Alfre Ette Woodard (born November 8, 1952) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has been nominated for an Academy Award and Grammy Award, 12 times for Emmy Awards (winning four), and has also won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. She is known for her role in films such as Cross Creek, Miss Firecracker, Grand Canyon, Passion Fish, Primal Fear, Star Trek: First Contact, Miss Evers' Boys, K-PAX, Radio, Take the Lead and The Family That Preys.
Known For
Captain America: Civil War
(2016)
Miriam Sharpe
The Lion King
(2019)
Sarabi (voice)
Dinosaur
(2000)
Plio (voice)
The Gray Man
(2022)
Margaret Cahill
Crooklyn
(1994)
Carolyn Carmichael
The Core
(2003)
Stickley
Annabelle
(2014)
Evelyn
Primal Fear
(1996)
Shoat
K-PAX
(2001)
Claudia Villars
The Forgotten
(2004)
Det. Anne Pope
Star Trek: First Contact
(1996)
Lily Sloane
12 Years a Slave
(2013)
Mistress Shaw
Radio
(2003)
Principal Daniels
Scrooged
(1988)
Grace Cooley
Fatherhood
(2021)
Marian
The Book of Clarence
(2024)
Mother Mary
Full Filmography
Acting
Remember My Name
(1978)
Rita
The Trial of the Moke
(1978)
Lucy Smith
Freedom Road
(1979)
Katie
HealtH
(1980)
Sally Benbow
The Ambush Murders
(1982)
Karisha Ellsworth
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf
(1982)
Woman who lost her stuff
Precious Blood
(1982)
Narrator
Cross Creek
(1983)
Geechee
The Killing Floor
(1984)
Mattie
Black Hollywood
(1984)
Self
Sweet Revenge
(1984)
Vicki Teague
Words by Heart
(1985)
Claudie Sills
Go Tell It on the Mountain
(1985)
Esther
Puss in Boots
(1985)
Princess Lovinia
Extremities
(1986)
Patricia
Unnatural Causes
(1986)
Maude DeVictor
L.A. Law: Pilot
(1986)
Adrianne Moore
Mandela
(1987)
Winnie Mandela
Scrooged
(1988)
Grace Cooley
The Child Saver
(1988)
Andrea Crawford
A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story
(1989)
Mary Thomas
Miss Firecracker
(1989)
Popeye Jackson
Blue Bayou
(1990)
Jessica Filley
Grand Canyon
(1991)
Jane
Passion Fish
(1992)
Chantelle
The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag
(1992)
Ann
Rich in Love
(1992)
Rhody Poole
Bopha!
(1993)
Rosie Mangena
Heart and Souls
(1993)
Penny Washington
Crooklyn
(1994)
Carolyn Carmichael
Blue Chips
(1994)
Lavada McRae
Malcolm X: Make It Plain
(1994)
Narrator
Aliens for Breakfast
(1994)
Mrs. Marks
How to Make an American Quilt
(1995)
Marianna
The Piano Lesson
(1995)
Berniece Charles
Star Trek: First Contact
(1996)
Lily Sloane
Primal Fear
(1996)
Shoat
A Step Toward Tomorrow
(1996)
Dr. Sadlin
Special Report: Journey to Mars
(1996)
Tamara O'Neil
Miss Evers' Boys
(1997)
Eunice Evers, R.N.
The Member of the Wedding
(1997)
Berenice Sadie Brown
The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue
(1997)
Maisie (voice)
Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Nature
(1997)
Narrator
Follow Me Home
(1997)
Evey
Down in the Delta
(1998)
Loretta Sinclair
Mumford
(1999)
Lily
Funny Valentines
(1999)
Joyce May
The Wishing Tree
(1999)
Clara
The Underground Railroad
(1999)
Dinosaur
(2000)
Plio (voice)
Love & Basketball
(2000)
Camille Wright
Holiday Heart
(2000)
Wanda Dean
Lost Souls
(2000)
Dr. Allen
What's Cooking?
(2000)
Audrey Williams
John Henry
(2000)
Polly / Narrator (voice)
The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story
(2000)
Mary Parrish (voice)
Eleanor Roosevelt
(2000)
Narrator (voice)
Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks
(2000)
Narrator
K-PAX
(2001)
Claudia Villars
Disney's American Legends
(2001)
The Wild Thornberrys: The Origin of Donnie
(2001)
Medicine Woman (voice)
The Wild Thornberrys Movie
(2002)
Akela (Cheetah Mother) (voice)
Searching for Debra Winger
(2002)
Self
The Core
(2003)
Stickley
A Wrinkle in Time
(2003)
Mrs. Whatsit
Radio
(2003)
Principal Daniels
The Singing Detective
(2003)
Chief of Staff
Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property
(2003)
Narrator
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
(2003)
The Forgotten
(2004)
Det. Anne Pope
Beauty Shop
(2005)
Ms. Josephine
Take the Lead
(2006)
Augustine James
The Water Is Wide
(2006)
Mrs. Brown
King Leopold's Ghost
(2006)
Ilanga (voice)
Something New
(2006)
Joyce McQueen
Pictures of Hollis Woods
(2007)
Edna Reilly
Nefertiti and the Lost Dynasty
(2007)
Self - Narrator
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys
(2008)
Alice Evans
Reach for Me
(2008)
Evelyn
Medal of Honor
(2008)
Narrator
American Violet
(2008)
Alma Roberts
Henry Box Brown
(2008)
Black Panther
(2010)
Dondi Reece
Steel Magnolias
(2012)
Ouiser
12 Years a Slave
(2013)
Mistress Shaw
The Door
(2013)
E
Annabelle
(2014)
Evelyn
And the Oscar Goes To...
(2014)
Self (archive footage)
Nelson Mandela Redrawn
(2014)
Self
Knucklehead
(2015)
Sheila
Mississippi Grind
(2015)
Sam
A Path Appears
(2015)
Self
Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
(2015)
Mary Lou Williams (voice)
Captain America: Civil War
(2016)
Miriam Sharpe
So B. It
(2016)
Bernadette
Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
(2016)
Herself
Burning Sands
(2017)
Professor Hughes
The Lion King
(2019)
Sarabi (voice)
Saint Judy
(2019)
Judge Benton
Clemency
(2019)
Warden Bernadine Williams
Juanita
(2019)
Juanita
The Lion King: Can You Feel The Love Tonight with Robin Roberts
(2019)
No Small Matter
(2019)
Narrator (voice)
The Making of Clemency
(2020)
Herself
Fatherhood
(2021)
Marian
Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color
(2021)
Alma Thomas (voice)
Dreamland: The Burning of Black Wall Street
(2021)
Mary Parrish (voice)
The Gray Man
(2022)
Margaret Cahill
Weathering
(2023)
Mum
Space Oddity
(2023)
Dr. Olsen
The Book of Clarence
(2024)
Mother Mary
Summer Camp
(2024)
Production