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Lynn Whitfield

Highest Rated: 84% Eve's Bayou (1997)

Lowest Rated: 2% Jaws the Revenge (1987)

Birthday: May 6, 1953

Birthplace: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

Scion of an achievement-oriented Baton Rouge clan with roots in southern black aristocracy, toothsome, energetic leading lady Lynn Whitfield first watched the likes of Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and Bette Davis in "All About Eve" from the vantage of her grandmother's lap, attired in mink-trimmed frocks and seeing no reason she could not some day play those same types of roles. After gaining attention on the stage as one of the young women of color in Ntozake Shange's poetic panorama of the black female experience, "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf," Whitfield began appearing in supporting roles in such films as "Doctor Detroit" (1982) and "Silverado" (1985) but did not achieve real success until starring in television films ("The George McKenna Story," "Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI," both CBS 1986) and miniseries (the acclaimed "The Women of Brewster Place" ABC 1989). Whitfield vaulted to international attention in the title role of "The Josephine Baker Story" (1991), the HBO biopic requiring her to age from 18 to 68 to portray the Follies Bergere star turned Resistance and civil rights fighter. In a highly-publicized search that rivaled that of the hunt for Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind," she beat out more than 500 women considered world-wide for the role and won an Emmy, achieving "the greatest sense of accomplishment and realization of my vision. It absolutely called upon everything I thought I could do at that point." Her triumph as Baker, however, proved both a blessing and a curse as she became so closely identified with the Jazz Age legend that other opportunities were slow to come along. Whitfield had worked as a regular in two ABC series ("Heartbreak" and "Equal Justice") prior to playing Baker, and the dearth of good offers encouraged her to return to the small screen opposite Bill Cosby in "The Cosby Mysteries" (NBC, 1994-95). Gradually, the parts started coming her way again, and though critical response to such vehicles as "A Thin Line Between Love and Hate" and "Gone Fishin'" (both 1996) was tepid, these features increased her exposure. Whitfield roared back into the winner's column with "Eve's Bayou" (1997), her part as head of a prosperous, socially prominent black family in Louisiana drawing heavily on her blue-blooded Baton Rouge upbringing. She returned to a similar milieu as snobby Martha's Vineyard matron Corinne Coles in the ABC miniseries "The Wedding" (1998), executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, who had also executive produced the earlier "The Women of Brewster Place." Certainly, these last two roles, along with that of Josephine Baker, are the kinds of parts Whitfield envisioned for herself as that little Louisiana princess so many years ago.

