Phylicia Rashād

Phylicia Rashad née AyersAllen born June 19 1948 is an American actress She was most recently dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University before her threeyear contract ended in May 2024 Known for her roles on stage and screen she has received two Tony Awards as well as nominations for six Primetime Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award She is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show 19841992 which earned her two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nominations in 1985 and 1986 She also played Ruth Lucas on Cosby 19962000 and Brenda Glover in Little Bill 19992004 She was also Emmynominated for her roles in A Raisin in the Sun 2008 and This Is Us 20192021 On stage Rashad became the first Black actress to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for a revival of A Raisin in the Sun 2004 She won her second Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for Dominique Morisseaus Skeleton Crew 2022 Her other Broadway credits include Into the Woods 1988 Jellys Last Jam 1993 Gem of the Ocean 2004 and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 2008 She has appeared in various films such as For Colored Girls 2010 Good Deeds 2012 Creed 2015 Creed II 2018 Creed III 2023 and The Beekeeper 2024 She lent her voice to the DisneyPixar animated film Soul 2020 In the 21st century she has directed revivals of three plays by August Wilson in major theaters in Seattle Princeton New Jersey and Los Angeles She also directed Purpose play in its 20242025 run at the Helen Hayes Theater on Broadway