Audra McDonald

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<a href="/biography/audra-mcdonald">Audra Ann McDonald</a> 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 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Faull">instructor</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Faull">Ellen Faull</a>, graduating in 1993. Just a year after graduating, she won her first Tony Award.

<h2>An <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Americans">African-American</a> Groundbreaker</h2>

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 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Booth">Shirley Booth</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwen_Verdon">Gwen Verdon</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_Mostel">Zero Mostel</a>. She received another nomination for her performance in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Christine">Marie Christine</a> 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 <a href="/biography/billie-holiday">Billie Holiday</a> 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 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Americans">African-American</a> 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 <a href="/biography/billie-holiday">Lady Day</a> at Emerson's Bar and Grill, she honored influential <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Americans">African-American</a> women, stating, “I am standing on the shoulders of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lena_Horne">Lena Horne</a>, <a href="/biography/maya-angelou">Maya Angelou</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diahann_Carroll">Diahann Carroll</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Dee">Ruby Dee</a>, and most of all, <a href="/biography/billie-holiday">Billie Holiday</a>.”

<h2>Recording Career and Musical Contributions</h2>

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 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_John_LaChiusa">Michael John LaChiusa</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Guettel">Adam Guettel</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Robert_Brown">Jason Robert Brown</a>. 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.

<h2>Opera and Grammy-Winning Legacy</h2>

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.

<h2>Television and Film Appearances</h2>

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 <a href="/biography/emma-thompson">Emma Thompson</a>. 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).

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<h2>Honors and Recognition</h2>

In 2015, Time magazine named Audra McDonald one of its 100 most influential people. In the same year, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts by <a href="/biography/barack-obama">President</a> <a href="/biography/barack-obama">Barack Obama</a>, the highest honor given to artists by the U.S. government. McDonald has received numerous other accolades, including five Drama Desk Awards, five Outer Critics Circle Awards, four NAACP Image Award nominations, a Theatre World Award, and an Ovation Award. In 2015, she was also honored with the Rockefeller Award for Creativity.

Further underscoring her influence, Variety Magazine included her in its 2017 "Power of Women" issue alongside <a href="/biography/chelsea-clinton">Chelsea Clinton</a>, <a href="/biography/blake-lively">Blake Lively</a>, and <a href="/biography/gayle-king">Gayle King</a>. She holds an honorary doctorate from Yale University, recognizing her contributions to the performing arts and social advocacy.

<h2>Personal Life and Family</h2>

Audra McDonald married bassist Peter Donovan in 2000, and the couple had one daughter, Zoe Madeline Donovan. They divorced in 2009. In 2012, she married <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Swenson_(actor)">actor</a> and musician <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Swenson_(actor)">Will Swenson</a>. Together, they have a daughter, Sally James McDonald-Swenson, born on October 19, 2016. The family resides in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, along with their two dogs, Butler and Georgia. In 2015, McDonald and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Swenson_(actor)">Swenson</a> co-starred in A Moon for the Misbegotten at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.

<h2>Social Media and Public Advocacy</h2>

McDonald maintains an active presence on social media, using platforms like Twitter (over 204,000 followers), Facebook (over 80,000 followers), and Instagram (over 101,000 followers) to engage with fans and advocate for causes she believes in.

A passionate advocate for equal rights, LGBTQ+ issues, and underserved youth, McDonald joined the Covenant House International Board of Directors in 2014. The organization provides shelter and support for homeless youth in 27 cities across six countries. She has also participated in campaigns such as Freedom to Marry, NOH8, and PFLAG NYC, promoting marriage equality and anti-bullying initiatives. In 2012, she and her husband received the PFLAG National Straight for Equality Award.

As stated on her official website, of all her roles, McDonald holds dearest those she performs offstage—devoted wife to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Swenson_(actor)">Will Swenson</a>, loving mother, and tireless advocate for equality and youth empowerment.

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