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Highest rated movies

84% 89% Eve's Bayou
Watchlist
78% 80% Silverado
Watchlist
75% 49% The Cheetah Girls
Watchlist
73% 57% Kings of the Evening
Watchlist
71% 70% Nappily Ever After Watchlist 60% 41% The Retirement Plan Watchlist 58% 54% Vacation Friends Watchlist
44% 75% Stepmom
Watchlist
33% 40% Doctor Detroit
Watchlist
30% 46% Head of State
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Albany Road Paula Henderson (Character) - 2024
60% 41% The Retirement Plan Drisdale (Character) $1.4M 2023
No Score Yet 75% We Need a Little Christmas Irene (Character) - 2022
58% 54% Vacation Friends Unknown (Character) - 2021
No Score Yet 37% Tales From the Hood 3 Marie Benoit (Character) - 2020
71% 70% Nappily Ever After Paulette Jones (Character) - 2018
No Score Yet No Score Yet Espionage Tonight Sydney Greenstreet (Character) - 2017
No Score Yet 100% Solace Irene (Character) - 2017
No Score Yet 79% Prayer Never Fails Loral Hess (Character) - 2016
No Score Yet 22% Curveball Dr. Layne (Character) - 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet 30 Days in Atlanta Unknown (Character) - 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Fright Night Files Madame Mabry (Character) - 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet My Other Mother Mary Jo (Character) - 2014
No Score Yet 57% The North Star Miss Grace (Character) - 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Dempsey Sisters Olivia Norman (Character) - 2013
No Score Yet 60% Lonely Boy Dr. Christine Nolan (Character) - 2013
No Score Yet 24% And Then There Was You Sophia Brent (Character) - 2013
No Score Yet 39% Act Like You Love Me Harriett (Character) - 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet 24 Hour Love Cynthia (Character) - 2013
No Score Yet 69% King's Faith Vanessa (Character) - 2013
No Score Yet 35% The Last Letter Lorraine (Character) - 2012
No Score Yet 40% Somebody's Child Constance Rivers (Character) - 2012
No Score Yet 60% The Redemption of a Dog Francine (Character),
Producer
- 2012
8% 53% Battlefield America Ms. Parker (Character) - 2012
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Trace Vivian (Character) - 2012
No Score Yet 58% Things Fall Apart Bee (Character) - 2011
No Score Yet 65% Mama, I Want to Sing Lillian Winter (Character) - 2010
No Score Yet No Score Yet March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World Unknown (Character) - 2009
13% 38% The Women Glenda Hill (Character) $26.9M 2008
73% 57% Kings of the Evening Grace Marigold (Character) $98.7K 2007
No Score Yet 52% Confessions of a Call Girl Dr. Page (Character) - 2006
26% 93% Madea's Family Reunion Victoria (Character) $63.2M 2006
No Score Yet 83% Redemption Barbara Becnel (Character) - 2004
75% 49% The Cheetah Girls Dorothea (Character) - 2003
30% 46% Head of State Debra Lassiter (Character) $37.8M 2003
No Score Yet 61% A Girl Thing Nia Morgan (Character) - 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Elizabeti's Doll Narrator - 2000
No Score Yet 75% A Time for Dancing Linda Derricks (Character) - 2000
No Score Yet 50% Dangerous Evidence: The Lori Jackson Story Lori Jackson (Character) - 1999
No Score Yet 73% Love Songs Jean Simpson (Character) - 1999
No Score Yet 0% The Color of Courage Minnie McGhee (Character) - 1999
No Score Yet 77% Deep in My Heart Corrine Burrell (Character) - 1999
44% 75% Stepmom Dr. P. Sweikert (Character) $91.0M 1998
No Score Yet 67% The Planet of Junior Brown Mrs. Brown (Character) - 1997
84% 89% Eve's Bayou Roz Batiste (Character) $14.8M 1997
4% 37% Gone Fishin' Angie (Character) $19.7M 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet Sophie and the Moonhanger Sophie (Character) - 1996
15% 77% A Thin Line Between Love and Hate Brandi Web (Character) $34.8M 1996
No Score Yet 43% State of Emergency Dehlia Johnson (Character) - 1994
12% 44% In the Army Now Sgt. Ladd (Character) $28.9M 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Cosby Mysteries Barbara Lorenz (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Thicker Than Blood: The Larry McLinden Story Bobbie Mallory (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Taking the Heat Carolyn Hunter (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Stompin' at the Savoy Esther (Character) - 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story Natala (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet 73% The Josephine Baker Story Josephine Baker (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mace Sheila Freeman (Character) - 1987
2% 15% Jaws the Revenge Louisa (Character) $18.8M 1987
No Score Yet 54% The George McKenna Story Bobbie Maxwell (Character) - 1986
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Johnnie Gibson Story Johnnie Mae Gibson (Character) - 1986
No Score Yet No Score Yet Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI Johnnie Mae Gibson (Character) - 1986
78% 80% Silverado Rae Johnson (Character) - 1985
33% 40% Doctor Detroit Thelma Cleland (Character) - 1983

TV

Credit
88% 68% St. Denis Medical Barb (Guest Star) 2024
62% 66% Fantasy Island Judy (Guest Star) 2023
No Score Yet 81% Greenleaf Lady Mae Greenleaf (Character) 2016-2020
No Score Yet 75% The Resident Josephine Okeke (Guest Star) 2019
No Score Yet 62% Mistresses Unknown (Guest Star) 2015-2016
No Score Yet 12% The View Guest 2016
75% 86% Chasing Life Karen Callahan (Guest Star) 2015
No Score Yet No Score Yet Fatal Attraction Host,
Narrator
2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Wendy Williams Show Guest 2013
80% 78% FlashForward Anastasia Markham (Guest Star) 2009
52% 50% Shark Unknown (Guest Star) 2006
No Score Yet 75% Without a Trace Unknown (Guest Star) 2003-2004 2006
No Score Yet No Score Yet Strong Medicine Unknown (Guest Star) 2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet Boston Public Unknown (Guest Star) 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Wedding Corinne Coles (Character) 1998
No Score Yet No Score Yet Touched by an Angel Unknown (Guest Star) 1997
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Cosby Mysteries Unknown (Character) 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Matlock Unknown (Guest Star) 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet HeartBeat Dr. Cory Banks (Character) 1988-1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Unknown (Guest Star) 1986
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Fall Guy Unknown (Guest Star) 1985
71% 89% Miami Vice Odette Ribaud (Guest Star) 1985
No Score Yet No Score Yet Trauma Center Teri Baylor (Guest Star) 1983
97% 85% Hill Street Blues Jill Thomas (Guest Star) 1981