Connect with us

Entertainment

Phylicia Rashad: A Pioneering Actress in Black Media

Published

on

Phylicia Rashad

Phylicia Rashad is understood for constructing a legacy of excellence as a black actress on stage and screen. From her formative years in Houston, through her college years, and into her later profession, Rashad has broken barriers. Despite uncertainty about one’s appearance and considering she wasn’t beautiful as a toddler, Rashad said she was bitten by the performing bug when she was chosen for her school’s music program at age 11.

“I wanted to be like my mother because she was so beautiful, but I had a voice, and my mother insisted on good speech, and my teachers appreciated that, so when I was 11, I was chosen for a music program that all the schools in our community participated in,” Rashad is quoted as saying. Against societal expectations, she embraced her passion for performing, and the remaining is history.

UNDATE ARCHIVE PHOTO: Phylicia Rashad. (Photo by Newsmakers)

Early life and education

She was born Phylicia Allen in 1948 in HoustonTexas, Rashad had three siblings. Her sister Debbie Allen was also an actress and creator, and her older brother became a jazz musician. Rashad father was a dentistand her mother was a Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet and one among the Hidden Figures behind the Apollo 11 mission.

Rashad graduated from Howard University magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the theater in 1970 before immediately pursuing a profession in the entertainment industry. When asked about his early influences on her life and profession, Rashad regularly quotes writer and speaker Maya Angelou.

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" Opening – After Party
NEW YORK – MARCH 6: Director Debbie Allen and actress Phylicia Rashad attend the after party for the opening of “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof” at Strata in New York City on March 6, 2008. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

Career Highlights

Rashad appeared in several series and moviesincluding “Watch Your Mouth” and “We’re Fighting Back” in the Nineteen Seventies and early Eighties — playing Phylicia Allen. She also appeared in a two-episode arc on “One Life to Live” before landing her breakthrough role as Clair Huxtable on “The Cosby Show.”

Rashad continued to seem on each small and massive screens after The Cosby Show ended in 1992, including Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls in 2010, Creed and Creed II in 2015 and 2018, and various episodes of This is Us and David Makes Man from 2019 to 2021. However, it was from the early Nineties through the early 2000s that Rashad appeared on the massive screen. mark on the stage. Rashad broke recent ground on Broadway together with her starring role in the historic 2006 all-black production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a strong statement of excellence and representation for black people in American theater.

NEW YORK – JUNE 6: (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER OUT) Actress Phylicia Rashad, winner of the “Best Performance By A Leading Actress In A Play” award for “A Raisin In The Sun” performs on stage through the “58th Annual Tony Awards” at Radio City Music Hall on June 6, 2004 in New York City. The Tony Awards are presented by the League of American Theatres and Producers and the American Theatre Wing. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

Some awards and nominations Throughout her profession, Rashad’s accolades include:

  • Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1985 and 1986 for her role as Clair on The Cosby Show.
  • Nominated for an Emmy Award in 2008 in the category “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Television Movie” for her role as Lena Younger in “A Raisin in the Sun.”
  • Three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for This Is Us (2019, 2020, 2021)
  • Five People’s Choice Awards for Favorite TV Actress (1985 to 1990)
  • AND Tony Award 2004 for her role in “A Raisin in the Sun” on Broadway – the primary time in history a black actress won a Tony Award for a number one dramatic role
  • AND Tony Award 2022 for best supporting role in a play for his role in Skeleton Crew

Rashad’s awards also include nominations and wins on the Drama Desk Awards, Black Reel Awards, the BET Honors, the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the NAACP Image Awards, cementing her status as a cultural icon and symbol of excellence in the humanities. In 2010, Rashad was named “Mother of the black community” on the NAACP Image Awards.

Rashad said Oprah Everyday she didn’t feel pressured to live as much as expectations as a trailblazing black actress. “I feel grateful,” she said. “I feel grateful that I did work that meant something to people.”

