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Anna Maria Horsford

Highest Rated: 91% Chasing the Blues (2017)

Lowest Rated: 0% Crackers (1984)

Birthday: Mar 6, 1948

Birthplace: Harlem, New York, USA

A veteran of African-American sitcoms, Anna Maria Horsford began charming audiences in the late 1970s thanks to supporting roles in the likes of "Amen" (NBC 1986-1991), "The Wayans Bros" (The WB 1995-99) and "Reed Between The Lines" (BET 2011). Born to a Dominican mother and Antiguan father in Harlem, NY in 1948, Horsford attended the Manhattan School of Performing Arts before landing a receptionist job at one of her hometown's PBS stations. After working her way up to the position of director of the landmark variety show "Soul" (PBS 1967-1973), she then made the switch from behind-the-scenes to on-screen when she appeared as a prisoner in soap opera institution "Guiding Light" (CBS 1952-2009). Horsford's acting career then ventured into film with small parts in Cannes Festival-set romantic comedy "An Almost Perfect Affair" (1979), cult classic "Times Square" (1980) and stalker thriller "The Fan" (1981) as well as more notable performances in the biopic of prisoner Terry Jean Moore, "Love Child" (1983), prep-school comedy "Class" (1983) and crime caper "Crackers" (1984). While after briefly rubbing shoulders with the Brat Pack in "St. Elmo's Fire" (1985), Lucille Ball in TV movie "Stone Pillow" (1986) and Jack Nicholson in "Heartburn" (1986), she landed her first major recurring TV role as the deacon's marriage-hungry daughter Thelma Frye in hit sitcom "Amen" (NBC 1986-1991). Following performances in Christopher Reeve's pet project "Street Smart" (1987) and legal drama "Presumed Innocent" (1990), Horsford returned to the sitcom world with a recurring role on "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" (NBC 1990-96), widowed radio station owner Veronica in the short-lived "Rhythm & Blues" (NBC 1992) and security guard Deirdre 'Dee' Baxter in "The Wayans Bros" (The WB 1995-99). But she continued to remain a presence on the big screen, appearing as Judge Harris in romantic drama "Mr. Jones" (1993), Miss Annie in the critically-acclaimed "Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored" (1995) and Ice Cube's mother in stoner buddy comedy "Friday" (1995), a role she would also reprise in its sequel "Friday After Next" (2002). Horsford then added several box office-hits to her filmography including "One Fine Day" (1996), "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" (2000), "Along Came A Spider" (2001) and "Minority Report" (2002) before landing recurring parts as the mother of rapper Method Man in "Method and Red" (Fox 2004) and Saigon in "Entourage" (HBO 2004-2011), cancer patient Liz Fallon in "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC 2005-) and A.D.A. Beth Encardi in "The Shield" (FX 2002-08). Following appearances in a string of music-based dramas including Toby Keith vehicle "Broken Bridges" (2006), Bone Thugs-n-Harmony biopic "I Tried" (2007) and gritty urban drama "Wigger" (2010), Horsford played matriarch Diane Boyd in "Our Family Wedding" (2010), office manager Ms. Helen in family sitcom "Reed Between The Lines" (BET 2011) and Madea's niece Eileen in "Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas" (2013).

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Highest-Rated Movies

91% 45% Chasing the Blues Watchlist
76% 91% Friday
Watchlist
71% 85% Once Upon A Time... When We Were Colored
Watchlist
67% 45% Street Smart
Watchlist
58% 55% Vacation Friends Watchlist
58% 78% Lockdown
Watchlist
53% 65% One Fine Day
Watchlist
50% 73% Times Square
Watchlist
48% 46% Heartburn
Watchlist
43% 67% St. Elmo's Fire Watchlist

Filmography

Movies TV Shows
The B... Who Stole Christmas 82% 2021 Mayor Coont Actor Vacation Friends 58% 55% 2021 Nancy Actor Chasing the Blues 91% 45% 2017 Mrs. Walker Actor Gladys Brown 2017 Gladys Brown Actor Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas 21% 70% 2013 Eileen Actor C'mon Man 33% 2012 Mrs. Woods Actor Wigger 2010 Ruth Actor I Tried 83% 2007 Actor Broken Bridges 5% 87% 2006 Loretta Actor Ganked 70% 2005 Mrs. Barry Actor My Big Phat Hip Hop Family 25% 2005 Mamma Pearl Actor Guarding Eddy 86% 2005 Carol Actor Justice 60% 2004 Chief Public Defender Poole Actor Lockdown 58% 78% 2003 Saunders Actor Friday After Next 26% 75% 2002 Mrs. Jones Actor How High 25% 79% 2001 Mrs. King Actor Jacked 2001 Thelma Barnes Actor Jacked Up 68% 2001 Actor A Private Affair 2000 Actor Masquerade 2000 Mrs. Scott Actor Dancing in September 73% 2000 Sitcom Mom Actor Nutty Professor II: The Klumps 27% 33% 2000 Mrs. Gaines Actor One Fine Day 53% 65% 1996 Evelyn Actor Dear God 12% 28% 1996 Lucille Barnett Actor Friday 76% 91% 1995 Mrs. Jones Actor
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