Alfre Woodard Alfre Ette Woodard is the American actress who played Lily Sloane in the film . She was nominated by the for her role in this film . She is perhaps best known for her roles on the television dramas " St . Elsewhere " and " Desperate Housewives " and for her many film roles . She has earned numerous accolades throughout her career , including fifteen Image Award nominations ( winning seven ) , twelve Emmy Award nominations ( winning four ) , three Golden Globe nominations ( winning one ) , and an Academy Award nomination . Personal life . Woodard was born in Tulsa , Oklahoma . She was a track star and cheerleader while attending Bishop Kelley High School , a private Catholic school in Tulsa . She turned to acting after a nun convinced her to audition for a high school play , and later studied drama at Boston University . After graduating from the university , Woodard began acting on the New York stage . She later moved to California to pursue a career in film and television . In 1983 , she married comedian , writer and producer Roderick Spencer . They subsequently adopted and raised two children , Duncan and Mavis . Woodard and her family currently live in Santa Monica , California . Woodard is a long - time friend of " First Contact " director and co - star Jonathan Frakes , whom she calls her godson . This came about when Woodard was discussing her own godmother with Frakes and Frakes revealed he never had a godmother . Woodard then agreed to be his godmother , and Frakes has referred to her as " godmommy " ever since . Another co - star from " First Contact " , LeVar Burton , is also a close friend of Woodard ' s . Career . Films . Woodard made her film debut in the 1978 drama " Remember My Name " . Her next film was the 1980 Robert Altman comedy " HealtH " , in which she co - starred with fellow " Star Trek " alumni Paul Dooley , Henry Gibson , and Robert Fortier . She received an nomination for her performance in the 1983 drama . Fellow " Trek " movie actor Malcolm McDowell ( ) also had a role in this film . Woodard joined James Avery in the 1986 rape drama " Extremities " . Woodard later worked with McDowell in the 1993 film " Bopha ! " . In 1988 , Woodard played Frank Cross ' overworked assistant , Grace Cooley , in the comedy " Scrooged " . Her co - stars in this film included Roy Brocksmith , John Glover , Michael J . Pollard , and Logan Ramsey . Woodard then co - starred in the 1989 comedy " Miss Firecracker " , which also featured s Brent Spiner . Woodard and Spiner later worked together in " Star Trek : First Contact " . Woodard received a Golden Globe nomination and won an Independent Spirit Award for her performance in the 1992 drama " Passion Fish " . She then had the lead role in Spike Lee ' s 1994 film " Crooklyn " . In 1995 , she co - starred with Winona Ryder , Jean Simmons , and Gail Strickland in the film adaptation of the Whitney Otto novel , " How to Make an American Quilt " . Mindy Hall was Woodard ' s make - up artist on this film . Woodard earned an Image Award nomination for her performance in " How to Make an American Quilt " . She again worked with Winona Ryder in the 2000 thriller " Lost Souls " , which also featured Bob Clendenin and Brad Greenquist . Woodard ' s other film credits throughout the 1990 ' s include the 1991 drama " Grand Canyon " ( with Tina Lifford ) , the 1994 sports drama " Blue Chips " ( with Jim Beaver ) , the 1994 thriller " Primal Fear " ( with Terry O ' Quinn and Tony Plana ) , and the 1999 comedy " Mumford " . She also had the lead roles in the 1998 drama " Down in the Delta " , for which she received nominations from the Image Awards and the Independent Spirit Awards . In 2000 , Woodard was seen in the romantic drama " Love & Basketball " ( with Gabrielle Union ) , for which she won an Image Award . She then played Dr . Claudia Villars in the 2001 science fiction drama " K - PAX " ( also featuring William Lucking ) , receiving another Image Award nomination . She later co - starred with Bruce Greenwood , Glenn Morshower , and Matt Winston in the science fiction adventure " The Core " and portrayed the high school principal in the 2003 sports drama " Radio " , both released in 2003 . Woodard won her seventh Image Award for the latter film . Woodard also lent her voice to the animated films " Dinosaur " and " The Wild Thornberrys Movie " , the latter of which also featured the voices of Brock Peters and Ethan Phillips . More recently , Woodard has acted in such films as 2004 thriller " The Forgotten " , the 2005 comedy " Beauty Shop " , and the 2006 dance drama " Take the Lead " . In addition , She and TNG guest star Earl Billings played a married couple in the 2006 romantic drama " Something New " . In 2008 , Woodard was directed by and co - starred with Tyler Perry in the drama " The Family That Preys " , for which she