Phylicia Rashad
Best Known as Clair Huxtable from “The Cosby Show”; Committed Advocate for Children, Women’s Issues & Fine Arts
Phylicia Rashad’s reputation as one of America’s most diversified entertainment talents continues to grow. Known to millions of fans worldwide as Clair Huxtable from “The Cosby Show,” Phylicia earned two Emmy Award nominations and a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Television Female Performer during her eight years on the show.
She also earned an NAACP Image Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Ruth Lucas on “Cosby.” Phylicia has had success on the stage and in television. She recently completed a leading role in the New York production of “Blue” and has starred on Broadway in “Into the Woods,” “Jelly’s Last Jam,” “Dreamgirls,” “the Wiz,” and “Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death.”
Ms. Rashad recently made her debut as executive producer, co-producing and co-starring with her sister, Debbie Allen, in “The Old Settler.” This production launched the new PBS national television drama series “PBS Hollywood Presents”. Rashad’s other television credits include guest appearances in the series “Touched By An Angel,” “A Different World” and roles in the television films “David’s Mother,” “Free of Eden,” “False Witness,” “Jailbirds” and “Polly Comin’ Home!” –both directed by her sister, Debbie Allen.
Rashad, who is also an established singer, has shared the stage with Bill Cosby in Las Vegas and performed with the Dallas Symphony and the Oklahoma Symphonic. Rashad recently received a NAACP Image Award Nomination for her role in “Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored.”Phylicia is the daughter of a highly creative Houston family—her mother is a Pulitzer prize-nominated poet and scholar and her sister Debbie is a noted Broadway and television choreographer/director/actress. She graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Howard University.
She is a recipient of Harvard University’s Foundation Award and is an active participant in charitable and non-profit organizations. She supports the work of the PRASAD Project, an international charitable organization designed to help communities by giving them the tools and opportunities they need for self-reliance. She is also committed to the mission of Children’s Hospital, which provides premium pediatric health care and services to children in the District of Columbia and to RNT–Recruiting New Teachers. In addition to supporting these organizations, Ms. Rashad is dedicated to communicating the importance of the Fine Arts in education.
TAKING HEART DISEASE PERSONALLY
Phylicia Rashad takes diabetes and heart disease personally. When she lost her father to heart disease related to his diabetes, she was spurred by that terrible loss to participate in a nationwide campaign to create awareness of the link between diabetes and heart disease. From her participation in that first campaign, and her dedication to the cause since, she shares what she learned from healthcare professionals, including what increases your risks of developing diabetes-related heart disease, how to recognize the symptoms – and what can be done to increase the odds of beating this deadly disease.
INSIDE TV: AN ACTORS PERSPECTIVE
Known as a role model for women on television, Rashad earned two Emmy nominations and the People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Television Female Performer”. Recently, she became the first black actress to win a Tony award for a dramatic leading role in “Raisin in the Sun”. From a highly creative Houston family, Rashad graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s in fine arts from Howard University. She is a recipient of Harvard University’s Foundation award and speaks fluent Spanish, having spent part of her childhood in Mexico.