela | TV movie |
| 1997 | Cloned | Claire Barnes | TV movie |
| 1998 | Letters from a Killer | Elizabeth | |
| 1998 | Secrets | - | Short |
| 1998 | The Temptations | Haze | TV movie |
| 2000 | Panic | Dr. Leavitt | |
| 2000 | The '70s | Aunt Olavee | TV movie |
| 2000 | Pay It Forward | Principal | |
| 2001 | A Girl Thing | Sharon | TV movie |
| 2001 | Amy's Orgasm | Irene Barris | |
| 2001 | Joe Somebody | Cassandra Taylor | |
| 2002 | Blood Work | Detective Jaye Winston | |
| 2005 | Hostage | Laura Shoemaker | |
| 2005 | Urban Legends: Bloody Mary | Grace Taylor | Video |
| 2006 | Catch and Release | Eve | |
| 2010 | The Ties That Bind | Karen White | Short |
| 2016 | The Devil's Dolls | Della | |
| 2017 | A Gift to Remember | Mrs. Henley | TV movie |
| 2019 | Cherished Memories: A Gift to Remember 2 | Mrs. Henley | TV movie |
| 2021 | A Holiday in Harlem | Mama Belle | TV movie |
| 2024 | We Strangers | Willie Martin | Completed |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | Hill Street Blues | Stenographer | Episode: "Death by Kiki" |
| 1983-88 | Knots Landing | Tina | Guest: season 4 & 6 & 9, recurring cast: season 7-8 |
| 1984 | Cagney & Lacey | Precinct Officer | Episode: "The Bounty Hunter" |
| 1984-85 | T.J. Hooker | Lorraine/Nurse | Episode: "Hooker's Run" & "The Assassin" |
| 1985 | Murder, She Wrote | Leora Cargill | Episode: "Tough Guys Don't Die" |
| 1986 | Amen | Ruth | Episode: "Maitre D'eacon" |
| 1987 | Perfect Strangers | Mrs. Cooper | Episode: "Dog Gone Blues" |
| 1987 | It's Garry Shandling's Show | Nurse Helen | Episode: "Pete Has an Affair" |
| 1987 | Jake and the Fatman | - | Episode: "Fatal Attraction" |
| 1987 | Days of Our Lives | Dora/Nurse Audrey | Episode: "Episode #1.5424" & "Episode #1.5601" |
| 1987 | Frank's Place | Ray's Wife | Episode: "Season's Greetings" |
| 1988 | Simon & Simon | Elissa Byers | Episodes: "Love Song of Abigail Marsh" & "Shadows" |
| 1989 | Tour of Duty | Nurse Pritchard | Episode: "Doc Hock" |
| 1990 | Hunter | Frankie Mason | Episode: "Unacceptable Loss" |
| 1991 | True Colors | Ruth | Episode: "A Moment of Ruth" |
| 1991 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Mrs. Hoover | Episode: "The Mother of All Battles" |
| 1991 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Felicity Ashe | Episode: "Ashes to Ashes" |
| 1993 | Love & War | Dee Dee Burnette | Episode: "Valentine's Day" |
| 1993 | Life Goes On | Admitting Nurse | Episode: "Five to Midnight |
| 1993 | L.A. Law | Faith Glassman | Episodes: "Pacific Rimshot" & "Safe Sex" |
| 1994 | South Central | Joan Mosely | Main cast |
| 1995 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Lee | Episodes: "Past Tense: Part I & Part II" |
| 1995 | Courthouse | Holly Baker | Episode: "Conflict of Interest" |
| 1995-96 | American Gothic | Loris Holt | Recurring cast |
| 1997 | Crisis Center | Tess Robinson | Main cast |
| 1997 | Gun | Sally | Episode: "All the President's Women" |
| 1998 | Touched by an Angel | Sis | Episode: "Doodlebugs" |
| 1998 | The Practice | Mrs. Johnson | Episode: "Trees in the Forest" |
| 1998 | Martial Law | Halle Winship | Episode: "How Sammo Got His Groove Back" |
| 1998 | JAG | Juanita Ressler | Episode: "Act of Terror" |
| 1999-2001 | Family Law | Judge Alice Kingston | Recurring cast |
| 2000 | Any Day Now | Savannah Dakar | Episode: "Homegirl" |
| 2000 | The Wonderful World of Disney | Rita Claiborne | Episode: "The Loretta Claiborne Story" |
| 2000 | NYPD Blue | Lorraine Wiggins | Episode: "Brothers Under Arms" |
| 2000 | That's Life | - | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2000 | JAG | Juanita Ressler | Episode: "JAG TV" |
| 2001 | Judging Amy | Ms. Arroyo | Episode: "Darkness for Light" |
| 2001 | Strong Medicine | Brenda Babson | Episode: "Bloodwork" |
| 2003 | For the People | - | Episode: "Power Play" |
| 2003 | Karen Sisco | Anya Devlin | Episode: "Blown Away" |
| 2003 | The Lyon's Den | Halle Berger | Episode: "Hubris" |
| 2004 | Threat Matrix | The Female Pathologist | Episode: "PPX" |
| 2004-05 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Judge Witherspoon | Recurring cast: season 5, guest: season 6 |
| 2005 | NCIS | Dr. Pamela Fox | Episode: "Witness" |
| 2005 | ER | Evelyn Pratt | Recurring cast: Season 12 |
| 2006 | Mystery Woman | Bonnie | Episode: "Sing Me a Murder" & "Redemption" |
| 2006 | Heroes | Paulette Hawkins | Episode: "Chapter Three 'One Giant Leap'" |
| 2007-09 | Lincoln Heights | Dorothy Hammond | Recurring cast: season 2-4 |
| 2008 | In Plain Sight | Denise McBride / Denise Morris | Episode: "Iris Doesn't Live Here Anymore" |
| 2008 | Cold Case | Phoebe Curtis '08 | Episode: "Triple Threat" |
| 2009 | Nip/Tuck | Warden DeMarco | Recurring cast: Season 6 |
| 2010 | Criminal Minds | Nora | Episode: "...A Thousand Words" |
| 2010-15 | Parenthood | Renee Trussell | Guest: season 1 & 3, 5-6, recurring cast: season 2 & 4 |
| 2011 | The Protector | - | Episode: "Class" |
| 2011 | Friends with Benefits | Marsha | Episode: "The Benefit of Forgetting" |
| 2012 | Drop Dead Diva | Judge Nora Lafford | Episode: "Welcome Back" |
| 2012 | Single Ladies | Evelyn Lancaster | Recurring cast: season 2 |
| 2015 | Minority Report | Lily Vega | Recurring cast |
| 2015-17 | Scandal | CIA Director Lowry | Recurring cast: season 4 & 6 |
| 2016 | Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders | Brenda Willis | Episode: "Denial" |
| 2016-22 | Queen Sugar | Violet Bordelon | Main cast |
| 2020 | The Rookie | Warden Miller | Episode: "Under the Gun" |
| 2020 | Filthy Rich | Monique | Recurring cast |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Awards | Category | Recipient | Outcome |
| 1996 | CableACE Awards | CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Dramatic Special or Series | "America's Dream" | Nominated |
| 2018 | NAACP Image Award | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | "Queen Sugar" | Nominated |
| 2019 | Black Reel Awards | Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama Series | "Queen Sugar" | Nominated |
| 2020 | NAACP Image Award | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | "Queen Sugar" | Nominated |