Deborah Ann Morgan (born September 20, 1956) is an American film and television actress. She played the role of Angie Baxter–Hubbard on the ABC soap opera ''

All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2013, via Hulu, Hulu Plus, and ...

'' for which she was the first African-American to win the

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

for

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre-, or even gender-, specific. Begin ...

in 1989. She is also known for her role as the Seer in the fourth and fifth seasons of ''

Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcas ...

''. In film, she received critical acclaim for her performance as Mozelle Batiste-Delacroix in ''

Eve's Bayou ''Eve's Bayou'' is a 1997 American Southern Gothic drama film written and directed by Kasi Lemmons, who made her directorial debut with this film. Samuel L. Jackson served as a producer, and starred in the film with Lisa Nicole Carson, Jurnee ...

'' (1997) for which she won the

Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female The Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female was an award presented annually by Film Independent. It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an absolutely outstanding performance in a supporting role while working in an indepen ...

. From 2014 to 2021 she played a recurring role as Estelle Green in the

starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz cons ...

crime drama series ''

Power Power most often refers to: * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events ** Abusive power Power may a ...

'' and its spinoff '' Power Book II: Ghost'', and from 2021 to 2022 co-starred in the Fox drama series ''

Our Kind of People ''Our Kind of People'' is an American drama television series that premiered on Fox on September 21, 2021, as a fall entry during the 2021–22 television season. The series, created by Karin Gist and Wendy Calhoun, is inspired by the 1999 boo ...

''.

Early life

Morgan was born in

Dunn, North Carolina Dunn is the largest city of Harnett County, North Carolina, Harnett County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,263 at the 2010 census, and an estimated 9,718 in 2018. It is the anchor city of the Dunn Micropolitan Area, populati ...

, the daughter of Lora, a teacher, and George Morgan, Jr., a butcher. She has a younger sister, Terry. The family relocated to the Bronx when Morgan was still a child. In a 1997 interview with ''

People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

'', Morgan revealed that her father was an abusive alcoholic. While he never physically harmed his daughters, Morgan recalled her mother running from her father often. Her father died of

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...

in 1975. Morgan graduated from Aquinas High School.

Career

Morgan's earliest film role was in the movie ''

Monkey Hustle ''The Monkey Hustle'' (also written as ''The Monkey Hu$tle'') is a 1976 American blaxploitation film written by Odie Hawkins and Charles Eric Johnson. It stars Yaphet Kotto as Chicago con-man and "hustler" Daddy Foxx and Kirk Calloway as his teen ...

'' in 1976. She played the role of Vi. Morgan's earliest recurring role was on ''

What's Happening!! ''What's Happening!!'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on ABC from August 5, 1976, until April 28, 1979, premiering as a summer series. Due to other shows being cancelled across the network, and good ratings and reviews from ...

'' from 1976 to 1977 as Diane Harris, and also appeared on ''

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was television's first Afric ...

''. In 1979, she received critical acclaim for her portrayal of

Alex Haley Alexander Murray Palmer Haley (August 11, 1921 – February 10, 1992) was an American writer and the author of the 1976 book '' Roots: The Saga of an American Family.'' ABC adapted the book as a television miniseries of the same name and ...

's great-aunt Elizabeth Harvey on the 1979 miniseries '' Roots: The Next Generations'', and her guest-starring role as Curtis Jackson's ex-girlfriend turned prostitute on '' The White Shadow''. Her most famous role was

Angie Baxter Hubbard Jesse and Angela "Angie" Hubbard are fictional characters and a supercouple from the ABC and The Online Network daytime drama ''All My Children''. Jesse is portrayed by Darnell Williams and Angie is portrayed by Debbi Morgan.From 1990 to 1991, Ang ...

on the

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...

''All My Children'', a role she originally played from January 1982 to July 1990. Her portrayal of Angie struck a chord with many Black viewers across America. Angie and her love interest,

Jesse Hubbard Jesse Hubbard (born September 18, 1975) is a former professional lacrosse player who played professional box lacrosse in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and professional field lacrosse in the Major League Lacrosse (MLL). Background Hubbard st ...

(

Darnell Williams Darnell Williams (born 3 March 1955) is a British-born soap opera actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Jesse Hubbard on the ABC soap opera ''All My Children'' from 1981 to 1988, and from 2008 to 2011, a role which has earned him two Day ...

