Charlaine "Charlayne" Woodard (born December 29, 1953) is an American playwright and actress.
She is a two-time
Obie Award
The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...
winner as well as a
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
and Drama Desk nominee. She was a series regular on the hit FX TV series ''
Pose''. She played the title role in the Showtime movie ''Run For The Dream: The Gail Devers’ Story''. Starring as ''
Cindy'' in the ABC Movie of the Week, Woodard was the first black Cinderella portrayed on TV or film. She is in
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television ser ...
' miniseries ''
Secret Invasion'' as Priscilla Fury, which premiered on June 21, 2023.
Career
Woodard began her professional career in 1976 performing in the road company of
''Don't Bother Me I Can't Cope'', written by
Micki Grant and directed by Vinette Carroll, the first black female director on Broadway. In 1977, she made her Broadway debut in the revival of ''Hair'', directed by
Tom O’Horgan; played a supporting role in the movie version of
''Hair'', directed by
Milos Forman; starred as Cindy in the NBC Movie of the Week, ''Cindy''; and performed on ''
The Tonight Show''.
In 1978, she was in the original company of the hit musical
''Ain't Misbehavin, for which she was nominated for both a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She reprised her role at
Her Majesty's Theater in London's West End; the Aquarius theater in Los Angeles; and ten years after the Broadway opening, the Broadway revival with the original cast.
NBC taped and broadcast the hit musical with the original Broadway cast.
RCA released the original cast album.
Charlayne Woodard has written and performed five solo plays: ''Neat'', ''Pretty Fire'', ''In Real Life'', ''The Night Watcher'' and ''Flight''.
''The Garden'', a two-hander commissioned by the
La Jolla Playhouse, was produced at both
Baltimore Center Stage and The LaJolla Playhouse. Woodard's plays are published by
Dramatists Play Service.
As an actress, Woodard's off-Broadway theatre credits include ''Daddy'' (2019) by
Jeremy O. Harris, directed by
Danya Taymor Signature Theater; played Gertrude to
Oscar Issac's Hamlet, directed by
Sam Gold, at the Public Theater; ''War'' (2016) by Brandon-Jacobs Jenkins, directed by Liliana Blain-Cruz at Lincoln Center; the 2014 revival of ''
The Substance of Fire'' by
John Robin Baitz, directed by Trip Cullman at Second Stage; ''
The Witch of Edmonton'' (2010) directed by Jessie Berger, for which she was awarded her second Obie Award, at The Red Bull Theatre Company; world premiere of in the ''Blood'' (1999) by
Suzan-Lori Parks directed by
David Esbjornson for which she was awarded her first Obie Award; ''Fabulation'' (2004) by
Lynn Nottage, directed by
Kate Whorisky at Playwright's Horizons; ''Stunning'' (2009) by
David Adjmi, directed By
Anne Kauffman at LCT3; ''
Sorrows and Rejoicings'', written and directed by
Athol Fugard
Harold Athol Lanigan Fugard (; 11 June 19328 March 2025) was a South African playwright, novelist, actor and director. Widely regarded as South Africa's greatest playwright and acclaimed as "the greatest active playwright in the English-speaki ...
at Second Stage for which she received an Audelco Award; ''
The Caucasian Chalk Circle'' (1990), directed by
George C. Wolfe at the Public Theatre; ''
Twelfth Night'' (1989) alongside
Michelle Pfeiffer,
Gregory Hines,
Jeff Goldblum, and
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio at
Shakespeare in the Park; ''Paradise'' (1985) a musical with lyrics by George C. Wolfe, music by Robert Forest, directed by Ted Pappas at Playwrights Horizons. Woodard's regional credits include:
''Midsummer Night's Dream'', directed by Chris Ashley, as well as ''Shout Up A Morning'', directed by
Des McAnuff, both at the La Jolla Playhouse; ''
The Taming of the Shrew'' (Kate), directed by
Rebecca Taishman at Shakespeare Theatre Company; ''
The Good Person of Szechwan'', adapted by Tony Kushner, directed by Lisa Peterson at the LaJolla Playhouse; and ''
Purgatorio'' by
Ariel Dorfman, directed by David Esbjornson at Seattle Rep.
Notable film roles include
''Hard Feelings'' (1982) for which she received a Canadian Genie Award for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress nomination;
''Crackers'' (1984) alongside
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He is known for his intense leading man roles in film. List of awards and nominations received by Sean Penn, His accolades include two Academy Awards, a Golden Gl ...
,
Donald Sutherland and
Jack Warner, directed by
Louis Malle;
''Twister'' (1989), alongside
Tim Robbins
Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film '' The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and Jacob Singer in '' Jacob's Ladder'' (1990), as well as winning an Academy ...
,
Dylan McDermott and
Harry Dean Stanton, directed by
Michael Almereyda; ''
One Good Cop'' (1991) alongside
Michael Keaton (1991); ''An Eye for an Eye'' (1995) opposite
Sally Field and
Kiefer Sutherland; Tituba in the 1996 drama film
''The Crucible'', alongside
Daniel Day-Lewis and
Winona Ryder
Winona Laura Horowitz (born ), known professionally as Winona Ryder, is an American actress. Having come to attention playing quirky characters in the late 1980s, she achieved success with her more dramatic performances in the 1990s. Ryder's L ...
, directed by
Nicolas Hytner; ''
Touched By Evil'' (1997) alongside
Paula Abdul; ''Around The Fire'' (1998) directed by John Jacobson;
John Sayle’s
''Sunshine State'' (2002) alongside
Angela Bassett;
M. Night Shyamalan
Manoj Nelliyattu M. Night Shyamalan ( ; born August 6, 1970) is an American filmmaker. His films often employ supernatural plots and twist endings. The cumulative gross of his films exceeds $3.3 billion globally. Shyamalan has received vario ...
’s ''Unbreakable'' (2000) and its sequel
''Glass'' (2019) alongside Samuel L. Jackson; ''
The Million Dollar Hotel'' (2000) alongside
Mel Gibson, directed by
Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker and photographer, who is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among the honors he has received are prizes from the Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, Venice International Film ...
; ''
Things Never Said'' (2013) written and directed by Charles Murray.
Among Woodard's many TV roles are Priscilla Fury in
Marvel Studios
Marvel Studios, LLC, formerly known as Marvel Films, is an American film and television production company. Marvel Studios is the creator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe of films and television ser ...
' miniseries, ''
Secret Invasion'' (2023) which reunites her with Jackson; season regular on
''Pose'' (2018); recurring roles on ''
In Treatment'' Season 4;
''Animal Kingdom'' (2021);
''Prodigal Son'' 2019 – 2020); ''
Sneaky Pete'' (2019); ''
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'' (2008); ''
Sweet Justice
''Sweet Justice'' is an American legal drama television series created by John Romano and starring Cicely Tyson and Melissa Gilbert. The hour-long series ran from September 15, 1994, to August 12, 1995, on NBC. The series was produced by Trot ...
'' (1994); Sister Peg on
''Law and Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2002 to 2011),
''ER'' (2006–2007); and ''
Chicago Hope'' (1994–2000).
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
* (as Charlaine Woodard)
*
Charlayne Woodard's Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woodard, Charlayne
1953 births
Living people
American film actresses
American television actresses
Actresses from Albany, New York
20th-century African-American actresses
20th-century American actresses
21st-century African-American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Obie Award recipients
21st-century African-American people