Lynn Whitfield

Early life

Whitfield was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the daughter of Jean (née Butler), a former president of the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, and Dr. Valerian Smith, who was also a composer who wrote the musicals, The Supper and The Wake. Her mother is a founding member of the Baton Rouge chapter of The Links Incorporated and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Whitfield is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

Career

1970s

Following graduation, she first garnered attention on the stage by performing with the Black Repertory Company in Washington, D.C. She married playwright/director/actor Vantile Whitfield, one of the company's co-founders and a pioneer of black theatre, in 1974. She eventually moved to New York and appeared off-Broadway in such shows as The Great Macdaddy and Showdown Time before earning international acclaim touring the United States, Australia and London's West End in the 1977 production of the landmark play "for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf" alongside Alfre Woodard.

1980s

Whitfield made her professional screen debut in 1981 as Jill Thomas in the critically acclaimed NBC serial drama Hill Street Blues. In 1983, she appeared in the comedy film Doctor Detroit (1983), playing the supporting role of Thelma Cleland. She later co-starred in the films The Slugger's Wife, Silverado, and Jaws: The Revenge. She also starred in the television films The George McKenna Story opposite Denzel Washington and Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI as the title character and in the ABC miniseries The Women of Brewster Place alongside Oprah Winfrey and Cicely Tyson). She also was a regular cast member in the short-lived 1988 ABC female-driven medical drama series HeartBeat alongside Kate Mulgrew, Laura Johnson, and Gail Strickland.

1990s

Whitfield achieved wide recognition in the title role of The Josephine Baker Story (1991), portraying the American who became a Folies Bergère star, a French Resistance fighter during World War II, and a civil rights activist. The HBO biopic required her to age from 18 to 68. After a highly publicized casting call, Whitfield was chosen over hundreds of women. In the movie, she appeared nude on-screen. In his review, Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly said: "Whitfield is exceptionally good as the legendary singer-dancer who came to prominence in the ’20s for her throaty singing and her notorious "banana dance"—a wiggly little number executed while wearing nothing except a skirt of real bananas." The New York Times added that Whitfield "powerfully captures her [Baker's] passionate determination." Whitfield won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her role, and said this gave her "the greatest sense of accomplishment and realization of my vision. It absolutely called upon everything I thought I could do at that point." She also received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film nomination and won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special.

After her breakthrough as Josephine Baker, Whitfield had the recurring role in the ABC legal drama Equal Justice, appearing opposite Joe Morton. She continued her career, starring in the made-for-television movies A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story (1991); Stompin' at the Savoy (1992) with Vanessa L. Williams, Jasmine Guy, and Vanessa Bell Calloway; Taking the Heat (1993) with Tony Goldwyn; State of Emergency (1994) with Joe Mantegna; Sophie and the Moonhanger (1996); The Wedding (1998), as Halle Berry's mother; The Color of Courage (1998) alongside Linda Hamilton; and Deep in My Heart (1999) opposite Anne Bancroft. She also had a regular role on the short-lived NBC detective series The Cosby Mysteries from 1994 to 1995 and later guest-starred on Martin and Touched by an Angel.

In 1996, Whitfield was cast as the female lead opposite Martin Lawrence in the dark romantic comedy film A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. At the time of filming, Lawrence was 12 years younger than Whitfield, who was then 42. The film grossed over $35 million against a budget of $8 million. In 1997, she co-starred opposite Danny Glover and Rosanna Arquette in the comedy film Gone Fishin', appeared in the supporting role in the Canadian drama The Planet of Junior Brown, and played the mother of Jurnee Smollett's title character in the critically acclaimed independent drama Eve's Bayou. In 1998, Whitfield had supporting role of an oncologist in the comedy-drama film Stepmom.

2000s—present

In the 2000s, Whitfield had many supporting roles on television and in films. She co-starred in the Chris Rock comedy film Head of State (2003) and Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion (2006). Whitfield also appeared in The Women (2008), The Rebound (2009), and Mama, I Want to Sing (2011) and had many roles in low-profile B-movies. She also starred as Dorothea Garibaldi, the mother of Galleria (played by Raven-Symoné) in the Disney Channel films The Cheetah Girls and The Cheetah Girls 2. In 2004, she played Barbara Becnel in the made-for-television movie Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story receiving NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special.

On television, Whitfield had recurring roles on Boston Public and Without a Trace in the 2000s. From 2014 to 2015, she appeared in the ABC legal drama How to Get Away with Murder as villainous Mary Walker. She also had a recurring role on Hit the Floor and appeared as the abusive mother of April (Rochelle Aytes) on Mistresses.

In 2015, Whitfield was cast as the main villain in Greenleaf, the Oprah Winfrey Network original scripted drama series about the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family and their sprawling Memphis megachurch. Whitfield played the leading role of Lady Mae Greenleaf, the imperious minister's wife and the power- and money-hungry matriarch of the family. The series also starred Keith David, Merle Dandridge, Kim Hawthorne, and Oprah Winfrey. Whitfield received positive reviews from critics for her performance. One critic stated: "Whitfield has the imperious aura of a grand soap opera diva in the tradition of Joan Collins." She won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2019 and 2020 as well as the Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama Series in 2017. The series ended in 2020 after five seasons and 60 episodes. Whitfield later was cast in a leading role in ''Greenleaf'''s planned spinoff.