), became the first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

" supercouple" on the daytime serials. In 1989, Morgan won the

for

(which she shares with '' Santa Barbara'' actress Nancy Lee Grahn). She and Williams also co-hosted a music video show titled '' New York Hot Tracks'' in the mid-1980s. After leaving ''All My Children'', Morgan played the role of Chantal Marshall on the NBC soap opera, ''

Generations A generation is "all of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively." Generation or generations may also refer to: Science and technology * Generation (particle physics), a division of the elementary particles * Gen ...

'' (replacing actress Sharon Brown) and remained with the show until it ended. She then reprised her role as Angie Hubbard on ABC's ''

Loving Loving may refer to: * Love, a range of human emotions * Loving (surname) * ''Loving v. Virginia'', a 1967 landmark United States Supreme Court civil rights case Film and television * Loving (1970 film), ''Loving'' (1970 film), an American fi ...

'' in 1993. In 1995, she brought the same character to '' The City'' (a retooled version of ''Loving''), making Morgan one of the few performers to portray the same character on three different soap operas. From 1997 to 1998, she also played Dr. Ellen Burgess on ''

Port Charles ''Port Charles'' (commonly abbreviated as ''PC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from June 1, 1997, to October 3, 2003. It was a spin-off of the series ''General Hospital'', which has been running since 1963 and takes pl ...

''. In the 1980s and 1990s, Morgan became a ''de facto'' symbol for the possibilities for black women as all of her soap opera roles involved her playing a successful doctor. Morgan garnered much acclaim from movie critics for her portrayal of clairvoyant Mozelle Batiste Delacroix in director

Kasi Lemmons Kasi Lemmons (; born Karen Lemmons, February 24, 1961) is an American film director, screenwriter, and actress. She made her directorial debut with ''Eve's Bayou'' (1997), followed by '' Talk to Me'' (2007), ''Black Nativity'' (2013), '' Harriet ...

' drama film ''

'' (1997). For her portrayal, she won a

Chicago Film Critics Association The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) is an association of professional film critics, who work in print, broadcast and online media, based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The organization was founded in 1990 by film critics Sharon LeM ...

Award and an

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glas ...

and was nominated for an

Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

. She later left soap operas and began her film career with roles in ''

She's All That ''She's All That'' is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Robert Iscove. It stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard, and Paul Walker. After being dumped by his girlfriend, Zack Siler boasts he could ...

'' (1999), '' The Hurricane'' (1999), '' Love & Basketball'' (2000), ''

Woman Thou Art Loosed ''Woman Thou Art Loosed'' is a 2004 American drama film directed by Michael Schultz and written by Stan Foster. It was produced by Stan Foster and Reuben Cannon. It is the 44th film or series directed by Schultz and is adapted from the self-h ...

'' (2004), ''

Coach Carter ''Coach Carter'' is a 2005 American biographical teen sports drama film starring Samuel L. Jackson and directed by Thomas Carter (no relation). The film is based on the true story of Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter (played ...

'' (2005), ''

Relative Strangers ''Relative Strangers'' is a 2006 American comedy film directed by Greg Glienna. Plot Thirty-four-year-old psychologist Richard Clayton's (Ron Livingston) parents reveal to him that he was adopted. He then sets out to find out who his biological ...

'' (2006), and ''

Color of the Cross ''Color of the Cross'' is a 2006 religious film written by, directed by, and starring Jean-Claude La Marre. The film is one of the few depictions of Christ as a black man, and portrays Jesus' persecution as the result of racism. Plot In what w ...

'' (2006). On television, she had roles in ''

The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy ...

'', ''

Strong Medicine ''Strong Medicine'' is an American medical drama with a focus on feminist politics, health issues and class conflict that aired on the Lifetime network from 2000 to 2006. It was created and produced in part by Whoopi Goldberg, who made cameo ...

'', ''

Boston Public ''Boston Public'' is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. Set in Boston, the series centers on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school in the Boston Public Schools district. It feature ...

'', ''

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

'', and ''

Soul Food Soul food is an ethnic cuisine traditionally prepared and eaten by African Americans, originating in the Southern United States.Soul Food originated with the foods that were given to enslaved Black people by their white owners on Souther ...

