Credits

• 2021 · How It Feels to Be Free as Self (archival footage)
• 2020 · Cherish the Day as Miss Luma Lee Langston
• 2020 · A Fall from Grace as Alice
• 2019 · Tamron Hall as Self - Guest
• 2019 · The Other Boys of Summer as Narrator
• 2017 · Last Flag Flying as Mrs. Hightower
• 2016 · Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise as Self
• 2016 · Showing Roots as Hattie
• 2014 · How to Get Away with Murder as Ophelia Harkness
• 2014 · Madam Secretary as Flo Avery
• 2014 · The Trip to Bountiful as Mrs. Watts
• 2014 · And the Oscar Goes To... as Self (archive footage)
• 2013 · House of Cards as Doris Jones
• 2013 · The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia as Mama Kay
• 2012 · Alex Cross as Nana Mama
• 2011 · The Help as Constantine Jefferson
• 2010 · Why Did I Get Married Too? as Ola
• 2009 · Relative Stranger as Pearl
• 2006 · Idlewild as Mother Hopkins
• 2006 · Fat Rose and Squeaky as Celine
• 2006 · Madea's Family Reunion as Myrtle
• 2005 · The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer as
• 2005 · Diary of a Mad Black Woman as Myrtle
• 2005 · Because of Winn-Dixie as Gloria Dump
• 2002 · The Rosa Parks Story as Leona Edwards McCauley
• 2001 · The Proud Family as Mrs. Maureen Parker (voice)
• 2001 · Jewel as Cathedral
• 1999 · Aftershock: Earthquake in New York as Emily Lincoln
• 1999 · Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Ondine Burdett
• 1999 · A Lesson Before Dying as Tante Lou
• 1998 · Mama Flora's Family as Mama Flora
• 1998 · Always Outnumbered as Luvia
• 1997 · Ms. Scrooge as Ms. Ebenita Scrooge
• 1997 · Hoodlum as Stephanie St. Clair
• 1997 · Blessed Assurance as Vesta Lotte Battle
• 1996 · The Road to Galveston as Jordan Roosevelt
• 1995 · The Outer Limits as Justice Gretchen Parkhurst
• 1994 · Touched by an Angel as Abigail Peabody-Jackson
• 1994 · Sweet Justice as
• 1994 · Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All as Castalia
• 1994 · Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All as Castralia
• 1993 · House of Secrets as Evangeline
• 1992 · Duplicates as Dr. Randolph
• 1991 · Fried Green Tomatoes as Sipsey
• 1990 · The Kid Who Loved Christmas as Etta Mercer
• 1990 · Heat Wave as Ruthana Richardson
• 1989 · The Women of Brewster Place as Mrs. Browne
• 1989 · The Women of Brewster Place as
• 1989 · B.L. Stryker as
• 1988 · LIVE with Kelly and Mark as Self - Guest
• 1986 · Intimate Encounters as Dr. Claire Dalton
• 1986 · Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story as Muriel
• 1986 · Acceptable Risks as Janet Framm
• 1985 · Playing with Fire as Carol Phillips
• 1982 · Benny's Place as Odessa
• 1982 · Night of 100 Stars as Self
• 1981 · The Marva Collins Story as Marva Collins
• 1981 · Bustin' Loose as Vivian Perry
• 1979 · The Concorde... Airport '79 as Elaine
• 1978 · A Woman Called Moses as Harriet Ross Tubman
• 1978 · King as Coretta Scott King
• 1977 · Wilma as Blanche Rudolph
• 1977 · A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich as Sweets
• 1977 · Roots as Binta
• 1976 · Just an Old Sweet Song as Priscilla Simmons
• 1976 · The River Niger as Mattie Williams
• 1976 · The Blue Bird as Tylette
• 1975 · Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
• 1975 · People's Choice Awards as Self - Presenter
• 1974 · Dinah! as Self
• 1974 · Free to Be… You and Me as Self
• 1974 · The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman as Jane Pittman
• 1973 · The American Film Institute Salute to ... as Self
• 1972 · Sounder as Rebecca Morgan
• 1972 · Emergency! as Mrs. Johnson
• 1971 · Neighbors as
• 1971 · Marriage: Year One as Emma Teasley
• 1970 · The Flip Wilson Show as Self
• 1969 · The Courtship of Eddie's Father as Betty Kelly
• 1969 · The Bill Cosby Show as Mildred Hermosa
• 1969 · To Be Young, Gifted and Black: The World of Lorraine Hansberry in Her Own Words as
• 1968 · The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter as Portia Copeland
• 1967 · The Comedians as Marie Therese
• 1967 · Cowboy in Africa as Julie Anderson
• 1967 · Judd for the Defense as
• 1966 · Mission: Impossible as Alma Ross
• 1966 · A Man Called Adam as Claudia Ferguson
• 1965 · The F.B.I. as Julie Harmon
• 1965 · The F.B.I. as Lainey Harber
• 1963 · East Side/West Side as
• 1962 · The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson as Self
• 1961 · The Mike Douglas Show as Self
• 1961 · The Mike Douglas Show as Self - Co-Host
• 1960 · A Morning For Jimmy as Sister
• 1959 · The Last Angry Man as Girl Left on Porch (uncredited)
• 1959 · Odds Against Tomorrow as Jazz Club Bartender (uncredited)
• 1958 · Naked City as Darlene Knox
• 1957 · Carib Gold as Dottie
• 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Host
• 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Co-Host
• 1956 · Tony Awards as Self - Presenter
• 1955 · Gunsmoke as Rachel Biggs
• 1953 · The Oscars as Self
• 1951 · Hallmark Hall of Fame as Marva Collins
• 1944 · Golden Globe Awards as Self - Presenter