Acting Career: Beginnings and Breakthrough

Woodard began her professional acting career in the 1970s, making her stage debut in 1974 at Washington D.C.’s Arena Stage. In 1976, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting opportunities in film and television. Despite acknowledging the limited roles available to Black actresses at the time, Woodard was driven by determination and self-confidence. Her breakout role came in 1977 with the television adaptation of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf. She followed this with a role in the 1978 film Remember My Name.

Major Film and Television Roles

Throughout the 1980s, Woodard appeared in a range of notable projects including Health (1980), The Sophisticated Gents (1981), Tucker's Witch (1982), and Cross Creek (1983), the latter earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also starred in television series such as Sara, L.A. Law, and St. Elsewhere.

During the 1990s, she featured in acclaimed films like Grand Canyon (1991), Passion Fish (1992), The Gun in Betty Lou’s Handbag (1992), Blue Chips (1994), and How to Make an American Quilt (1995). Her work throughout the 2000s included roles in Love & Basketball (2000), What’s Cooking? (2000), The Singing Detective (2003), The Core (2003), The Forgotten (2004), and Something New (2006).

In the 2010s, Woodard continued to receive critical acclaim for appearances in series and films such as Grey’s Anatomy, the 2012 remake of Steel Magnolias, and the Oscar-winning film 12 Years a Slave (2013).