Deborah Ann "Debbi" Morgan is an American film and television actress. Morgan has appeared in a number of film and TV productions, and may be best known for the role of Angie Baxter–Hubbard on the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

soap opera ''

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

''. Morgan 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 (NA ...

for

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series is an award presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre-, ...

for her performance as Angie 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 broadc ...

''. In film, 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, Jur ...

'' (1997) earned critical acclaim and the

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

. More recently she played a recurring role as Estelle Green in the

starz Starz (stylized in all caps as STARZ; pronounced "stars") is an American pay television network owned by Starz Entertainment, and is the flagship property of Starz Inc. Launched in 1994 as a multiplex service of what is now Starz Encore, ...

crime drama series ''

Power Power may refer to: Common meanings * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power, a type of energy * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events Math ...

'' and its spinoff '' Power Book II: Ghost'' from 2014 to 2021, and also co-starred in the

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

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 most populous city of Harnett County, North Carolina, Harnett County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,446 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is, along with Harnett County, part of the Anderson Creek ...

, 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 The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...

'', 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; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce 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 first aired on ABC from August 5, 1976, premiering as a summer series. It also returned as a weekly series, that later aired for the rest of the three seasons, from November 1 ...

'' 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 (actor), Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was televis ...

''. 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 notable 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, An ...

on the

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

''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 television 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 Daytime ...

), became the first

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

supercouple A supercouple or super couple (also known as a power couple) is a popular and/or wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or obsessive fashion. The term originated in the United States, and it was coined in the earl ...

" on daytime soap operas. In 1989, Morgan won the

for

(which she shares with '' Santa Barbara'' actress

Nancy Lee Grahn Nancy Lee Grahn (born April 28, 1956) is an American actress known primarily for her work in daytime soap operas, portraying Julia Wainwright Capwell on '' Santa Barbara'' from 1985–93 and Alexis Davis on ''General Hospital'' since 1996. E ...

). 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 * Genera ...

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

''. 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 earned acclaim from movie critics for her portrayal of clairvoyant Mozelle Batiste Delacroix in director

Kasi Lemmons Kasi Lemmons (; born Karen Lemmons, February 24, 1959) is an American film director, screenwriter, and actress. She made her directorial debut with ''Eve's Bayou'' (1997), followed by ''The Caveman's Valentine'' (2001), ''Talk to Me (2007 film), ...

' 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 criticism, film critics, who work in print, broadcast and online media, based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The organization was founded in 1990 by film cri ...

Award and an

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...

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. The over 40 ...

. 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, Paul Walker, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, Kieran Culkin and Anna Paquin. After being dumped b ...

'' (1999), '' The Hurricane'' (1999), ''

Love & Basketball ''Love & Basketball'' is a 2000 American romantic sports drama film written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood in her feature film directorial debut. The film is produced by Spike Lee and Sam Kit and stars Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps. It tel ...

'' (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- ...

'' (2004), ''

Coach Carter ''Coach Carter'' is a 2005 American biographical sports drama film starring Samuel L. Jackson and directed by Thomas Carter. It is based on the true story of Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter, who made headlines in 1999 for s ...

'' (2005), ''

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

'' (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 ...

'' (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 i ...

'', ''

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 cam ...

'', ''

Boston Public ''Boston Public'' is an American drama (film and television), drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox. Set in Boston, the series centers on Winslow High School, a fictional public high sc ...

'', ''

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

'', and ''

Soul Food Soul food is the ethnic cuisine of African Americans. Originating in the Southern United States, American South from the cuisines of Slavery in the United States, enslaved Africans transported from Africa through the Atlantic slave trade, sou ...

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

Lea Thompson Lea Katherine Thompson (born May 31, 1961) is an American actress, singer, dancer and director. She is best known for her roles as Lorraine Baines-McFly in the ''Back to the Future'' film trilogy (1985–1990), Beverly Switzler in ''Howard t ...

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

''. Morgan, along with costar Darnell Williams, 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 the fictional Genoa City (named after the real-life Genoa City, Wiscon ...

'' 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 appeared in the Web-based reboot 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 in all caps as STARZ; pronounced "stars") is an American pay television network owned by Starz Entertainment, and is the flagship property of Starz Inc. Launched in 1994 as a multiplex service of what is now Starz Encore, ...

drama series, ''

'', opposite

Omari Hardwick Omari Latif Hardwick (born January 9, 1974) is an American actor known for his starring role as James St. Patrick / Ghost, 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-Lewis (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'', playing rapper Lil ...

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

Vivica A. Fox Vivica Anjanetta Fox (born July 30, 1964) is an American actress and producer. She began her career on ''Soul Train'' (19821983) and played roles on the daytime television soap operas ''Days of Our Lives'' (1988) and ''Generations (American TV s ...

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

Toni Braxton Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1966) is an American 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 seven ...

'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 a 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 births ...

'' starring

Marlon Wayans Marlon Lamont Wayans (born July 23, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for his work with his brother Shawn Wayans on The WB sitcom ''The Wayans Bros.'' (1995–1999) and the comedy films ''Don't Be a M ...

. 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 List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...

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 producer, director, and screenwriter. He made his directorial film debut with ''Shadowboxer'' (2005), followed by ''Precious (film), Precious'' (2009) which earned him Academy Award nomin ...

prime time soap opera, ''

'' opposite

Yaya DaCosta Yaya DaCosta (born November 15, 1982) is an American actress and model. She was the runner-up in Cycle 3 of ''America's Next Top Model''. DaCosta eventually went on to star in ABC's daytime drama series ''All My Children'' (2008), ABC's comedy ...

. In 2023 she portrayed

Keyshia Cole Keyshia Myeshia Cole (née Johnson; born October 15, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, television personality and actress. Dubbed by critics as the " Princess of Hip-Hop Soul", she is known for her soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics. Bor ...

's mother in the Lifetime biopic ''Keyshia Cole: This is My Story''. Jasmine Blu from ''TVfanatic'' wrote in her review: "Debbi Morgan, though, has always been a force, a legend who deserves every last bit of her flowers right here and now. To say she stole this film would be the understatement of the century. She was magnificent. She did such a remarkable job playing Frankie; there were moments it literally gave me chills. It's almost eerie how well Morgan embodied the late mother and grandmother." Morgan later was cast in the drama film '' Divorce in the Black'' written and directed by

Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of Madea, Mabel "Madea" Simmons, a tough elderly woman, and also portrays her brother Joe Simmons and her ...

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 American 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 ...

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 (band), Cameo. The album reached No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 58 on the Billboard 200, Billboard Pop Albums chart. It contained the hit singles "Attack Me With Your ...

" (1985)

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Debbi 1950s births Living people Actresses from New York City 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 actresses 21st-century American actresses 20th-century African-American actresses 20th-century American actresses Year of birth missing (living people)