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Phylicia Rashād

Phylicia Rashād

Known For Acting
Birthday Jun 19, 1948 (77)
Birthplace Houston, Texas, USA
Popularity 2 (history)
Updated Nov 15, 2025
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
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

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Profile
Filmography

Ruth & Boaz

Ruth & Boaz

2025

as Naomi

The Beekeeper

The Beekeeper

2024

as Eloise Parker

Creed III

Creed III

2023

as Mary-Anne Creed

Heaven Down Here

Heaven Down Here

2023

as Nancy

Our Son

Our Son

2023

as Maya

tick, tick... BOOM!

tick, tick... BOOM!

2021

as "Sunday" Legend #12

Black Box

Black Box

2020

as Lillian

A Fall from Grace

A Fall from Grace

2020

as Sarah

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

2020

as Grandmother Journey

Soul

Soul

2020

as Libba Gardner (voice)

Creed II

Creed II

2018

as Mary Anne Creed

Tour de Pharmacy

Tour de Pharmacy

2017

as Victoria Young

Creed

Creed

2015

as Mary Anne Creed

Emily & Tim

Emily & Tim

2015

as Emily (Segment 5)

Gods Behaving Badly

Gods Behaving Badly

2013

as Demeter

Steel Magnolias

Steel Magnolias

2012

as Clairee

Good Deeds

Good Deeds

2012

as Wilimena Deeds

Change of Plans

Change of Plans

2011

as Dorothy

Frankie & Alice

Frankie & Alice

2010

as Edna

Just Wright

Just Wright

2010

as Ella McKnight

For Colored Girls

For Colored Girls

2010

as Gilda

A Raisin in the Sun

A Raisin in the Sun

2008

as Lena Younger

The Old Settler

The Old Settler

2001

as Elizabeth Barney

Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man

Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man

2001

as Cassandra Hawkins

The Visit

The Visit

2001

as Dr. Coles

Free of Eden

Free of Eden

1999

as Desiree

The Babysitter's Seduction

The Babysitter's Seduction

1996

as Kate Jacobs

The Possession of Michael D.

The Possession of Michael D.

1995

as Dr. Marion Hale (Psychiatrist)

David's Mother

David's Mother

1994

as Gladys Johnson

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

1993

as Mayor Turner

Jailbirds

Jailbirds

1991

as Janice Grant

Polly: Comin' Home!

Polly: Comin' Home!

1990

as Aunt Polly

The Earth Day Special

The Earth Day Special

1990

as Clair Huxtable

False Witness

False Witness

1989

as Lynne Jacobi

Polly

Polly

1989

as Aunt Polly

Mickey's 60th Birthday

Mickey's 60th Birthday

1988

as Disneyland Cleaning Lady

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Uncle Tom's Cabin

1987

as Eliza

No data available

No data available

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Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

The Cosby Show

as Clair Huxtable

Episodes: 201

First Aired: Sep 20, 1984

Cosby

as Ruth Lucas

Episodes: 97

First Aired: Sep 16, 1996

Little Bill

as Brenda Glover (voice)

Episodes: 47

First Aired: Nov 28, 1999

Do No Harm

as Dr. Vanessa Young

Episodes: 13

First Aired: Jan 31, 2013

David Makes Man

as Dr. Woods-Trap

Episodes: 11

First Aired: Aug 14, 2019

Diarra from Detroit

as Vonda

Episodes: 8

First Aired: Mar 21, 2024

Curses!

as Georgia (voice)

Episodes: 7

First Aired: Oct 26, 2023

Jean-Claude Van Johnson

as Jane

Episodes: 6

First Aired: Aug 19, 2016

A Different World

as Clair Huxtable

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Sep 24, 1987

The Good Fight

as Renetta Clark

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Feb 19, 2017

This Is Us

as Carol Clarke

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Sep 20, 2016

Psych

as Winnifred Guster

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Jul 07, 2006

Curses!

as Georgia Snitker (voice)

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Oct 26, 2023

Touched by an Angel

as Elizabeth Jessup

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 21, 1994

Grey's Anatomy

as Nell Timms

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 27, 2005

Reading Rainbow

as Narrator (voice)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 06, 1983

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

as Lady Fulton (voice)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 12, 1995

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

as Jane Goodfellow (voice)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Dec 14, 1987

Sofia the First

as Mountain Witch (voice)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 11, 2013

Little America

as Margaret Jean the Queen

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 17, 2020

Station 19

as Pilar

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 22, 2018

Inside the Black Box

Episodes: 20

First Aired: Jan 01, 2022

In the House

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 10, 1995

Everybody Hates Chris

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 22, 2005

Tamron Hall

as Self - Guest

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 09, 2019

Blossom

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 05, 1990

Bull

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 15, 2000

Intimate Portrait

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 14, 1993

The Rosie O'Donnell Show

as Self - Guest

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 10, 1996

Tony Awards

as Self - Presenter

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Apr 01, 1956

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 21 33 12
2024 7 21 39 9
2024 8 14 28 8
2024 9 12 22 4
2024 10 9 19 4
2024 11 10 25 4
2024 12 9 18 5
2025 1 13 23 5
2025 2 5 10 1
2025 3 4 12 1
2025 4 1 1 1
2025 5 3 5 1
2025 6 2 2 1
2025 7 1 1 0
2025 8 0 1 0
2025 9 0 0 0
2025 10 1 2 0
2025 11 1 1 0
2025 12 1 2 1

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
2025 11 567 531

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