Phylicia Rashād was born Phylicia Ayers-Allen in Harris County Texas but spent some time growing up in Mexico to escape the harshness of racism that was prevalent back then.
She's an actress who is best known for her her role in The Cosby Show.
Her father is full-blooded Cherokee indian and her mom is African American. Her father, Arthur Allen was a dentist and her mom Vivian Ayers was nominated for a Pulitzer prize for her work as an artist, playwright and publisher.
Rashād is the first African-American to have won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role in A Raisin in the Sun back in 2004.
Phylicia has a smile that could light up the world and eyes that could warm you up on the coldest Winter's day.
Those same eyes could stop you in your tracks and make you apologize for something that you did not do because they command such power.
If the eyes are the window to ones soul, then Phylicia is filled with warmth,
compassion,
sincerity,
kindness
and genuine love.
Her stage and screen presence are such that when she's performing you are compelled to stop any and everything that you're doing and just watch this woman work her magic. She's spell-binding.
In 2008 (scheduled for 25 Feb 08 release on USA) she will appear in the television adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun and star on Broadway as Big Mama in an all-African American production of Tennessee Williams's be performing along with veterans James Earl Jones (Big Daddy) and Anika Noni Rose (Maggie), as well as film actor Terrence Howard (this will be his first appearance on Broadway). He will play the role of Brick.
As long as Phylicia's in it, I'm there!