Personal Life and Advocacy

Rashad was married thrice and has two children: William Bowles III and Condola Rashad. Rashad married her third husband, Ahmad Rashad, in 1985, and the couple divorced in 2001.

When asked about motherhood In a 2020 article, the actress, who has played multiple moms in movies, TV shows and plays, said she doesn’t consider herself a black mother or her children black children. She considers herself a mother and her children children. “Ethnicity is obvious,” Rashad said. “It’s in the food we eat, the music we listen to, the books we read… the way we live… the company we keep and the dances we do. I don’t have to consciously say it because I know who I am.”

NEW YORK, New York – SEPTEMBER 19: Condola Rashad (R) and Phylicia Rashad attend the after party for the Broadway premiere of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” at The Edison Ballroom on September 19, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)

Rashad served as dean of the College of Fine Arts at her alma mater, Howard University. Although the actress-turned-dean doesn’t prefer to speak about herself, by friend and playwright Pearl CleageRashad is understood for working behind the scenes to support others. While she is understood for her unwavering support of her peers, Rashad’s public defense of Bill Cosby in 2015 sparked controversy, reflecting the complexity and nuance of her advocacy.

Rashad has he served as an advisor to the National Museum of African American History and Culture and is understood for offering encouragement and advice other Black women in interviews and speeches. In 2021, while talking to the narrator of a documentary about her Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Rashad highlighted the culture of service and dedication to lifting others inside the nation’s first Black Greek-letter sorority.

Phylicia Rashad’s story is one among resilience, talent, and unyielding dedication to her craft. Her legacy as an actress is a reminder of the facility of pursuing your dreams.

Featured Stories

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Entertainment

Angelina Jolie’s disturbing performance in new interview sparks criticism Years after health problems caused her face to sag

Published

on

By

Angelina Jolie promotes her next film, “Maria”, in which she plays the role of the famous opera singer Maria Callas.

However, for some fans, the press was more about Jolie’s health and appearance than her work in film.

On November 21, Jolie sat down with Michael Strahan for an interview on “Good Morning America” ​​to discuss her fear of using her real voice to sing opera for the role and the enjoyment of motherhood. However, in the course of the chat, some fans claimed they noticed Jolie’s face looked different than usual.

In the newest interview, Angelina Jolie expresses concerns about her health. (Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

One person was cited by Express US for this story he said“It looks rough.”

Another commentator on Page Six he wrote“Ok, I just read that her face looks different because she stated that she developed hypertension and Bell’s palsy, a condition that she said caused her face to droop to one side. I assumed she looked like she had a stroke, in order that explains it.

Debates about Jolie’s sickly appearance erupted when fans noticed visibly large veins on her arms during separate red carpet appearances. Even those that knew her health were still shocked and anxious by her photos.

Jolie first revealed that she had the disease in 2017. In an interview with Vanity Fair she said he said she discovered she had hypertension and Bell’s palsy in 2016, the identical yr she filed for divorce from Brad Pitt.

So when she was diagnosed with the disease, she said she wasn’t sure what could have caused it. “I can’t tell if it’s menopause or if it’s just the year,” said Jolie, then 42. “Sometimes women in families put themselves last until it manifests itself in their own health.”

However, she also said that she is trying to pay more attention to her health. “I actually feel more like a woman because I make wise choices, I put my family first and I am responsible for my life and health. I think that’s what makes a woman complete.”

Last yr, the “Maleficent” star opened up again about her condition, revealing that it was caused by the stress of ending her relationship with Pitt.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, she said he said“My body reacts very strongly to stress. My blood sugar levels go up and down. Six months before the divorce, I suddenly developed Bell’s palsy.

According to National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke“Bell’s palsy is a neurological disorder that causes paralysis or weakness on one side of the face. It occurs when one in every of the nerves that control the facial muscles becomes damaged or stops working properly, which may cause the facial muscles to droop or sag.

