Phylicia Rashad-Allen was born on June 19, 1948, in Houston, Texas. She was born to Vivian Elizabeth, a poet and art director, and Andrew Arthur Allen Jr., a jazz musician, and an orthodontist. She comes from a well-educated background with her mother being an alumnus of Brainerd Institute, Barber-Scotia College, and Bennett College of North Carolina. As a young child, Rashad, her older brother Andrew, and her younger sister, Debbie Allen, lived in Mexico. Rashad has another brother named Hugh Allen who became a real estate banker in North Carolina. Rashad's mother made the decision to move to Mexico to give her children a chance to grow up in an environment that wasn't plagued with racism and segregation that was prevalent in the 1950's.
Rashad attended college at Howard University and graduated magna cum laude in 1970 with a Bachelor's degree. At Howard University, Rashad was initiated into the Alpha Chapter at the university and became a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Rashad would go on to perform a role in "A Raisin in The Sun" earning her the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-series or the Dramatic Special. Rashad also lent her voice to "The Mother" of the African-American community at the 42nd NAACP image awards.
Rashad started her career with the theater and became known for her work on the stage in a string of Broadway shows including her role as Deena Jones in "Dreamgirls" and playing a Munchkin in "The Wiz" for three and a half years. In 1978, Rashad doubled down on her vocal ability and released the album "Josephine Superstar" which tells the life story of Josephine Baker. The album was written and produced by Jacques Morali and Rashad's second husband Victor Willis who was the original lead singer and lyricist of the Village People.
Rashad also has credits on Broadway productions like "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", "August: Osage County", "Blue", and "Into the Woods". She also played a number of theatrical roles off-Broadway including "Bernarda Alba", "Helen", and "The Sirens". She also performed in a number of regional theaters including the Alliance Theater in Atlanta, Georgia where she played the role of Medea in "Blues for an Alabama Sky", the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., and the Huntington Theater in Boston.
A few years later in 2004, Rashad became the first black actress of any nationality to win the Best Actress (Play) Tony Award for her role as Lena Younger in the revival of the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry.
| Date of Birth: | 19-06-1948 |
| Birth Place: | Houston, Texas, United States |
| Children: | Condola Rashad, William Lancelot Bowles III |
| Nationality: | American |
| Profession: | Actress |
| Employer: | Movies, TV Shows |
| Marital Status: | Not Now |
| Ethnicity: | Afro-American |
| Net Worth: | $55 Million Dollars |
| Height: | 5 feet 6 inches |
| Husband: | Ahmad Rash?d Victor Willis, William Lancelot Bowles, Jr. |
| Divorced Date: | 2001 |
| Marriage Date: | 1972 |
| Birth Sign: | Gemini |
| T.V. Show(s): | Do No Harm, Little Bill, Cosby, The Cosby Show |
| Alma Mater: | Howard University |
| Ex. Husband: | Ahmad Rash?d |
| Birth Date: | 19 Jun, 1948 |
| Age: | 71 yrs |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Houston |
| Education: | Howard University |
| Gender: | Female |
| Description: | American actress |
| Spouse: | Ahmad Rashad[1985-2001] Victor Willis[1978-1982] |
