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      Audra McDonald

      Audra McDonald

      Highest Rated: 86% A Raisin in the Sun (2008)

      Lowest Rated: 29% Hello Again (2017)

      Birthday: Jul 3, 1970

      Birthplace: Berlin, Germany

      Audra McDonald emerged as one of the premier musical performers on Broadway before tackling other media. The Berlin-born, Fresno-raised mezzo-soprano began her performing career at age nine in local dinner theaters. At the urging of her educator parents, McDonald enrolled at Juilliard as a voice student, but she secretly harbored the desire to perform on Broadway. She has been candid about finding opera studies difficult ("I had danced around the room singing to Barbra Streisand. That's what I wanted to do," she told The New York Times, August 30, 1998). Taking what she termed a "mental sabbatical," McDonald auditioned for and landed a role in the touring company of the musical "The Secret Garden." In June 1993, she was asked to audition for the proposed revival of "Carousel"; when she opened her mouth to sing, she fainted. Recovering, McDonald went on to impress the producers and, in a bit of non-traditional casting, landed the role of Carrie Pipperidge. While there were a handful of people who had problems with a black woman playing the role opposite a white man, McDonald and her stunning performance impressed audiences and critics. At the end of the season, she won almost every conceivable award as featured actress in a musical, including the Tony Award. Nerves once again played a part in her landing her second major Broadway role. A half-hour before her scheduled audition for the role of a headstrong student who clashes with opera diva Maria Callas, McDonald experienced a panic attack and canceled. When she finally was able to audition, she once again proved impressive. Co-starring opposite the formidable Zoe Caldwell (as Callas), the singer-actress earned her second Tony Award, this time for featured actress in a play. With her career in high drive, McDonald looked into branching to other media. She made her film debut in the small role of an opera singer in "Seven Servants" (1996) and her "Carousel" director, Nicholas Hytner, cast her as a singer at a wedding in "The Object of My Affection" (1997). Her biggest break, though, seemed to occur when she landed the role of Bill Cosby's daughter in the 1996 CBS pilot for his return to sitcoms. McDonald soon found herself in a dilemma, however. She had been participating in the workshops for the new musical "Ragtime" and the stage show was set to begin rehearsals for its world premiere in Toronto. Faced with this difficult choice, McDonald opted to remain with "Ragtime," playing the brief but memorable role of Sarah, the servant who loves the proud Coalhouse Walker Jr. Proving that her instincts were correct, the role brought her a third Tony and almost nightly ovations for her rendition of the lullaby "Your Daddy's Son." (In fact, as the material was developed, the show's creative team decided to incorporate a flashback sequence in the second act so McDonald would have more time on stage.) The Cosby family obviously held no grudges as the actress made her TV dramatic debut as the young Bessie Delany in "Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years" (CBS, 1999), which was produced by Camille Cosby. Within a week, she was also seen in the final episode of the NBC drama series "Homicide: Life on the Street," playing the daughter of Yaphet Kotto's police lieutenant Al Giardello. McDonald remained in demand as a stage performer, as well, debuting in fall 1999 in her first leading role in a musical in "Marie Christine," an adaptation of "Medea" set in New Orleans that was written specifically for her by composer Michael John LaChiusa. Although she did earn a Tony nomination for that role, she did not win. As the new millennium dawned, McDonald divided her time between the concert stage and the small screen. She earned an Emmy nomination for her beautifully rendered performance as a compassionate nurse caring for a terminally ill cancer patient (Emma Thompson) in the HBO adaptation of "Wit" (2001). After a brief time out for motherhood, McDonald returned to the stage to play the Diana Ross-like lead singer in a one-night only benefit concert staging of "Dreamgirls" in fall 2001. While maintaining a strong and varied stage career ranging from Brecht and Weill's "The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny" through the Gershwins' "Porgy and Bess" to the nearly one-woman homage to Billie Holiday "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill," McDonald also expanded her film and television career. McDonald appearing in supporting roles in films ranging from the comedy-drama "It Runs in the Family" (2003) to police corruption drama "Rampart" (2011) to Jonathan Demme's "Ricki and the Flash" (2015). Along with an acclaimed performance in a TV movie adaptation of "A Raisin in the Sun" (ABC 2008), McDonald co-starred in the Shonda Rhimes medical drama "Private Practice" (ABC 2007-2013) for six seasons. McDonald also appeared as the Mother Abbess in "The Sound of Music Live" (NBC 2013), starred in the films "Hello Again" (2016) and appeared as the Wardrobe in Disney's live-action "Beauty and the Beast" (2017).

      Highest rated movies

      86% A Raisin in the Sun
      83% Rustin
      83% Wit
      82% Origin
      74% Rampart
      71% Beauty and the Beast 68% Respect
      67% Down Low