received her latest Image Award nomination . The following year , Woodard reunited with " First Contact " co - star LeVar Burton when the latter directed and acted with the former in the independent film " Reach for Me " . Adrienne Barbeau and Seymour Cassel also starred in this film . In 2013 , Woodard appeared as Mistress Harriet Shaw in , based on the true story of Solomon Northup , sharing a scene with the film ' s stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong ' o . The film also featured Benedict Cumberbatch . In 2016 , Woodard had a pivotal cameo in the Marvel Comics film adaptation " Captain America : Civil War " as bereaved mother Miriam Sharpe opposite Robert Downey , Jr . Stage . Woodard made her stage debut in the plays " Horatio " and " Saved " at the Arena Stage in Washington , D . C . in 1974 . She then had a brief stint on Broadway between October 1975 and December 1976 when she was an understudy for the part of the woman in the musical " Me and Bessie " . She later performed in several off - Broadway productions , including " A Map of the World " in 1985 ( with Erick Avari and Mike Starr ) and " The Winter ' s Tale " in 1989 . Woodard returned to Broadway in 2004 to star in the dramatic play " Drowning Crow " . She has also acted in several Los Angeles productions . In 1977 , she played Mrs . Cartchit and the Ghost of Christmas Past in a stage adaptation of Charles Dickens ' " A Christmas Carol " , opposite Tony Papenfuss as Ebenezer Scrooge . Her other Los Angeles stage credits have included " for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf " ( which also toured in Australia ) , " Leander Stilwell " , and " Split Second " . Television . 1978 – 1983 . Woodard first appeared on television in 1978 while starring in a televised stage performance of " The Trial of Moke " for PBS ' " Great Performances " , working alongside Thalmus Rasulala . Her first work in episodic television came in 1980 on the CBS drama series " The White Shadow " , on which Joan Pringle was a main cast member . The following year , Joseph Pevney directed her in an episode of the CBS drama " Palmerstown , U . S . A . " and she appeared on " Enos " , another CBS series , with Michael Ensign . Later in 1981 , Woodard co - starred with Bibi Besch , Bernie Casey , Albert Hall , Robert Hooks , Janet MacLachlan , Thalmus Rasulala , Davis Roberts , and Paul Winfield in the NBC made - for - television movie " The Sophisticated Gents " . The following year , she starred in " The Ambush Movies " , a TV movie which also featured Davis Roberts as well as Marc Alaimo , Louis Giambalvo , John McLiam , Warren Munson , and Marshall R . Teague . Woodard co - starred with actress Catherine Hicks in the twelve - episode detective series " Tucker ' s Witch " , which aired on CBS from fall 1982 through the summer of 1983 . In the latter year , Woodard portrayed the role of Doris Robson in three episodes of the NBC police drama " Hill Street Blues " . She won her first Emmy Award for her performance in her first episode of the show , " Doris in Wonderland . " Her next two episodes were directed by Gabrielle Beaumont and Corey Allen , respectively . Barbara Bosson and James B . Sikking were regulars on the series ; others Woodard worked with include Bumper Robinson , Kenneth Tigar , and George D . Wallace . 1984 – 1989 . In 1984 , Woodard worked with and actor Merritt Butrick in the TV movie " Sweet Revenge " . She then starred with Robert Hooks , who also appeared in " Star Trek III " , in the 1985 PBS production " Words by Heart " , for which Woodard received her second Emmy Award nomination . She also reunited with " Star Trek II " actor Paul Winfield , her co - star from " The Sophisticated Gents " , in the 1985 PBS movie " Go Tell It on the Mountain " . This was followed by the " Faerie Tale Theatre " production of " Puss in Boots , " in which Woodard acted alongside Brock Peters , John Schuck , and Ben Vereen . In 1985 , Woodard joined the cast of to play Dr . Roxanne Turner . She received two Emmy nominations for her work on this show , the first time as a regular in 1986 and the second for a guest appearance in 1988 , having left the show the previous year . She worked with many other " Star Trek " alumni during her years on " St . Elsewhere " , including Ed Begley , Jr . , Bruce Greenwood , Norman Lloyd , Deborah May , France Nuyen , Jennifer Savidge and Jane Wyatt . She reprised the role of Dr . Turner in a 1998 episode of " Homicide : Life on the Street " , for which she received another Emmy nomination . In 1986 , Woodard guest - starred in the pilot episode of the drama " L . A . Law " ( with series regular Corbin Bernsen and fellow guest stars Megan Gallagher , John Hancock , Jerry Hardin , and Robert Knepper ) and starred in the TV movie " Unnatural Causes " . She won an Emmy Award for her work on the former , and was nominated for the latter . In 1987 , Woodard co - starred with Brian George and Lori Petty in the TV special " The Line " and acted in the movie " Mandela " , winning a CableACE Award for the latter . She received her seventh Emmy Award nomination for her performance in the title role of the 1989 movie " A Mother ' s Courage : The Mary Thomas Story " . Woodard also won Image Awards for " Unnatural Causes " , " Mandela " , and " A Mother ' s Courage " . 