Salli Richardson

Salli Elise Richardson (born November 23, 1967) is an American television and film actress and director. Richardson is known for her role as Angela in the film A Low Down Dirty Shame and for her role as Dr. Allison Blake on the Syfycomedy-drama series Eureka (2006–2012).
She is also known for her voice acting as Elisa Maza on the Disney animated series Gargoyles (1994–1996),[1] and as Viveca Foster on the CBS series Family Law (1999–2002). Richardson also has appeared in a number of films such as A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994), The Great White Hype (1996), Antwone Fisher(2002), Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004) and I Am Legend(2007). She had leading roles in the independent films Pastor Brown (2009), Black Dynamite (2009) and I Will Follow (2010).
== Early life ==
Richardson-Whitfield was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of an African American-Native American mother and a white father, of Italian and English descent.[2][3] She has three brothers: Josh Richardson, Chad Richardson, and Nalin. Richardson played tennis in high school, and launched her acting career in the Kuumba Workshop theater there.[4] She graduated from the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools in 1985.
== Career ==
Richardson began her acting career in the theater before roles in television and film.[4] In film, she played small roles in Prelude to a Kiss, Mo' Money, Posse, and later had major roles in Sioux City and A Low Down Dirty Shame. From 1994 to 1996 she voiced the character Elisa Maza on the animated series Gargoyles.[1]She had many guest-starring roles in numerous television shows, such as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, New York Undercover, The Pretender, Stargate SG-1, NYPD Blue, House, Bones, Criminal Minds, NCIS and Castle.
Richardson starred opposite Dixie Carter and Kathleen Quinlan in the CBS legal drama series, Family Law, from 1999 to 2002. She had recurring roles as Nancy Adams on Rude Awakening, and as Laura on CSI: Miami. She starred opposite Denzel Washington in the 2002 drama film Antwone Fisher. She also appeared in the 2004 horror film Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid and starred opposite Will Smith in 2007's post-apocalyptic film I Am Legend. She later had a leading role in the independent dramas Pastor Brown (2009) and I Will Follow(2010). She also starred in The Sin Seer with Isaiah Washington, set for 2015 release.[5]
From 2006 to 2012, Richardson starred as Department of Defense agent (and later head of Global Dynamics) Allison Blake in the Syfy comedy-drama series Eureka. Her second pregnancy was written into the storyline of the series.[4]After the series' cancellation, she was cast as the lead in the Lifetime drama pilot The Secret Lives of Wives.[6] In 2014, Richardson was cast in a recurring role on Lifetime's The Lottery as the first lady of the United States,[7] but she lost it to Shelley Conn;[8] She also has a role on BET's Being Mary Jane as an old friend of the lead character.[9][10] In 2015, Richardson was cast in the ABC Familyseries, Stitchers.[11] In August–September 2016, she made appearances as one of the co-hosts of the Hollywood Today Live daily show seating next to Ross Mathews.
Richardson has also worked as a director of episodic television. Following her directorial debut on two episodes of Ava DuVernay's original drama series for OWN, Queen Sugar (on which her husband Dondre Whitfield appears as a series regular),[12] in 2016, Richardson has also directed an episode of the historical action-drama Underground for WGN America.[13] In 2017, she directed two episodes of BET drama Rebel, and Shonda Rhimes' Scandal. In 2018, she also directed the 16th episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s season 5 entitled "Inside voices".[14]
== Personal life ==
On September 8, 2002, she married long-time boyfriend and fellow actor Dondre Whitfield. She and Whitfield have one daughter, Parker Richardson-Whitfield, and one son, Dondre Terrell Whitfield Jr. (born January 24, 2009).[15] Whitfield has appeared along with her husband Dondre Whitfield in a late night infomercial as part of an advertising campaign to promote the Time Life Zestify Midnight Soul collection.[16]
