Alfre Woodard was born on November 8, 1952 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the youngest of three children of Constance, a homemaker, and Marion H. Woodard, an interior designer. She was named by her godmother, who claimed she saw a vision of Alfre's name written out in gold letters. A former high school cheerleader and track star, she got the acting bug after being persuaded to audition for a school play by a nun at her school. She went on to study acting at Boston University and enjoyed a brief stint on Broadway before moving to Los Angeles, California. She got her first break in _Remember My Name , and their two adopted children: Mavis and Duncan. She was named one of the Most Beautiful People in America by People Magazine.
She was so impressed with the script of the independent film Follow Me Home , that she offered to play the role of Evey without pay; much to the delight and awe of filmmaker Peter Bratt.
Has played Dr. Roxanne Turner on "St. Elsewhere" and years later in an episode of "Homicide: Life on the Street" . Tom Fontana was a writer for the first, and an executive producer for the second.
As of September 13, 2003, she now holds the record of being the most honored African American actress in Primetime Emmy Award history. Until her win (as Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for "The Practice" ), she was tied with Cicely Tyson at three Primetime Emmy Awards apiece. She won her first Primetime Emmy Award in 1984 as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for a three-episode guest stint on "Hill Street Blues" , as the mother of a young boy accidentally killed by a police officer. Her second Primetime Emmy Award came in 1986 as Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series (a category which has since been split into male and female equivalents) for the pilot episode of "L.A. Law" playing a woman dying of leukemia who claims to have been a victim of gang rape. In 1997, she won her third Primetime Emmy Award for Miss Evers Boys against stiff competition from the likes of Meryl Streep , Glenn Close and Stockard Channing.
Among the Star Trek toys released for the film Star Trek: First Contact , an action figure was made of Alfre in the likeness of her character in the film, Lily Sloane.
She and Felicity Huffman are the only two cast members of "Desperate Housewives" to have Oscar nominations.
Her old Tulsa, Oklahoma house located near the Broken Arrow Expressway is the same part of the Oklahoma Turnpike the Jackson family would take by bus to California for Jackson 5 performances.
Attended and graduated from Bishop Kelley High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Was member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 1990 and 1998.
For her revelatory performance in writer-director John Sayles Passion Fish she was the Los Angeles Film Critics Associations second pick (i.e. runner-up) for their best supporting actress prize in 1992.
Was considered for the role of Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction but Uma Thurman , who went on to receive a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance, was cast instead.
Jonathan Frakes calls her his "godmother". The two became friends as young actors in the 1970s.
Studied acting with Michael Howard at Boston University, where she graduated from.
Adopted her first child at age 36, a daughter Mavis Spencer on September 29, 1989. Childs father is her husband, Roderick M. Spencer.
Adopted her second child at age 41, a son Duncan Spencer on November 12, 1993. Childs father is her husband, Roderick M. Spencer.
Has appeared in four films with Mary McDonnell : Grand Canyon , Passion Fish , Blue Chips and Mumford .
Parents are Marion H. and Constance Woodard.
Currently resides in Santa Monica, California.
One of the favorite characters she has played was Wanda in Holiday Heart . Some of the favorite films of her own are 12 Years a Slave , Miss Evers Boys , Bopha! , Passion Fish , and Miss Firecracker .
Went to a Catholic school.
Both of her parents were from families with twelve children.
Was convinced on to star in 12 Years a Slave without reading the script, because she wanted to work with Steve McQueen.
Her part in Primal Fear was originally written for a 60-year old Caucasian male. When Woodard was offered the part she accepted the part with one condition; That the age and race would be the only element that changed about the character, and not a single other trait.
Shares the same birthday with Norman Lloyd. They co-starred together on "St. Elsewhere" .
She designated the French classic "The Red Balloon" as her favorite film for an AFI poll.
Graduated Boston University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting.
Woodard estimates shes performed in the play "For Colored Girls..." several thousand times: twice in Los Angeles, an Australian tour, and then on PBS. It was her work in the latter that brought her to the attention of producer Robert Altman, who hired her for her first film, "Remember My Name.".
Remained close friends with Lauren Bacall , until her death on August 12, 2014.
Her acting mentor are the late Lauren Bacall.
Considers Lauren Bacall as her favorite acting mentor/best friend.
[on her marriage] We were both taught, "You pick your friends on how,they treat you - not by what they have or what they look like". We get,twice the cultures.
I come from a FULL house of storytellers. If they wanted to simply tell,you about someone pouring the tea, it would take about ten minutes.
They would act out all the parts. I had to kind of jump in there,because, as the youngest, if I wanted to get in an opinion, I had to,yell and jump and really participate. In addition to participating, I,was also observing. I think an actor really has to be an observant,person. Not necessarily remembering facts, not observing THAT way.
I call myself an actor. I mean, when did you last go to the doctress?.
