 alfre woodard (born november 8, 1952) is an american film, stage, and television actress, producer, and political activist. woodard has been called one of the most versatile and accomplished actors of her generation. she has been nominated once for an academy award and grammy award, 18 times for an emmy award (winning four), and has also won a golden globe award and three screen actors guild awards. woodard began her acting career in theater. after her breakthrough role in the off-broadway play for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf (1977), she made her film debut in remember my name (1978). in 1980 she starred in robert altman's health and in 1983 won major critical praise and was nominated for a academy award for best supporting actress for role in cross creek. in same year, woodard won her first primetime emmy award for her performance in the nbc drama series hill street blues. later in the 1980s, woodard had leading emmy award-nominated performances in a number of made for television movies, and another emmy-winning role as a woman dying of leukemia in the pilot episode of l.a. law. she also starred as dr. roxanne turner in the nbc medical drama st. elsewhere, for which she was nominated an primetime emmy award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series in 1986 and for guest actress in 1988. in the 1990s, woodard starred in films such as grand canyon (1991), heart and souls (1993), crooklyn (1994), how to make an american quilt (1995), primal fear (1996) and star trek: first contact (1996). she also drew critical praise for her performances in the independent dramas passion fish (1992), for which she won an [[independent spirit award for best supporting female|i
1952_births 20th-century_American_actresses 21st-century_American_actresses Actresses_from_Oklahoma African-American_Christians African-American_actresses American_Christian_Scientists American_film_actresses American_stage_actresses American_television_actresses American_voice_actresses Best_Miniseries_or_Television_Movie_Actress_Golden_Globe_winners Boston_University_College_of_Fine_Arts_alumni Independent_Spirit_Award_winners Living_people Oklahoma_Democrats Outstanding_Performance_by_a_Female_Actor_in_a_Miniseries_or_Television_Movie_Screen_Actors_Guild_Award_winners Outstanding_Performance_by_a_Lead_Actress_in_a_Miniseries_or_Movie_Primetime_Emmy_Award_winners Outstanding_Performance_by_a_Supporting_Actress_in_a_Drama_Series_Primetime_Emmy_Award_winners People_from_Tulsa,_Oklahoma