Credits

• 2025 · Number One on the Call Sheet as Self
• 2024 · Salem's Lot as Dr. Cody
• 2024 · Summer Camp as Mary
• 2024 · Monsieur Spade as Virginia Dell
• 2024 · The Book of Clarence as Mother Mary
• 2023 · Weathering as Mum
• 2023 · Space Oddity as Dr. Olsen
• 2023 · Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur as Mimi (voice)
• 2022 · The Gray Man as Margaret Cahill
• 2021 · Fatherhood as Marian
• 2021 · Dreamland: The Burning of Black Wall Street as Mary Parrish (voice)
• 2020 · Star Trek: Lower Decks as Lilly Sloane (voice)
• 2019 · Clemency as Warden Bernadine Williams
• 2019 · See as Paris
• 2019 · The Lion King as Sarabi (voice)
• 2019 · Juanita as Juanita
• 2019 · Saint Judy as Judge Benton
• 2017 · A Series of Unfortunate Events as Aunt Josephine
• 2016 · Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise as Self
• 2016 · Marvel's Luke Cage as Mariah Dillard
• 2016 · So B. It as Bernadette
• 2016 · Captain America: Civil War as Miriam
• 2015 · Mississippi Grind as Sam
• 2015 · Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band as Mary Lou Williams (voice)
• 2015 · A Path Appears as Self
• 2015 · Empire as Renee
• 2014 · Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
• 2014 · State of Affairs as President Constance Payton
• 2014 · Annabelle as Evelyn
• 2014 · The Last Ship as Amy Granderson
• 2014 · And the Oscar Goes To... as Self (archive footage)
• 2013 · 12 Years a Slave as Mistress Shaw
• 2012 · Steel Magnolias as Ouiser
• 2011 · Women, War & Peace as Narrator (voice)
• 2010 · Memphis Beat as Lieutenant Tanya Rice
• 2010 · Who Do You Think You Are? as Self
• 2010 · Black Panther as Dondi Reece
• 2010 · Black Panther as Dondi Reece (voice)
• 2009 · Three Rivers as Dr. Sophia Jordan
• 2009 · Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
• 2008 · My Own Worst Enemy as Mavis Heller
• 2008 · Reach for Me as Evelyn
• 2008 · Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys as Alice Pratt
• 2008 · True Blood as Ruby Jean Reynolds
• 2008 · American Violet as Alma Roberts
• 2007 · Private Practice as Dee Bennett
• 2006 · Class of 3000 as
• 2006 · The Megan Mullally Show as Self - Guest
• 2006 · Rachael Ray as Self
• 2006 · Take the Lead as Augustine James
• 2006 · Something New as Joyce McQueen
• 2005 · Beauty Shop as Ms. Josephine
• 2005 · Grey's Anatomy as Justine Campbell
• 2004 · Desperate Housewives as Betty Applewhite
• 2004 · The Forgotten as Det. Anne Pope
• 2003 · Radio as Principal Daniels
• 2003 · The Singing Detective as Chief of Staff
• 2003 · A Wrinkle in Time as Mrs. Whatsit
• 2003 · The Core as Stickley
• 2003 · Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives as
• 2002 · The Wild Thornberrys Movie as Akela (Cheetah Mother) (voice)
• 2001 · K-PAX as Claudia Villars
• 2001 · The Wild Thornberrys: The Origin of Donnie as Medicine Woman (voice)
• 2001 · Disney's American Legends as
• 2000 · Holiday Heart as Wanda Dean
• 2000 · Lost Souls as Dr. Allen
• 2000 · Static Shock as Jean Hawkins (voice)
• 2000 · The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story as Mary Parrish (voice)
• 2000 · Dinosaur as Plio (voice)
• 2000 · Love & Basketball as Camille Wright
• 2000 · What's Cooking? as Audrey Williams
• 1999 · Mumford as Lily
• 1998 · Down in the Delta as Loretta Sinclair
• 1998 · The Wild Thornberrys as Medicine Woman (voice)
• 1997 · The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue as Maisie (voice)
• 1997 · Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Nature as Narrator (voice)
• 1997 · The Practice as Denise Freeman
• 1997 · Miss Evers' Boys as Eunice Evers, R.N.