In 2018, Whitfield co-starred opposite Sanaa Lathan in the romantic comedy film Nappily Ever After, which was released on Netflix. She guest-starred as Shaunette Renée Wilson's mother, a famous Nigerian surgeon, on the Fox medical drama The Resident in 2019. In 2021, she co-starred in the comedy film Vacation Friends. In 2023, she appeared opposite Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman in the action comedy film, The Retirement Plan. Also in 2023, she was cast as Alicia, an intimidating, fearless and powerful matriarch, in the Showtime crime drama series, The Chi during its sixth season. She was promoted to series regular for the seven season. In 2024, Whitfield starred in the road drama film, Albany Road directed and written by Christine Swanson.

In 2025, Whitfield voiced an older Noni in the second episode of the miniseries Eyes of Wakanda.

Personal life

Whitfield has been married twice. Her first husband, from 1974 to 1978, was Vantile Whitfield. From 1990 to 1992, she was married to director Brian Gibson, with whom she had a daughter, Grace.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

References

References

1. Whitfield, Lynn. (May 29, 2013). "Sasha talks with Lynn Whitfield". [[WALR-FM.
2. "Lynn Whitfield".
3. "Lynn Whitfield Facts, information, pictures - Encyclopedia.com articles about Lynn Whitfield".
4. (22 July 1990). "What Becomes a Legend Most? : Whitfield appeared in 2 episodes of Matlock. Lynn Whitfield became Josephine Baker, Budapest became Paris and Harlem as HBO raced to complete the first movie about the storied entertainer's life". [[Los Angeles Times]].
5. (10 March 1991). "HBO's 'Josephine Baker': The Naked Truth". Los Angeles Times.
6. "Lynn Whitfield Shimmies into the Skin of Sultry Josephine Baker".
7. "The Josephine Baker Story".
8. O'Connor, John J.. (1991-03-15). "TV Weekend; With Josephine Baker Through a Long Life". The New York Times.
9. "2 Emmys For James Earl Jones; 'L.A. Law', 'Cheers' Win Again". philly-archives.
10. Brian Lowry. (April 1996). "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate". Variety.
11. Martin Lawrence. "A Thin Line Between Love & Hate".
12. "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996)".
13. (1 June 1996). "Eve's Bayou".
14. (25 December 1998). "Stepmom".
15. "'Stepmom' (PG-13)". [[The Washington Post]].
16. Joyce Eng. (14 November 2014). "How to Get Away with Murder Postmortem: Boss Breaks Down Annalise's Motives and Killer Theories". TVGuide.com.
17. Tambay A. Obenson. (6 February 2015). "TV Casting News Roundup: New Roles for Rutina Wesley, Lyn - Shadow and Act". Shadow and Act.
18. starrymag. (18 June 2015). "Rochelle Aytes – Mistresses". Starry Constellation Magazine.
19. Denise Petski. (24 August 2015). "Lynn Whitfield, Merle Dandridge & Desiree Ross Join 'Greenleaf' - Deadline". Deadline.
20. Tambay A. Obenson. (24 August 2015). "Lynn Whitfield, Merle Dandridge and Desiree Ross Cast in - Shadow and Act". Shadow and Act.
21. (22 June 2016). "5 Reasons to Watch Oprah Winfrey's New Series 'Greenleaf'". ABC News.
22. (21 June 2016). "'Greenleaf' Review: OWN Church Drama Delivers Juicy Moments - and Oprah Winfrey".
23. Ryan, Maureen. (17 June 2016). "TV Review: 'Greenleaf'".
24. "2017 Gracies Gala Winners".
25. "'Greenleaf' Spinoff Details Revealed ― Here's What to Expect".
26. (August 21, 2017). "Lynn Whitfield Joins Sanaa Lathan In 'Nappily Ever After'". Deadline.
27. (25 September 2020). "'Vacation Friends': 'Greenleaf' Star Lynn Whitfield & More Cast in Hulu Comedy".
28. "‘The Retirement Plan’: Nicolas Cage, Ron Perlman, Ashley Greene, Grace Byers, Rick Fox Among Cast For Action Pic".
29. (29 June 2023). "'The Chi': Lynn Whitfield Joins Season 6 as Recurring".
30. (12 August 2024). "'The Chi': Lynn Whitfield Upped to Series Regular for Season 7".
31. (24 April 2024). "American Black Film Festival 2024 Lineup Includes Vivica A. Fox and Jussie Smollett-Starring Drama (EXCLUSIVE)".
32. Ibañez, Bea Melisse. (August 1, 2025). "Eyes of Wakanda season 1 voice cast and characters: Meet the stars behind the series and the characters they voiced".
33. Shinhoster Lamb, Yvonne. (2005-01-23). "Arts Administrator, Playwright Vantile Whitfield Dies". Washington Post.
34. "Lynn Whitfield's Daughter, Grace Gibson, Covers Adeles' "Rumor Has It/Set Fire To The Rain"".