Alfre Woodard is the actress who portrays Josephine Anwhistle in the TV series.
Biography[]
Alfre Woodard was born on November 8, 1952 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the youngest of three children of Constance, a homemaker, and Marion H. Woodard, an interior designer. She was named by her godmother, who claimed she saw a vision of Alfre's name written out in gold letters. A former high school cheerleader and track star, she got the acting bug after being persuaded to audition for a school play by a nun at her school. She went on to study acting at Boston University and enjoyed a brief stint on Broadway before moving to Los Angeles, California. She got her first break in Remember My Name (1978) which also starred Jeff Goldblum. She lives in Santa Monica, California with her husband, writer Roderick M. Spencer, and their two adopted children: Mavis and Duncan. She was named one of the Most Beautiful People in America by People Magazine.[1]
A Series of Unfortunate Events[]
Woodard was excited to act in A Series of Unfortunate Events, as her children grew up reading the books. She was also happy to do something "inventive and out of the ordinary."
Woodard was able to relate to Josephine Anwhistle due to their shared love of grammar. She expressed that she didn't want to play Josephine in a constant state of fear, and that the fear should surprise her as it came.[2]
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Remember My Name | Rita | |
| 1978 | The Trial of the Moke | Lucy | |
| 1979 | Freedom Road | Katie | |
| 1980 | HealtH | Sally Benbow | |
| 1982 | The Ambush Murders | Kariha Ellsworth | |
| 1983 | Cross Creek | Geechee | |
| 1984 | Sweet Revenge | Vicki Teague | |
| 1984 | Go Tell It on the Mountain | Esther | |
| 1985 | Words by Heart | Claudie Sills | |
| 1986 | Extremities | Patricia | |
| 1986 | Unnatural Causes | Maude DeVictor | |
| 1987 | The Line | Denise Powell | |
| 1987 | Mandela | Winnie Mandela | |
| 1988 | The Child Saver | Andrea Crawford | |
| 1988 | Scrooged | Grace Cooley | |
| 1989 | Miss Firecracker | Popeye Jackson | |
| 1989 | A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story | Mary Thomas | |
| 1990 | Blue Bayou | Jessica Filley | |
| 1991 | Grand Canyon | Jane | |
| 1991 | Pretty Hattie's Baby | Hattie | |
| 1992 | The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag | Ann | |
| 1992 | Passion Fish | Chantelle | |
| 1992 | Rich in Love | Rhody Poole | |
| 1993 | Heart and Souls | Penny Washington | |
| 1993 | Bopha! | Rosie Mangena | |
| 1994 | Blue Chips | Lavada McRae | |
| 1994 | Race to Freedom: The Underground Railroad | Harriet Tubman | |
| 1994 | Crooklyn | Carolyn | |
| 1995 | The Piano Lesson | Berniece Charles | |
| 1995 | How to Make an American Quilt | Marianna | |
| 1995 | Statistically Speaking | Short | |
| 1996 | Follow Me Home | Evey | |
| 1996 | Special Report: Journey to Mars | Tamara O'Neil | |
| 1996 | Primal Fear | Shoat | |
| 1996 | A Step Toward Tomorrow | Dr. Sandlin | |
| 1996 | Star Trek: First Contact | Lily | |
| 1997 | A Member of the Wedding | Berenice Sadie Brown | |
| 1997 | Miss Evers' Boys | Eunice Evers, R.N. | |
| 1997 | The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue | Maisie | Voice |
| 1998 | Down in the Delta | Loretta Sinclair | |
| 1998 | Secrets | Short | |
| 1999 | Funny Valentines | Joyce May | |
| 1999 | Mumford | Lily | |
| 1999 | The Wishing Tree | Clara | |
| 2000 | What's Cooking? | Audrey Williams | |
| 2000 | Love & Basketball | Camille Wright | |
| 2000 | Dinosaur | Plio | Voice |
| 2000 | Lost Souls | Dr. Allen | Uncredited |
