Phylicia Rashad
Personal Information
PHYLICIA RASHAD is a native of Houston, Texas. Ms. Rashad graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre from Howard University. Broadway credits include: The Roundabout Theatre’s productions of Blue, Jelly’s Last Jam, Into the Woods, Dreamgirls, the Wiz and Ain’t Suppose to die a Natural Death. Off-Broadway credits include Helen directed by Tony Kushner and Thulani Davis’ Everybody’s Ruby at the NYSF Public theatre. The Negro Ensemble Company productions of Puppet Play, Zooman and The Sign, Son’s and Fathers of Sons; In An Upstate Motel, Weep Not For Me and the Great Mac Daddy; Lincoln Center’s production of Ed Bullins’ The Duplex and The Sirens at The Manhattan Theatre Club. In regional theatre, she has performed as Euripides’ Medea and in Blues for an Alabama Sky, both under the direction of Kenny Leon at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Other regional theatre’s she has performed at are The Arena Stage in Washington, DC and The Huntington Theatre in Boston. Best known for her role as “Claire Huxtable’ on The Cosby Show and as ‘Ruth Lucas’ on the CBS sitcom Cosby. She received the NAACP Image Award for “Best Actress in a Comedy Series” for both of these roles. She has also been nominated for two Emmy Awards and has received two People’s Choice Awards. Feature film credits include: Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored, directed by Tim Reid, Free of Eden (opposite Sydney Poitier), Loving Jezebel, directed by Kwlyn Bader and The Visit, directed by Jordon Walker Pearlman. Television Film credits include The Old Settler directed by Debbie Allen, David’s Mother, False Witness, Jailbirds, and Polly-Comin Home! Other television appearances include Touched By An Angel, Blossom and A Different World. An active participant in charitable and non-profit organizations, Phylicia supports the work of the PRASAD Project, and international charitable organization. She is also committed to the mission of CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, which provides premium pediatric health care and services to children in the District of Columbia, and to RNT – Recruiting New Teachers. In addition to supporting these organizations, Ms. Rashad is dedicated to communicating the importance of The Fine Arts in education. Phylicia has received honorary doctorates from Providence College in Rhode Island, Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Clark University, and Barber- Scotia College and is a recipient of the Harvard University Foundation Award. In 1999 she was the recipient of the Dorothy I Height Dreamaker Award sponsored by the National Council of Negro Women Inc. in association with Aunt Jemima/The Quaker Oats Company. In December of 2001, Ms. Rashad was honored by the Board of Directors of New York Women in film and Television with The Muse Award for Outstanding Vision and Achievement.
 
Credits

Actor
Production Theatre Opened Credit
1 A Midsummer Night's Dream Delacorte Theater 07/31/2017 Titania
2 Head of Passes Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Newman Theater 03/28/2016 Shelah
3 Bernarda Alba Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater 03/06/2006 Bernarda Alba
4 The Story Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Anspacher Theater 12/10/2003 Pat
5 Helen Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Martinson Hall 04/08/2002 Athena
6 Blue Gramercy Theatre 06/28/2001 Peggy Clark
7 The Vagina Monologues Westside Theatre/ Downstairs 10/03/1999 N/A REPLACEMENT
8 Everybody's Ruby Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Anspacher Theater 02/23/1999 Zora Neale Hurston
9 Puppetplay1 Theater Four 11/23/1983 Woman Two
10 Sons and Fathers of Sons1 Theater Four 01/28/1983 Vickie/Melanie
11 In an Upstate Motel1 Theater Four 04/04/1981 Female Shadow
12 Weep Not for Me1 Theater Four 01/27/1981 Janet Adams
13 Zooman and the Sign1 Theater Four 12/07/1980 Rachel Tate/Grace Georges (Understudy)
14 The Great Macdaddy1 St. Mark's Playhouse 02/12/1974 N/A

1Credited as Phylicia Ayers-Allen.

Director
Production Theatre Opened Credit
1 Our Lady of 121st Street Pershing Square Signature Center/ Irene Diamond Stage 05/20/2018 Director
Awards
Award Production Function
1 WON 2016 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play Head of Passes Actor
2 NOMINATED 2016 AUDELCO Award, Lead Actress Head of Passes Actor
3 NOMINATED 2016 Drama League Award, Distinguished Performance Head of Passes Actor
4 NOMINATED 2002 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Lead Actress Blue Actor