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
Continue Reading

Entertainment

“The Honorable Shyne” is a hit. This is why I wanted to tell this story. — Andlandscape

Published

on

By

One of the primary reasons Andscape culture author Justin Tinsley and I were tapped to co-executive produce was our backgrounds as music journalists. The documentary chronicling Moses “Shyne” Barrow’s rise to fame, imprisonment, and re-emergence as a political leader suits firmly into our wheelhouse, as his best rap years got here within the early 2000s – right at the center of our hip-hop fandom. I donated my time helping with the documentary, which was a top ten show in its debut week on Huluas a likelihood to help tell the story of hip-hop. I got here away from the project with an understanding of a man in conflict, at odds with himself and his past, and wanting to forge a path forward.

Shyne’s story illustrates the American dream: a poor black immigrant comes to America and from nowhere becomes one in all the largest rap stars. It is also a story about how the American criminal justice system and music industry chew up and spit out so many young Black people. To carelessly follow Shyne’s story is to consider him as just one other young black man who fell into a bad situation and never recovered. After all, his rap profession was effectively derailed when in 2001 he was sentenced to ten years in prison for the 1999 shooting at Club New York in Manhattan. But what inspired me about Shyne’s story was his refusal to let this devastation define him.

In 2021, I hung out in New Orleans with former No Limit rapper McKinley “Mac” Phipps, who had just been released from prison after spending 21 years in prison for a murder he denied committing. As I listened to Shyne’s story, I considered Mac. Both were avatars of a system that tested rap as much because it tested individual men. Mac’s story was about how hip-hop lyrics may be used to accuse someone within the face of overwhelming evidence of their innocence. Similarly, Shyne’s trial created a sensation about hip-hop’s relationship to violence in a city hungry for head on a plate.

Both Shyne and Mac emerged from prison as completely different people than once they entered. In Mac’s case, it was the period of time he spent at home, during which he transformed from a teenage rapper into a man after 20 years spent in confinement. For Shyne, his transformation got here from faith when he converted to Orthodox Judaism in prison. When I have a look at people like Shyne and Mac, I wonder how they’ll survive being locked in a cage, and their answers are inspiring.

While Shyne’s rap stories are what drew me to this project, it’s his journey as a man that makes me proud to help tell his story. And we actually get to see that journey after he raps the ultimate bars of his rap profession.

Shyne got here to the film wanting to discuss his lowest moments – the time after his release from prison in 2009, when he lashed out, frustrated at seeing a latest crop of rap stars emerge within the void left by his absence. He was rudderless. As rudderless as anyone may be who has lost a decade to a prison system that wanted to destroy him. And much more, since it was closed when the superstar’s fame was on the tip of his fingers.

The raspy-voiced rapper could have let these mishaps define him, but that is where Shyne’s story resonates with everyone, whether or not they’re a rap fan or not. Shyne’s second act, the one through which he finds purpose in community and family, where he uses his innate charisma and true genius to turn out to be a political leader and motivational speaker.

I cannot discuss Shyne’s reappearance without mentioning Sean “Diddy” Combs. Combs, the disgraced hip-hop mogul who signed Shyne to his label Bad Boy Records and helped launch his profession, is the elephant within the room throughout the documentary and in Shyne’s life. So lots of the artists who emerged under Diddy – from G Depp and Mase to The Notorious BIG – suffered terrible consequences. Shyne’s name was all the time on the list because he spent ten years in prison. And yet, Shyne’s approach to healing and moving forward is as inspiring as his ability to overcome what he sees because the sabotage of his life and profession.

These are lessons I didn’t expect to learn from the stories in regards to the hip-hop star from my childhood. These are inspiring moments that can be of interest to those that haven’t yet turn out to be inquisitive about the Brooklyn, or somewhat Belizean, rapper featured within the documentary. These are the points that make me proud to be a a part of telling Shyne’s story.