• 1996 · Star Trek: First Contact as Lily Sloane
• 1996 · The Daily Show as Self
• 1996 · Special Report: Journey to Mars as Tamara O'Neil
• 1996 · Primal Fear as Shoat
• 1996 · Gulliver's Travels as Queen of Brobdingnag
• 1995 · How to Make an American Quilt as Marianna
• 1995 · Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child as Winsome (voice)
• 1995 · The Piano Lesson as Berniece Charles
• 1994 · Crooklyn as Carolyn Carmichael
• 1994 · Aliens for Breakfast as Mrs. Marks
• 1994 · Blue Chips as Lavada McRae
• 1993 · Frasier as Edna (voice)
• 1993 · Bopha! as Rosie Mangena
• 1993 · Heart and Souls as Penny Washington
• 1993 · Homicide: Life on the Street as Dr. Roxanne Turner
• 1993 · Homicide: Life on the Street as
• 1992 · Passion Fish as Chantelle
• 1992 · The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag as Ann
• 1992 · HBO First Look as Self
• 1989 · Miss Firecracker as Popeye Jackson
• 1988 · Scrooged as Grace Cooley
• 1988 · American Experience as Narrator (voice)
• 1986 · Unnatural Causes as Maude DeVictor
• 1986 · L.A. Law as Adrianne Moore
• 1986 · L.A. Law: Pilot as Adrianne Moore
• 1986 · Extremities as Patricia
• 1985 · Sara as Rozalyn Dupree
• 1985 · Go Tell It on the Mountain as Esther
• 1984 · Sweet Revenge as Vicki Teague
• 1984 · WonderWorks as
• 1984 · The Killing Floor as Mattie
• 1983 · Cross Creek as Geechee
• 1983 · Reading Rainbow as Herself - Narrator (voice)
• 1982 · Tucker's Witch as Marcia Fulbright
• 1982 · Faerie Tale Theatre as Self - Guest
• 1982 · Faerie Tale Theatre as Princess Lovinia
• 1982 · For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf as Woman who lost her stuff
• 1982 · The Ambush Murders as Karisha Ellsworth
• 1981 · Hill Street Blues as
• 1980 · HealtH as Sally Benbow
• 1980 · Palmerstown, U.S.A. as
• 1979 · Freedom Road as Katie
• 1978 · The White Shadow as Sandra Wilcox
• 1978 · Remember My Name as Rita
• 1977 · What Really Happened to the Class of '65? as
• 1953 · The Oscars as Self
• Future · The Last Frontier as Bradford
• 2025 · The Inquisitor as Self
• 2021 · Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color as Alma Thomas (voice)
• 2020 · The Making of Clemency as Herself
• 2019 · No Small Matter as Narrator (voice)
• 2019 · The Lion King: Can You Feel The Love Tonight with Robin Roberts as
• 2017 · Burning Sands as Professor Hughes
• 2015 · Knucklehead as Sheila
• 2014 · Nelson Mandela Redrawn as Self
• 2013 · The Door as E
• 2008 · Medal of Honor as Narrator
• 2008 · Henry Box Brown as
• 2007 · Pictures of Hollis Woods as Edna Reilly
• 2007 · Nefertiti and the Lost Dynasty as Self - Narrator
• 2006 · King Leopold's Ghost as Ilanga (voice)
• 2006 · The Water Is Wide as Mrs. Brown
• 2003 · Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property as Narrator
• 2002 · Searching for Debra Winger as Self
• 2000 · Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks as Narrator
• 2000 · John Henry as Polly / Narrator (voice)
• 2000 · Eleanor Roosevelt as Narrator (voice)
• 1999 · Funny Valentines as Joyce May
• 1999 · The Wishing Tree as Clara
• 1999 · The Underground Railroad as
• 1997 · Follow Me Home as Evey
• 1997 · The Member of the Wedding as Berenice Sadie Brown
• 1996 · A Step Toward Tomorrow as Dr. Sadlin
• 1994 · Malcolm X: Make It Plain as Narrator
• 1992 · Rich in Love as Rhody Poole
• 1991 · Grand Canyon as Jane
• 1990 · Blue Bayou as Jessica Filley
• 1989 · A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story as Mary Thomas
• 1988 · The Child Saver as Andrea Crawford
• 1987 · Mandela as Winnie Mandela
• 1985 · Puss in Boots as Princess Lovinia
• 1981 · The Sophisticated Gents as Evelyn Evers
• Future · The Boroughs as Judy
• 1985 · Words by Heart as Claudie Sills
• 1982 · Precious Blood as Narrator
• 1978 · The Trial of the Moke as Lucy Smith
• Future · Hate to See You Go as
• 1984 · Black Hollywood as Self
• 1951 · Hallmark Hall of Fame as Mrs. Brown
• Future · Playing for Your Heart: The Making of “Love & Basketball” as Herself