''. From 2002 to 2003, Morgan played lead character Lora Gibson, opposite

Lea Thompson Lea Katherine Thompson (born May 31, 1961) is an American actress and director. She is best known for her role as Lorraine Baines-McFly in the ''Back to the Future'' film trilogy (1985–1990) and Beverly Switzler in '' Howard the Duck'' (1 ...

, on the Lifetime drama series '' For the People''. She also played the role of the Seer in the fourth and fifth seasons of ''

''. Morgan returned to ''All My Children'' in January 2008; 10 years after leaving daytime television. In May 2009 and 2011, she was nominated for the

for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. In 2011, ABC cancelled ''All My Children'', and Morgan joined the cast of ''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, Wi ...

'' as Yolanda "Harmony" Hamilton on October 7, 2011, exactly two weeks after ''All My Children'' aired its final television episode on September 23, 2011. In 2013, Morgan starred in the internet version of ''All My Children'', reprising her role of Angie Hubbard. The series premiered on April 29, 2013, and was cancelled after a single season. In November 2013, after ''All My Children'' was cancelled, Morgan was cast in

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz cons ...

drama series, ''

'', opposite

Omari Hardwick Omari Latif Hardwick (born January 9, 1974) is an American actor known for his starring role as James "Ghost" St. Patrick, the protagonist of Starz's ''Power'' and his role as Vanderohe in Zack Snyder's ''Army of the Dead'' (2021). He is also kn ...

and

Naturi Naughton Naturi Cora Maria Naughton (born May 20, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Naughton is best known as one-third of the R&B group 3LW and for her acting roles in the films '' Fame'' and '' Notorious'', in which she played rapp ...

. In 2015, she co-starred alongside Richard Lawson and

Vivica A. Fox Vivica Anjanetta Fox (born July 30, 1964) is an American actress, producer, and television host. Fox began her career on ''Soul Train'' (19821983). She eventually continued her career with roles on the daytime television soap operas ''Days of O ...

in two TV One holiday movies: ''Royal Family Thanksgiving'' and ''Royal Family Christmas''. Morgan later played

Toni Braxton Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. Braxton has won ...

's mother in the Lifetime biopic '' Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart''. In 2017, Morgan appeared in the Marvel miniseries '' The Defenders'' playing Delores. The following year, she had a recurring role in the BET drama series '' The Quad''. In 2019, she appeared in the Netflix film ''

Sextuplets A multiple birth is the culmination of one multiple pregnancy, wherein the mother gives birth to two or more babies. A term most applicable to vertebrate species, multiple births occur in most kinds of mammals, with varying frequencies. Such bir ...

'' starring

Marlon Wayans Marlon Lamont Wayans (born July 23, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Wayans began his career portraying a pedestrian in '' I'm Gonna Git You Sucka'' (1988). He went on to regularly collaborate with his brother Shawn W ...

. She starred with

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the g ...

in the Lifetime movie ''Merry Liddle Christmas'' and its sequels. In 2021, she was cast in the

Lee Daniels Lee Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. His first producer credit was ''Monster's Ball'' (2001), for which Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress, making Daniels ...

prime time soap opera, ''

'' opposite

Yaya DaCosta Camara DaCosta Johnson (born November 15, 1982), better known as Yaya DaCosta, is an American actress and model. She was the runner-up in Cycle 3 of ''America's Next Top Model''. DaCosta eventually went to star in ABC's daytime drama series ''All ...

Personal life

Morgan has been married four times and has no children. Her first marriage was to

Charles Weldon Charles Weldon (June 1, 1940 – December 7, 2018) was an actor, director, educator, singer, and songwriter. He was the artistic director of the Negro Ensemble Company for thirteen years. He was the co-founder of the Alumni of this company, ...

from 1980 until 1984. In 1989, Morgan married actor Charles S. Dutton, divorcing in 1994. From 1997 until 2000, Morgan was married to photographer Donn Thompson. Morgan has been married to Jeffrey Winston since June 2009.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music video appearances

* Cameo – " Attack Me with Your Love" (1985), "

Single Life ''Single Life'' is a 1985 album by the funk group Cameo. The album reached No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 58 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. It contained the hit singles " Attack Me With Your Love", which reached No. 3 ...

" (1985)

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Debbi 1950s births Living people Actresses from New York City African-American actresses American film actresses American soap opera actresses American television actresses Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series winners Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female winners Participants in American reality television series People from Dunn, North Carolina 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women