Phylicia Rashad, renowned for portraying Claire Huxtable in "The Cosby Show," has starred in series like "This Is Us," "Empire," and the award-winning "David Makes Man." Her stage presence spans Broadway and Off-Broadway roles in "Jelly's Last Jam," "Dreamgirls," "A Raisin in The Sun" (for which she received the Tony Award for Best Actress) and many more. Rashad was honored with a 2016 induction into the Theater Hall of Fame and a Lucille Lortel Award the same year.
Her filmography includes "Creed," "Jingle Jangle," and Tyler Perry's "A Fall From Grace." Rashad made a noted directorial debut with August Wilson's "Gem of the Ocean" and continued with plays such as "Fences" and "A Raisin in the Sun." In 2021, she was appointed Dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University and has been involved in numerous educational initiatives, including holding the Denzel Washington Chair in Theatre at Fordham University.
Rashad's contributions have been acknowledged with awards like the BET Honors Theatrical Arts Award and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre's Spirit of Shakespeare Award. She serves on boards like the Brainerd Institute Heritage and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, and has been the Brand Ambassador for the National Trust for Historic Preservation African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund since 2017.
Graduating Magna Cum Laude from Howard University, Rashad is a mother to two adult children.