Phylicia Rashād
Known for Acting · 94 credits
- Born
- 1948-06-19 (age 77)
- Place of birth
- Houston, Texas, USA
- Also known as
- Phylicia Ayers-Allen · Phylicia Rashad
Biography
Phylicia Rashad (née Ayers-Allen; born June 19, 1948) is an American actress. She was most recently dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University before her three-year contract ended in May 2024. Known for her roles on stage and screen, she has received two Tony Awards as well as nominations for six Primetime Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
She is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992) which earned her two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nominations in 1985 and 1986. She also played Ruth Lucas on Cosby (1996–2000), and Brenda Glover in Little Bill (1999–2004). She was also Emmy-nominated for her roles in A Raisin in the Sun (2008) and This Is Us (2019–2021).
On stage, Rashad became the first Black actress to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play, for a revival of A Raisin in the Sun (2004). She won her second Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Dominique Morisseau's Skeleton Crew (2022). Her other Broadway credits include Into the Woods (1988), Jelly's Last Jam (1993), Gem of the Ocean (2004), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008).
She has appeared in various films such as For Colored Girls (2010), Good Deeds (2012), Creed (2015), Creed II (2018), Creed III (2023), and The Beekeeper (2024). She lent her voice to the Disney-Pixar animated film Soul (2020).
In the 21st century, she has directed revivals of three plays by August Wilson, in major theaters in Seattle, Princeton, New Jersey; and Los Angeles. She also directed Purpose (play) in its 2024-2025 run at the Helen Hayes Theater on Broadway.
Known For
TV Shows (34)
Grey's Anatomy
2005
as Nell Timms
Psych
2006
as Winnifred Guster
Sherri
2022
as Self - Guest
Empire
2015
as Diana DuBois
This Is Us
2016
as Carol Clarke
The Good Fight
2017
as Renetta Clark
Touched by an Angel
1994
as Elizabeth Jessup
Station 19
2018
as Pilar
The Cosby Show
1984
as Clair Huxtable
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
1987
as Jane Goodfellow (voice)
Tony Awards
1956
as Self - Presenter
Tamron Hall
2019
as Self - Guest
A Different World
1987
as Clair Huxtable
Everybody Hates Chris
2005
The Gilded Age
2022
as Elizabeth Kirkland
Sofia the First
2013
as Mountain Witch (voice)
Intimate Portrait
1993
as Self
Blossom
1990
Reading Rainbow
1983
as Narrator (voice)
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995
as Lady Fulton (voice)
In the House
1995
Cosby
1996
as Ruth Lucas
Curses!
2023
as Georgia (voice)
Bull
2000
Little America
2020
as Margaret Jean the Queen
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
1996
as Self - Guest
Little Bill
1999
as Brenda Glover (voice)
The Emmy Awards
1949
as Self
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
1948
David Makes Man
2019
as Dr. Woods-Trap
Jean-Claude Van Johnson
2016
as Jane
Do No Harm
2013
as Dr. Vanessa Young
Inside the Black Box
2022
Diarra from Detroit
2024
as Vonda
Movies (60)
The Beekeeper
2024
as Eloise Parker
Soul
2020
as Libba Gardner (voice)
Creed
2015
as Mary Anne Creed
Creed II
2018
as Mary Anne Creed
Creed III
2023
as Mary-Anne Creed
A Fall from Grace
2020
as Sarah
Just Wright
2010
as Ella McKnight
The Babysitter's Seduction
1996
as Kate Jacobs
tick, tick... BOOM!
2021
as "Sunday" Legend #12
Frankie & Alice
2010
as Edna
Tour de Pharmacy
2017
as Victoria Young
Ruth & Boaz
2025
as Naomi
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
2020
as Grandmother Journey
The Earth Day Special
1990
as Clair Huxtable
Black Box
2020
as Lillian
For Colored Girls
2010
as Gilda
Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King
2020
as Self - Actress
NBC 75th Anniversary Special
2002
as Self
Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man
2001
as Cassandra Hawkins
Our Son
2023
as Maya
Show of Titles
2021
as "There's No Business Like Show Business" Performer
Between the World and Me
2020
as Self
Mickey's 60th Birthday
1988
as Disneyland Cleaning Lady
Gods Behaving Badly
2013
as Demeter
Good Deeds
2012
as Wilimena Deeds
Steel Magnolias
2012
as Clairee
Free of Eden
1999
as Desiree
Life's Essentials with Ruby Dee
2014
as Self
A Raisin in the Sun
2008
as Lena Younger
The Possession of Michael D.
1995
as Dr. Marion Hale (Psychiatrist)
Being Mary Tyler Moore
2023
as Self (voice)
Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored
1996
as Ma Ponk
Jailbirds
1991
as Janice Grant
Uncle Tom's Cabin
1987
as Eliza
Emily & Tim
2015
as Emily (Segment 5)
Polly
1989
as Aunt Polly
Hallelujah
1993
as Mayor Turner
We're Fighting Back
1981
Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist
2021
as Self
The Old Settler
2001
as Elizabeth Barney
David's Mother
1994
as Gladys Johnson
VH1 Hip Hop Honors: All Hail the Queens
2016
The Visit
2001
as Dr. Coles
Bob Hope's Four-Star Christmas Fiesta from San Antonio
1992
as Self
August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand
2015
as Self
The Cosby Show: A Look Back
2002
as Self / Clair Huxtable (archive footage)
Change of Plans
2011
as Dorothy
Heaven Down Here
2023
as Nancy
Polly: Comin' Home!
1990
as Aunt Polly
False Witness
1989
as Lynne Jacobi
Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous
2021
as Anna Campbell
Twenty Pearls: The Story of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
2021
as Narrator (voice)
Charlie's Place
2018
as Narrator (voice)
Coretta Scott
as Self - Narrator (voice)
The Broad Coalition
1972
JFK: The Lost Inaugural Gala
2017
as Self - Host
Dinosaur - Preshow
1998
as Dr Helen Marsh
The Debbie Allen Special
1989
as Self
God and the Inner City
2003
as Self (voice)
Dreams Worth While: The Journey of "A Raisin in the Sun"
as Self
About Phylicia Rashād
Phylicia Rashad (née Ayers-Allen; born June 19, 1948) is an American actress. She was most recently dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University before her three-year contract ended in May 2024. Known for her roles on stage and screen, she has received two Tony Awards as well as nominations for six Primetime Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992) which earned her two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series n… With 94 credits spanning from 1948 to 2025, Phylicia Rashād has appeared in 60 films and 34 TV shows.
Fans searching for Phylicia Rashād movies, Phylicia Rashād filmography, or the latest projects starring Phylicia Rashād can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Phylicia Rashād Movies
- The Beekeeper (2024) — as Eloise Parker
- Soul (2020) — as Libba Gardner (voice)
- Creed (2015) — as Mary Anne Creed
- Creed II (2018) — as Mary Anne Creed
- Creed III (2023) — as Mary-Anne Creed
Where to Watch Phylicia Rashād Films
Most Phylicia Rashād movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Phylicia Rashād, check our movies catalogue and browse page.