Audra Ann McDonald was born on July 3, 1970, in West Berlin, Germany. At the time of her birth, her father, a member of the U.S. Army, was stationed overseas. Both of her parents were educators who encouraged her early interest in the arts. Raised in Fresno, California, McDonald attended Theodore Roosevelt High School's arts program. She later studied classical voice at the Juilliard School in New York City, where she trained under renowned vocal instructor Ellen Faull, graduating in 1993. Just a year after graduating, she won her first Tony Award.
By the age of 28, Audra McDonald had already won three Tony Awards for her roles in Carousel, Master Class, and Ragtime—a distinction previously achieved by only a few, including Shirley Booth, Gwen Verdon, and Zero Mostel. She received another nomination for her performance in Marie Christine before winning her fourth Tony in 2004 for A Raisin in the Sun. Her fifth Tony came in 2012 for her portrayal of Bess in The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, followed by a sixth win for playing Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill.
With her sixth win, McDonald made history as the first performer to win Tony Awards in all four acting categories—a record unmatched in Broadway history. She is also recognized as the first African-American woman to play traditionally white roles in Broadway revivals of Carousel and 110 in the Shade, breaking down racial barriers in theater casting.
In a New York Times interview, McDonald expressed her approach to challenging typecasting, saying, “I refuse to be stereotyped. If I think I am right for a role, I will go for it in whatever way I can. I can’t control what a producer will do or say, but I can at least put myself out there.”
During her Tony acceptance speech for Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, she honored influential African-American women, stating, “I am standing on the shoulders of Lena Horne, Maya Angelou, Diahann Carroll, Ruby Dee, and most of all, Billie Holiday.”
Audra McDonald has recorded five solo albums with Nonesuch Records. Her debut album, Way Back to Paradise (1998), featured songs by notable modern musical theater composers including Michael John LaChiusa, Adam Guettel, and Jason Robert Brown. Her second release, How Glory Goes (2000), included a blend of classic and contemporary material. Her third album, Happy Songs (2002), paid tribute to big band music from the 1920s to 1940s, while Build a Bridge (2006) featured pop and jazz selections. In 2013, she returned after a seven-year hiatus with Go Back Home.
McDonald made her opera debut in 2006 with the Houston Grand Opera in a double bill of La voix humaine and Send. In 2007, she starred in the Los Angeles Opera’s production of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, which earned her two Grammy Awards: Best Opera Recording and Best Classical Album. Her successful crossover into opera showcases her classical vocal training and genre-defying versatility.
Throughout her career, Audra McDonald has appeared in numerous television productions. She earned her first Primetime Emmy nomination in 2001 for her role in the HBO film Wit, starring alongside Emma Thompson. The two reunited in 2017 for Disney’s live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, in which McDonald portrayed Madame de Garderobe.
McDonald's television credits also include appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2000), The Bedford Diaries (2006), Kidnapped (2006–2007), and the HBO documentary Six by Sondheim. Her film work includes Seven Servants (1996), The Object of My Affection (1998), Cradle Will Rock (1999), It Runs in the Family (2003), and Ricki and the Flash (2015).
| Birth Date: | 3 Jul, 1970 |
| Age: | 49 yrs |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Berlin |
| Education: | Juilliard School |
| Gender: | Female |
| Description: | American singer and actress |
| Spouse: | Will Swenson [M. 2012] |
| Net Worth 2021: | 2 million |