| 2000 | John Henry | Polly / Narrator | Voice |
| 2000 | Holiday Heart | Wanda Dean | |
| 2001 | The Wild Thornberrys: The Origin of Donnie | Medicine Woman | Voice |
| 2001 | K-PAX | Dr. Claudia Villars | |
| 2002 | The Wild Thornberrys Movie | Akela (Cheetah Mother) | Voice |
| 2002 | Baby of the Family | Rachel | |
| 2003 | The Singing Detective | Chief of Staff | |
| 2003 | Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property | Narrator | |
| 2003 | The Core | Stickley | |
| 2003 | A Wrinkle in Time | Mrs. Whatsit | |
| 2003 | Radio | Principal Daniels | |
| 2004 | The Forgotten | Anne Pope | |
| 2005 | Beauty Shop | Ms. Josephine | |
| 2006 | The Water Is Wide | Mrs. Brown | |
| 2006 | Something New | Joyce McQueen | |
| 2006 | Take the Lead | Augustine James | |
| 2007 | Pictures of Hollis Woods | Edna Reilly | |
| 2008 | Bury Me Standing | ||
| 2008 | American Violet | Alma Roberts | |
| 2008 | The Family That Preys | Alice Pratt | |
| 2008 | Reach for Me | Nurse Evelyn | |
| 2008 | AmericanEast | Angela Jensen | |
| 2009 | Maggie Hill | Virginia | |
| 2012 | Steel Magnolias | Ouiser | |
| 2013 | The Door | E | Short |
| 2013 | 12 Years a Slave | Mistress Shaw | |
| 2014 | Annabelle | Evelyn | |
| 2015 | Mississippi Grind | Sam | |
| 2015 | Knucklehead | Sheila | |
| 2016 | Captain America: Civil War | Miriam | |
| 2016 | So B. It | Bernadette | |
| 2017 | Burning Sands | Professor Hughes | |
| 2018 | Saint Judy | Judge Benton | |
| 2019 | Clemency | Warden Bernadinie Williams | |
| 2019 | Juanita | Juanita | |
| 2019 | The Investigation: A Search for the Truth in Ten Acts | Hope Hicks | |
| 2019 | The Lion King | Sarabi | Voice |
| Fatherhood |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The White Shadow | Sandra Wilcox | One Episode |
| 1981 | Palmerstown, U.S.A. | Nona | One Episode |
| 1981 | Enos | Darlene | One Episode |
| 1981 | The Sophisticated Gents | Evelyn Evers | |
| 1982-1983 | Tucker's Witch | Marcia Fulbright | |
| 1983 | Hill Street Blues | Doris Robson | |
| 1982-1985 | American Playhouse | Esther / Mattie | |
| 1985 | Sara | Rozalyn Dupree | |
| 1985 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Princess Lovinia | One Episode |
| 1986 | L.A. Law | Adrianne Moore | One Episode |
| 1985-1988 | St. Elsewhere | Dr. Roxanne Turner | |
| 1994 | Frasier | Edna | One Episode |
| 1996 | Gulliver's Travels | Queen of Brobdingnag | One Episode |
| 1997 | Adventures from the Book of Virtues | Harriet Tubman | One Episode |
| 1997 | Happily Ever After: Fairy tales for Every Child | Winsome Bear | One Episode |
| 1998 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Dr. Roxanne Turner | One Episode |
| 2003 | The Practice | Denise Freeman | |
| 2003 | Static Shock | Jean Hawkins | One Episode |
| 2005 | Inconceivable | Dr. Lydia Crawford | |
| 2005-2006 | Desperate Housewives | Betty Applewhite | |
| 2008 | My Own Worst Enemy | Mavis Heller / Helen | |
| 2010 | Black Panther | Dondi Reece / Various | |
| 2009-2010 | Three Rivers | Dr. Sophia Jordan | |
| 2010-2011 | Memphis Beat | Lt. Tanya Rice | |
| 2011 | Grey's Anatomy | Justine Campbell | One Episode |
| 2010-2012 | True Blood | Ruby Jean Reynolds | |
| 2012 | Private Practice | Dee Bennett | One Episode |
| 2013 | Copper | Hattie Lemaster | |
| 2014-2015 | State of Affairs | President Constance Payton | |
| 2015-2015 | The Last Ship | Amy Granderson | |
| 2017-2018 | A Series of Unfortunate Events | Josephine Anwhistle | |
| 2018 | Empire | Renee | |
| 2016-2018 | Luke Cage | Mariah Dillard | |
| 2019 | See | Paris |
Gallery[]