DavidDennis Jr. is a senior author at Andscape and the creator of the award-winning book “The Movement Made Us: A Father, a Son, and the Legacy of a Freedom Ride.” David is a graduate of Davidson College.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
Continue Reading

Entertainment

Kendrick Lamar Releases Surprise Album ‘GNX’; group chats are going crazy

Published

on

By

Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar GNX, GNX, GNX album, K-Dot, K-Dot GNX, theGrio.com

There are few things more exciting than receiving an infinite barrage of text messages at the very same time in numerous group chats. This normally implies that something vital has happened in popular culture. Well, the exact same thing happened about noon on November 22, within the yr of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, higher often called Kendrick Lamar, released the album “GNX”, nod towards Buick Grand National Regal GNXa rare muscle automobile released in 1987 – which also happens to be the yr Kendrick was born.

“GNX” is coming to the tip of what has been a banner yr for Kendrick Lamar. From epic diss records geared toward Drake, to creating the largest song of his profession (and a Drake diss track) on “Not Like Us”, to the “Pop Out” concert streaming live to tell the tale Amazon Prime, Kendrick won this yr. He even received seven Grammy nominations, mostly for “Not Like Us.” And this victory will proceed in the brand new yr. In September, it was announced that Kendrick would stay Super Bowl 2025 headliner will happen in New Orleans. This announcement sparked some controversy and comments from several New Orleans legends similar to Juvenile and most notably Lil Wayne, who felt disrespected; Kendrick immediately refers to this topic within the opening song of the album (all stylized in lower case), “wacced out murals”.

The thing is, Kendrick didn’t sleep for many of 2024. And then, while the remaining of us were minding our own business, listening to other albums that had just dropped, like Ice Cube’s “Man Down,” I began receiving text after text… and I knew that would only mean that something vital happened.

At this point in my life (and possibly even yours), Kendrick Lamar releases are a drop-everything-and-listen event. I immediately went to the streaming service, launched “GNX” and pressed “Play”.

I need to admit that the primary time I heard the album I used to be a bit confused. Kendrick has probably never been more popular or famous; if there was ever a time to drag a Kanye West and release his own version of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” – an album largely produced as Kanye’s best and most representative of Kanye’s greatness – now could be the time. “GNX” has a far more modern West Coast vibe and is certainly more for his die-hard fans than anyone who just began gaining attention due to his beef with Drake. Maybe that was the purpose; possibly not.

Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar GNX, GNX, GNX album, K-Dot, K-Dot GNX, theGrio.com
Photo: Dave Free

Either way, I can imagine that folks whose favorite lines are “OV-Ho” won’t be immediately thrilled. I wasn’t immediately blown away (though very amused by how sensitive Kendrick is to what people say about him on social media, well, everyone), but as is all the time the case with Kendrick albums, repeated listens are likely to correct any immediate monotony that I even have about his projects. For example, now that I’ve listened to it just a few times, I can not wait to listen to black college bands playing “tv off” style, which seems like a cousin of “Not Like Us.” The Shoot, Bayou Classic, which also takes place yearly in New Orleans on Thanksgiving Day, stands out as the first time we hear a band playing “TV off.”

Since the album didn’t come out long enough to be reviewed, group chats and social media were abuzz with immediate reactions. This is the a part of music releases I really like, where everyone seems to be listening to the identical thing, offering premature takes that will not even delay the following day. I’m not different; I’m sure I’ll say something about this album that can sound silly by Monday. Shoot, I can have already done it. But that is what happens when great artists release music. We spend time with others after which we refer to them, analyze them, criticize them, praise them, destroy them and let all our prejudices fly free. Love it.

It’s value noting that certainly one of Drake’s diss tracks that did not appear during last summer’s fracas was titled “The Heart Part 6,” and was an apparent try to usurp Kendrick’s pre-album practice of removing a non-album song titled “The Heart.” Well, Kendrick has a song on his recent album called, you guessed it, “The Heart, Pt. 6,” which I feel will probably be released soon Drake. Good job, Kenny.

Argue.


Panama Jackson theGrio.com

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending