Audra McDonald

Audra McDonald Headshot

Actress • Singer

Birth Date: July 3, 1970

Age: 53 years old

Birth Place: Berlin, Germany

Audra McDonald emerged as one of the premier musical performers on Broadway before tackling other media. The Berlin-born, Fresno-raised mezzo-soprano began her performing career at age nine in local dinner theaters. At the urging of her educator parents, McDonald enrolled at Juilliard as a voice student, but she secretly harbored the desire to perform on Broadway. She has been candid about finding opera studies difficult ("I had danced around the room singing to Barbra Streisand. That's what I wanted to do," she told The New York Times, August 30, 1998). Taking what she termed a "mental sabbatical," McDonald auditioned for and landed a role in the touring company of the musical "The Secret Garden." In June 1993, she was asked to audition for the proposed revival of "Carousel"; when she opened her mouth to sing, she fainted. Recovering, McDonald went on to impress the producers and, in a bit of non-traditional casting, landed the role of Carrie Pipperidge. While there were a handful of people who had problems with a black woman playing the role opposite a white man, McDonald and her stunning performance impressed audiences and critics. At the end of the season, she won almost every conceivable award as featured actress in a musical, including the Tony Award. Nerves once again played a part in her landing her second major Broadway role. A half-hour before her scheduled audition for the role of a headstrong student who clashes with opera diva Maria Callas, McDonald experienced a panic attack and canceled. When she finally was able to audition, she once again proved impressive. Co-starring opposite the formidable Zoe Caldwell (as Callas), the singer-actress earned her second Tony Award, this time for featured actress in a play. With her career in high drive, McDonald looked into branching to other media. She made her film debut in the small role of an opera singer in "Seven Servants" (1996) and her "Carousel" director, Nicholas Hytner, cast her as a singer at a wedding in "The Object of My Affection" (1997). Her biggest break, though, seemed to occur when she landed the role of Bill Cosby's daughter in the 1996 CBS pilot for his return to sitcoms. McDonald soon found herself in a dilemma, however. She had been participating in the workshops for the new musical "Ragtime" and the stage show was set to begin rehearsals for its world premiere in Toronto. Faced with this difficult choice, McDonald opted to remain with "Ragtime," playing the brief but memorable role of Sarah, the servant who loves the proud Coalhouse Walker Jr. Proving that her instincts were correct, the role brought her a third Tony and almost nightly ovations for her rendition of the lullaby "Your Daddy's Son." (In fact, as the material was developed, the show's creative team decided to incorporate a flashback sequence in the second act so McDonald would have more time on stage.) The Cosby family obviously held no grudges as the actress made her TV dramatic debut as the young Bessie Delany in "Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years" (CBS, 1999), which was produced by Camille Cosby. Within a week, she was also seen in the final episode of the NBC drama series "Homicide: Life on the Street," playing the daughter of Yaphet Kotto's police lieutenant Al Giardello. McDonald remained in demand as a stage performer, as well, debuting in fall 1999 in her first leading role in a musical in "Marie Christine," an adaptation of "Medea" set in New Orleans that was written specifically for her by composer Michael John LaChiusa. Although she did earn a Tony nomination for that role, she did not win. As the new millennium dawned, McDonald divided her time between the concert stage and the small screen. She earned an Emmy nomination for her beautifully rendered performance as a compassionate nurse caring for a terminally ill cancer patient (Emma Thompson) in the HBO adaptation of "Wit" (2001). After a brief time out for motherhood, McDonald returned to the stage to play the Diana Ross-like lead singer in a one-night only benefit concert staging of "Dreamgirls" in fall 2001. While maintaining a strong and varied stage career ranging from Brecht and Weill's "The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny" through the Gershwins' "Porgy and Bess" to the nearly one-woman homage to Billie Holiday "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill," McDonald also expanded her film and television career. McDonald appearing in supporting roles in films ranging from the comedy-drama "It Runs in the Family" (2003) to police corruption drama "Rampart" (2011) to Jonathan Demme's "Ricki and the Flash" (2015). Along with an acclaimed performance in a TV movie adaptation of "A Raisin in the Sun" (ABC 2008), McDonald co-starred in the Shonda Rhimes medical drama "Private Practice" (ABC 2007-2013) for six seasons. McDonald also appeared as the Mother Abbess in "The Sound of Music Live" (NBC 2013), starred in the films "Hello Again" (2016) and appeared as the Wardrobe in Disney's live-action "Beauty and the Beast" (2017).

Credits

RustinStream

Actor
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Movie
2023
84%

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Actor
Patty
Movie
2023

OriginStream

Actor
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Movie
2023
82%

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Guest
Show
2022

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Music Performer
Show
2021

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Host
Show
2021

The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back!

Self
Show
2021

The 74th Annual Tony Awards

Host
Show
2021

The Bite

Actor
Rachel
Series
2021
67%

RespectStream

Actor
Barbara Franklin
Movie
2021
68%

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Music Performer
Show
2020

In Concert at the Hollywood Bowl

Music Performer
Show
2020

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Guest
Show
2020

Bottomless Brunch at Colman's

Guest
Show
2020

The 42nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors

Music Performer
Show
2019

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Guest
Show
2019

Leonard Bernstein Centennial Celebration at Tanglewood

Host
Show
2018

The Bernstein Centennial Celebration at Tanglewood 2018

Host
Show
2018

Today 3rd Hour

Guest
Show
2018

Live with Kelly and Ryan

Guest
Talk
2017

Audra McDonald, Emma Thompson & Ensemble - Beauty and the Beast (Finale) (From Beauty and the Beast/Audio Only)

Music Performer
Show
2017

The Good FightStream

Actor
Liz Reddick-Lawrence
Series
2017
95%

Beauty and the BeastStream

Actor
Madame Garderobe
Movie
2017
71%

Hello Again

Actor
Sally
Movie
2017

Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas

Actor
Show
2016

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill

Actor
Billie Holliday
Show
2016

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

Guest
Talk
2015

Ricki and the Flash with Bonus Featurette

Actor
Maureen
Show
2015

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Host
Show
2015

The Late Late Show With James CordenStream

Guest
Talk
2015

The Late Late Show With James CordenStream

Music Performer
Talk
2015

PBS Previews -- Best of Drama

Host
Show
2015

The Nightly Show With Larry WilmoreStream

Guest
Talk
2015
100%

Ricki and the FlashStream

Actor
Maureen
Movie
2015
65%

Saving My Tomorrow

Actor
Show
2014

Saving My Tomorrow

Guest Star
Show
2014

Late Night With Seth MeyersStream

Guest
Talk
2014

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonStream

Guest
Talk
2014

The Sound of Music Live!Stream

Actor
Mother Abbess
Special
2013

Finding Your RootsStream

Guest
Reality
2012

Doc McStuffinsStream

Guest Star
Bess
Series
2012

CBS This Morning

Guest
Show
2012

Gershwins' Porgy & Bess on Broadway

Actor
Show
2012

The 34th Annual Kennedy Center Honors

Music Performer
Show
2011

Gala from Berlin 2002 - What a Wonderful Town

Music Performer
Show
2011

The Chew

Guest
Talk
2011

Carnegie Hall 120th Anniversary Concert

Music Performer
Show
2011

Rampart

Actor
Sarah
Movie
2011

The Talk

Guest
Talk
2010

Americas Orchestra: Celebrating 125 Years of the Boston Pops

Music Performer
Show
2010

The Good WifeStream

Guest Star
Liz Lawrence
Series
2009
93%

RuPaul's Drag RaceStream

Guest
Series
2009

The Wendy Williams Show

Guest
Talk
2008

A Raisin in the Sun

Actor
Ruth Younger
Movie
2008
86%

Private PracticeStream

Actor
Dr. Naomi Bennett
Series
2007

Private PracticeStream

Guest Star
Dr. Naomi Bennett
Series
2007

etalk

Guest
Show
2006

The Bedford Diaries

Actor
Professor Carla Bonatelle
Miniseries
2006
13%

Christmas With the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Featuring Audra McDonald and Peter Graves

Music Performer
Show
2005

Celebrate Christmas With Audra McDonald

Music Performer
Show
2005

The Colbert Report

Guest
Talk
2005

The Martha Stewart Show

Guest
Reality
2005

Grey's AnatomyStream

Guest Star
Series
2005
84%

The Best Thief in the World

Actor
Ruth
Movie
2004

Mister Sterling

Actor
Jackie Brock
Show
2003

Partners and Crime

Actor
Movie
2003

It Runs in the Family

Actor
Sarah Langley
Movie
2003

WitStream

Actor
Susie Monahan
Movie
2001
83%

The Last Debate

Actor
Barbara Manning
Movie
2000

Law & Order: Special Victims UnitStream

Guest Star
Audrey Jackson
Series
1999
78%

Relatos de las Hermanas Delany

Actor
Bessie in her 20s
Movie
1999

Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years

Actor
Bessie
Movie
1999

AnnieStream

Actor
Miss Grace Farrell
Movie
1999

In Performance at The White House

Music Performer
Special
1998

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

Seven Servants

Actor
Movie
1996

Late Show With David Letterman

Guest
Talk
1993

CBS News Sunday Morning

Guest
News
1979

Live From Lincoln Center

Host
Show
1976

Good Morning America

Guest
News
1975

Great PerformancesStream

Guest
Franchise
1972

Great PerformancesStream

Host
Franchise
1972

Great PerformancesStream

Music Performer
Franchise
1972

Sesame StreetStream

Guest Star
Series
1969

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