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1991	Up Against the Wall 	Denise 	
1992	Prelude to a Kiss 	Bridesmaid 	
1992	Mo' Money 	Pretty Customer 	
1992	How U Like Me Now 	Valerie 	
1993	Posse 	Lana 	
1994	I Spy Returns 	Nicole Scott 	Television film
1994	Sioux City 	Jolene Buckley 	
1994	A Low Down Dirty Shame 	Angela 	
1994	Lily in Winter 	Ada Covington 	Television film
1995	Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored 	Miss Alice 	
1996	Soul of the Game 	Lahoma 	
1996	The Great White Hype 	Bambi 	
1997	True Women 	Martha 	Television film
1998	Butter 	Blusette Ford 	
1999	Lillie 	Lillie 	
2002	Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs	Karen 	
2002	Antwone Fisher 	Berta Davenport 	
2002	Baby of the Family 	Nelli McPherson 	
2003	Biker Boyz 	Half & Half 	
2004	Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid 	Gail Stern 	
2007	I Am Legend 	Zoe Neville 	
2009	Black Dynamite 	Gloria 	
2009	Pastor Brown 	Jessica "Jesse" Brown	Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Actress
2010	I Will Follow 	Maye 	
2012	We the Party 	Principal Reynolds 	
2013	Teachers 	Christine 	Television film
2015	Playin' for Love 	Talisa McCoy 	
2015	The Sin Seer 	Nia 	Post-production
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1992 	Silk Stalkings 	Shelley 	Episode: "Wild Card"
1993 	Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 	Fenna / Nidell 	Episode: "Second Sight"
1994 	Roc 	Diane Hubbard 	Episode: "The Last Temptation of Roc"
1994 	New York Undercover 	Tammy Barrett 	Episode: "Eyewitness Blues"
1994–1996	Gargoyles 	Elisa Maza(voice) 	Series regular
1996 	Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles	Elisa Maza (voice) 	Series regular
1997 	Stargate SG-1 	Drey'auc 	Episode: "Bloodlines"
1997 	Between Brothers 	Vanessa 	Episode: "The Player"
1998 	The Pretender 	Cynthia Sloan 	Episode: "Gigolo Jarod"
1998–1999	Mercy Point 	Lt. Kim Salisaw 	Series regular
1999 	The Jamie Foxx Show 	Camille Turner 	Episode: "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire"
2000 	Secret Agent Man 	Rachel 	Episode: "WhupSumAss"
2000–2001	Rude Awakening 	Nancy Adams 	Recurring role, 9 episodes
1999–2002	Family Law 	Viveca Foster 	Series regular
2003 	CSI: Miami 	Laura 	Recurring role, 5 episodes
2004 	Line of Fire 	Erica Logan 	Episode: "The Senator"
2004 	Second Time Around 	Amanda 	Episode: "Coupling Up"
2004 	NYPD Blue 	Bobbi Kingston 	Episodes: "My Dinner with Andy" and "I Like Ike"
2005 	House 	Sharon 	Episode: "Sports Medicine"
2005 	1-800-Missing 	Kelly 	Episode: "Sisterhood"
2005 	The War at Home 	Vanessa 	Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to the Barbecue"
2006 	Bones 	Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Kurland	Episode: "Aliens in a Spaceship"
2009 	Criminal Minds 	Tamara Barnes 	Episodes: "Hopeless" and "The Eyes Have It"
2006–2012	Eureka 	Allison Blake 	Series regular
Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (2011)
2012 	The Finder 	Athena Brookes 	Episode: "Life After Death"
2012 	The Secret Lives of Wives 	Reed 	TV pilot
2012–2013	The Newsroom 	Jane Barrow 	Recurring role, 3 episodes
2013 	NCIS 	Carrie Clark 	Episode: "Alibi"
2014 	House of Lies 	Sandra Joy 	Episode: "Power(less)"
2014 	Castle 	U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Weston 	Episode: "The Greater Good"
2014 	NCIS 	Carrie Clark 	Episode: "Semper Fortis"
2015 	Being Mary Jane 	Valerie 	Recurring role, 5 episodes
2015–2017	Stitchers 	Maggie 	Series regular
2015 	NCIS 	Carrie Clark 	Episode: "A Day in Court"
2016 	Queen Sugar 	 	Directed episodes "So Far" and "All Good"
(as Salli Richardson-Whitfield)[12]
2017 	Underground 	 	Directed episode: "Nok Aaut"
as Salli Richardson-Whitfield[13]
2018 	Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 	 	Directed episode: "Inside Voices"
(as Salli Richardson-Whitfield)[14]
2018 	Luke Cage 	 	Directed episode: "Get Physical"
(as Salli Richardson-Whitfield)[citation needed]
2018 	Black Lightning 	District Attorney Montez 	Episode: "The Book of Consequences: Chapter Four: Translucent Freak" (also directed)