Lynn Whitfield married, husband, height, movies, children, net worth

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Lynn Whitfield was born in the Louisiana State in the city of Baton Rouge. She is a <a href="/biography/lynn-whitfield">daughter</a> of Jean, who was an officer of Finance agency and of Valerian Smith who was a dentist. She is the eldest <a href="/biography/lynn-whitfield">child</a> in the four children. Her father, who was a dentist, was the first person who made her to develop the interest in acting since he was among the people who formed the community theater in the Native Baton Rouge. Whitfield’s stable, middle-class parents had always viewed their artistic pursuits as a leisure activity and were disappointed when their daughter chose a career in show business. “No, it wasn’t acceptable to primarily be an artist and to have no other form of income. It was very frightening, it was not encouraged,” Whitfield told Jacqueline Trescott of the Washington Post After spending a year at Southern University in Louisiana.

Whitfield transferred to Howard University in Washington, DC, becoming the third generation of her family to attend Howard, one of the country’s premiere traditionally black colleges. While a student at Howard, Whitfield acted with the D.C. Black Repertory Theatre in several productions including the musical Owen’s Song, and the play Changes, in which she played a waitress at a “soul food” restaurant. During this time she married <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vantile_Whitfield">Vantile Whitfield</a>, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vantile_Whitfield">founder</a> of the D.C. Black Repertory, who was more than twenty years her senior. The marriage lasted about five years. “The first time I saw her I was struck by her presence. A lot of people don’t come to the art form knowing this is what they want to do. They are “try-it”-type people. This is what Lynn wanted,” <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vantile_Whitfield">Vantile Whitfield</a> told Trescott.

She got the first attention when she was on the stage when she was learning and also performing with Black Repertory Company of Washington, D.C. Afterwards, she got the role in the Los Angeles production like For colored Girls who Have Considered Suicide: When the Rainbow is Enuf and she starred together with <a href="/biography/alfre-woodard">Alfre Woodard</a>. She was also in How To Get Away with Murder, where she played as a Villain Mary Walker.

She started acting career in Theater and Television before she started to play in the supporting roles in the films. Whitfield made her professional screen debut in the NBC critically acclaimed serial drama, Hill Street Blues as Jill Thomas in 1981. In 1983, she appeared in the comedy film Doctor Detroit (1983), playing the supporting role of Thelma Cleland. She later co-starred in films The Slugger's Wife, Silverado, and Jaws: The Revenge. She also starred in the television films The George McKenna Story opposite <a href="/biography/denzel-washington">Denzel Washington</a>, Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI as a title character, and in the ABC miniseries The Women of Brewster Place alongside <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey">Oprah Winfrey</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicely_Tyson">Cicely Tyson</a>. She also was a regular <a href="/biography/lynn-whitfield">cast member</a> in the short-lived 1988 ABC female-driven medical drama series, HeartBeat alongside <a href="/biography/kate-mulgrew">Kate Mulgrew</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Johnson">Laura Johnson</a>, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gail_Strickland">Gail Strickland</a>. In 2000s, Whitfield had many supporting roles on television and film. She co-starred in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Rock">Chris Rock</a>'s comedy film, Head of State (2003), and Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion (2006). Whitfield also appeared in The Women (2008), The Rebound (2009) and Mama, I Want to Sing (2011), and had many roles in a low-profile B-Movies. She also starred as Dorthea Garibaldi in both Disney Channel films The Cheetah Girls and The Cheetah Girls 2.

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On television, Whitfield had recurring roles on Boston Public and Without a Trace in 2000s. From 2014 to 2015, she appeared in the ABC legal drama, How to Get Away with Murder as villainous Mary Walker. She also had the recurring role on Hit the Floor, and appeared as a April's (<a href="/biography/rochelle-aytes">Rochelle Aytes</a>) abusive mother on Mistresses.

In 2015, Whitfield was cast in the series regular role of main villain in the Oprah Winfrey Network original scripted drama series, Greenleaf about the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family and their sprawling Memphis megachurch. Whitfield plays the leading role of Lady Mae Greenleaf, the imperious Minister's wife and power and money hungry matriarch of the family. The series also stars <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_David">Keith David</a>, <a href="/biography/merle-dandridge">Merle Dandridge</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Hawthorne">Kim Hawthorne</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey">Oprah Winfrey</a>. Whitfield has received positive reviews from critics for her performance as Lady Mae. One critic stated "Whitfield has the imperious aura of a grand soap opera diva in the tradition of <a href="/biography/joan-collins">Joan Collins</a>."

She was given the Primetime Emmy Award in the categories of Outstanding Lead Actress of Miniseries or of Movie. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for the role she had as Josephine Baker in the HBO biographical drama film called the Josephine Baker Story. After the role of Josephine Baker, she got many other leading roles in many movies like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Women_(2008_film)">The Women</a>, Head of State, Eve’s Bayou, Gone Fishin’ and A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. She was the star of many other small movies on the movie, including the Oprah Winfrey Network called Greenleaf, where she was the villain Lady Mae Greenleaf. She has won the NAACP Image Awards for five times.

Lynn Whitfield got married two times. She got married to a person who was a co-founder and a pioneer for Black Theater. Her husband is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vantile_Whitfield">Vantile Whitfield</a>, he is also an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vantile_Whitfield">actor</a>, director and playwright. In the year 1974, she went to live in New York, where she started to appear for the Off-Broadway in the movies like The Great Macdaddy and the Showdown. After divorcing his first husband <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vantile_Whitfield">Vantile Whitfield</a> in 1978, she got married to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Gibson_(director)">Brian Gibson</a>. In her second marriage, she got a daughter called Grace Gibson and she divorced her second husband in the year 1992. She did not get children in the first marriage.

Lynn Whitfield’s height is 5 feet and 5 inches. Regardless of her age, she still looks young and elegant. Her biography can be accessed easily online and the followers can get to know more about what she is doing on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Her net worth is believed to be around 3 million dollars.

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