1990 – 1999 . Woodard next starred in the 1990 TV movie " Blue Bayou " , which was her second collaboration with " Star Trek II " actress Bibi Besch following 1981 ' s " The Sophisticated Gents " . This movie also featured guest star Carolyn Seymour . In 1994 , Woodard worked with Teri Garr in the " McDonald ' s Family Theatre " special " Aliens for Breakfast , " directed by John Kretchmer . That same year , Woodard played Harriet Tubman in the movie " Race to Freedom : The Underground Railroad " . She also lent her voice to an episode of the NBC sitcom " Frasier " , which starred Kelsey Grammer . In 1995 , Woodard received another Emmy nomination and won an Image Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance in the movie " The Piano Lesson " . The following year , she was again nominated by the Emmys for her role as the Queen of Brobdingnag in the two - part TV movie adaptation of Jonathan Swift ' s novel , " Gulliver ' s Travels " . Later in 1996 , she appeared in the TV movie " Special Report : Journey to Mars " , as did Keith Carradine , Rosalind Chao , Leonard Kelly - Young , and Deborah Lacey . Woodard ' s performance as Nurse Eunice Evers in the 1997 TV movie " Miss Evers ' Boys " earned her an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe , an Image Award , a CableACE Award , a Screen Actors Guild Award , and a Golden Satellite Award . The movie was directed by Joseph Sargent , who previously directed the first regular episode of , . Woodard next received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination and an Image Award nomination for her performance in the 1999 children ' s special , " The Wishing Tree " . She concluded her television work in the 1990s with the 1999 drama " Funny Valentines " , co - starring Tom Wright . 2000 – present . Woodard received yet another Image Award nomination , as well as a Golden Globe nomination , for her role in the 2000 movie " Holiday Heart " . Later , she won her fourth Emmy Award for her two guest appearances on the legal drama " The Practice " . Among the performers she worked with on this program were David Andrews , Michael Bofshever , Gregory Itzin , and Thomas Kopache . In 2005 , Woodard began appearing as Betty Applewhite on the hit ABC drama " Desperate Housewives " , becoming a regular cast member on the show during its second season ( 2005 - 2006 ) . She worked with Teri Hatcher , Mark Moses , and Steven Culp on this series , all of whom were regular cast members . In the first episode of the second season , Woodard ' s character was the organist at the funeral for Culp ' s character . Woodard received an Emmy nomination for her role on " Desperate Housewives " in 2006 , in addition to being nominated for the TV movie " The Water Is Wide " ( which also featured Frank Langella ) . Following her two initial guest appearances on " Desperate Housewives " , Woodard guest - starred in the first two episodes of the short - lived NBC drama " Inconceivable " , as did recurring actor Casey Biggs . She then starred in the Hallmark movie " Pictures of Hollis Woods " , receiving her most recent Emmy nomination to date . In 2008 , Woodard was a regular on NBC ' s short - lived espionage series " My Own Worst Enemy " , in which she played the supervisor for the lead character , played by Christian Slater . For this series , Woodard reunited with her " Star Trek : First Contact " co - star James Cromwell , who played Woodard ' s character ' s superior . Although the series was canceled after only nine episodes , Woodard received an Image Award nomination for her work in 2009 . Between 2009 and 2010 Woodard was a regular on the CBS drama series " Three Rivers " , on which she played Dr . Sophia Jordan . In 2011 she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her recurring role as Ruby Jean Reynolds in three episodes of the vampire series " True Blood " ( 2010 , with Kristin Bauer ) . More recently she co - starred as Lt . Tanya Rice with Sam Hennings on the crime series " Memphis Beat " ( 2010 - 2011 ) . She was cast as Mariah Dillard in the Netflix series " Luke Cage " , the second Marvel Cinematic Universe character portrayed by her in 2016 . She is also cast as the voice of Sarabi in the upcoming remake of " The Lion King " , set to be released in 2019 , a role that had been given to Madge Sinclair in the original 1994 film .