      Photos

      Audra McDonald Audra McDonald at arrivals for THE GOOD FIGHT at PaleyFest New York 2018, Paley Center for Media, New York, NY October 15, 2018. Photo By: Steve Mack/Everett Collection Audra McDonald at arrivals for THE GOOD FIGHT at PaleyFest New York 2018, Paley Center for Media, New York, NY October 15, 2018. Photo By: Steve Mack/Everett Collection Audra McDonald at arrivals for VARIETY's Power Of Women: New York Presented By Lifetime, Cipriani 42nd Street, New York, NY April 21, 2017. Photo By: Andres Otero/Everett Collection Audra McDonald at arrivals for THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS Premiere on HBO, The School of Visual Arts (SVA) Theatre, New York, NY April 18, 2017. Photo By: Lev Radin/Everett Collection Audra McDonald, Sean Coombs, Kenny Leon, Phylicia Rashad at arrivals for TimesTalks: A RAISIN IN THE SUN World Premiere ABC Movie, The New York TimesCenter, New York, NY, February 04, 2008. Photo by: Rob Rich/Everett Collection Audra McDonald at arrivals for The 68th Annual Tony Awards 2014 - Part 4, Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY June 8, 2014. Photo By: Gregorio T. Binuya/Everett Collection Audra McDonald (wearing an Escada gown) at arrivals for The 68th Annual Tony Awards 2014 - Part 4, Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY June 8, 2014. Photo By: Gregorio T. Binuya/Everett Collection Audra McDonald at arrivals for TimesTalks: A RAISIN IN THE SUN World Premiere ABC Movie, The New York TimesCenter, New York, NY, February 04, 2008. Photo by: Rob Rich/Everett Collection Audra McDonald at arrivals for TimesTalks: A RAISIN IN THE SUN World Premiere ABC Movie, The New York TimesCenter, New York, NY, February 04, 2008. Photo by: Rob Rich/Everett Collection The View, Audra McDonald, 08/11/1997, ©ABC The 68th Annual Tony Awards, Audra McDonald (L), Neil Patrick Harris (R), 'Season 1', ©CBS The Good Wife, Audra McDonald, 09/22/2009, ©CBS The 68th Annual Tony Awards, Sutton Foster (L), Audra McDonald (R), 06/08/2014, ©CBS Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill, Audra McDonald, ©HBO The Good Wife, Audra McDonald, 'Runnin' With The Devil', Season 4, Ep. #16, 03/10/2013, ©CBS The View, from left: Whoopi Goldberg, Jenny McCarthy, Sherri Shepherd, Audra McDonald, 08/11/1997, ©ABC The View, from left: Whoopi Goldberg, Jenny McCarthy, Sherri Shepherd, Audra McDonald, 08/11/1997, ©ABC Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill, Audra McDonald, 03/12/2016, ©HBOMR Lady Day At Emerson's Bar and Grill, Audra McDonald, 03/12/2016, ©HBOMR

      Filmography

      Movies

      Credit
      82% 97% Origin Unknown (Character) $4.7M 2023
      83% 83% Rustin Ella Baker (Character) - 2023
      67% No Score Yet Down Low Unknown (Character) - 2023
      68% 95% Respect Barbara Franklin (Character) $24.3M 2021
      29% 55% Hello Again Sally (Character) - 2017
      71% 80% Beauty and the Beast Madame Garderobe (Character) $504.0M 2017
      No Score Yet 70% Lady Day At Emerson's Bar & Grill Unknown (Character) - 2016
      65% 43% Ricki and the Flash Maureen (Character) $26.8M 2015
      74% 35% Rampart Sarah (Character) $969.2K 2011
      No Score Yet 86% Johnny Mercer: The Dream's On Me Unknown (Character) - 2009
      86% 70% A Raisin in the Sun Ruth Younger (Character) - 2008
      40% 15% The Best Thief in the World Ruth (Character) - 2004
      29% 29% It Runs in the Family Sarah Langley (Character) $7.4M 2003
      83% 91% Wit Susie Monahan (Character) - 2001
      No Score Yet No Score Yet The Last Debate Barbara Manning (Character) - 2000
      No Score Yet 71% Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years Bessie (Character) - 1999
      No Score Yet 57% Annie Miss Grace Farrell (Character) - 1999
      No Score Yet No Score Yet Seven Servants Unknown (Character) - 1996

      TV

      Credit
      No Score Yet No Score Yet Great Performances Music Performer,
      Guest,
      Host
      2013 2018 2024
      No Score Yet 9% The View Guest 2014 2017 2021-2022
      95% 66% The Good Fight Liz Reddick-Lawrence (Character) 2018-2022
      67% 93% The Bite Rachel (Character) 2021
      No Score Yet No Score Yet The Talk Guest 2018 2020-2021
      No Score Yet No Score Yet Finding Your Roots Guest 2021
      No Score Yet 61% Late Night With Seth Meyers Guest 2021
      No Score Yet No Score Yet Live From Lincoln Center Host 2012-2019
      No Score Yet 19% The Late Late Show With James Corden Music Performer,
      Guest
      2016 2018
      84% 72% RuPaul's Drag Race Guest 2018
      No Score Yet No Score Yet Sesame Street Unknown (Guest Star) 2017
      No Score Yet No Score Yet Saving My Tomorrow Unknown (Character) 2017
      No Score Yet No Score Yet The Chew Guest 2012 2017
      No Score Yet 47% The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Guest 2016-2017
      100% 29% The Nightly Show With Larry Wilmore Guest 2016
      No Score Yet 44% The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Guest 2016
      100% 90% Late Show With David Letterman Guest 2014
      No Score Yet No Score Yet The Colbert Report Guest 2012 2014
      93% 91% The Good Wife Liz Lawrence (Guest Star) 2013
      No Score Yet 81% Private Practice Dr. Naomi Bennett (Character),
      Unknown (Guest Star)
      2007-2011 2013
      No Score Yet No Score Yet The Wendy Williams Show Guest 2012
      84% 73% Grey's Anatomy Unknown (Guest Star) 2009
      13% No Score Yet The Bedford Diaries Professor Carla Bonatelle (Character) 2006
      No Score Yet No Score Yet Mister Sterling Unknown (Character) 2003
      78% 81% Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Audrey Jackson (Guest Star) 2000