Today in our History – May 6, 1953 – Lynn Whitfield was born.

GM – LIF – Today’s American Champion is an American actress and producer. Whitfield is best known for her performance as Josephine Baker in the HBO biographical drama film, The Josephine Baker Story (1991), where she won a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries and a movie along with a Golden Globe nomination.

Whitfield had several other starring roles in films, which include A Thin Line between Love and Hate (1996), Gone Fishin (1997), Eve’s Bayou (1997), Stepmom (1998), Head of State (2003), Madea’s Family Reunion (2006), and The Woman (2008).

Today in our History – May 6, 1953 – Lynn Whitfield was born.

Whitfield was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on May 6, 1953, to Jean Butler, a finance agency executive, and Valerian Smith, a dentist. She is the eldest of four children and graduated from Howard University in 1975.

Her father was instrumental in developing Lynn’s initial interest in acting as he was a prime figure in forming a community theater in her native Baton Rouge. She first garnered attention on the stage by studying and performing with the Black Repertory Company in Washington D.C. She married one of the company co-founders and pioneers of black theater, playwright/director/actor Vantile Whitfield in 1974.

She later moved to New York City, New York, and appeared in off-Broadway in such shows as The Great Macdaddy and Showdown. Whitfield also acted on alongside actress Alfre Woodard in the play, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow Is Enuf in 1977.

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 Denzel Washington, Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI as a title character, and in the ABC miniseries The Women of Brewster Place alongside Oprah Winfrey and Cicely Tyson. She also was a regular cast member in the short-lived 1988 ABC female-driven medical drama series, HeartBeat, alongside Kate Mulgrew, Laura Johnson, and Gail Strickland.

Whitfield achieved wide recognition in the title role of The Josephine Baker Story (1991), portraying the American who became a Folies Bergère star, a French Resistance fighter during World War II, and a civil rights activist. The HBO biopic required her to age from 18 to 68. In a highly publicized casting call, Whitfield was chosen over hundreds of women. In the movie, she appeared nude on-screen.

In his review, Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly said: "Whitfield is exceptionally good as the legendary singer-dancer who came to prominence in the ’20s for her throaty singing and her notorious "banana dance" – a wiggly little number executed while wearing nothing except a skirt of real bananas."[6] Whitfield won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her role, and said this gave her "the greatest sense of accomplishment and realization of my vision.

It absolutely called upon everything I thought I could do at that point." She also received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film nomination and won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special.

After her breakthrough as Josephine Baker, Whitfield had a recurring role in the ABC legal drama Equal Justice, appearing opposite Joe Morton. She continued her career, starring in the made for television movies, include A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story (1991); Stompin' at the Savoy (1992) with Vanessa L. Williams, Jasmine Guy, and Vanessa Bell Calloway; Taking the Heat (1993) with Tony Goldwyn; State of Emergency (1994) with Joe Mantegna; Sophie and the Moonhanger (1996); The Wedding (1998) as Halle Berry's mother; The Color of Courage (1998) alongside Linda Hamilton; and Deep in My Heart (1999) opposite Anne Bancroft. She also had the series regular role on the short-lived NBC detective series The Cosby Mysteries from 1994 to 1995, and later guest-starred on Martin and Touched by an Angel.

In 1996, Whitfield was cast as a female lead opposite Martin Lawrence in the dark romantic comedy film, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. At the time of filming, Lawrence was 12 years younger than Whitfield, who was then 42. The film grossed over $35 million against a budget of $8 million.

In 1997, she co-starred opposite Danny Glover and Rosanna Arquette in the comedy film Gone Fishin', appeared in the supporting role in the Canadian drama The Planet of Junior Brown, and played the mother of Jurnee Smollett's title character in the critically acclaimed independent drama Eve's Bayou. In 1998, Whitfield had supporting role of an oncologist in the comedy-drama film, Stepmom.

In the 2000s, Whitfield had many supporting roles on television and film. She co-starred in the Chris Rock'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 Dorothea Garibaldi in both Disney Channel films The Cheetah Girls and The Cheetah Girls 2.

On television, Whitfield had recurring roles on Boston Public and Without a Trace in the 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 April's (Rochelle Aytes) abusive mother on Mistresses.

In 2015, Whitfield was cast in series regular role of main villain in the Oprah Winfrey Network original scripted drama series Greenleaf about 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 Keith David, Merle Dandridge, Kim Hawthorne and Oprah Winfrey. 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 Joan Collins." She won NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2019 and well as Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama Series in 2017. In 2018, she co-starred opposite Sanaa Lathan in the romantic comedy film Nappily Ever After, the film was released on Netflix.

In 1981 Whitfield made her professional screen debut in the NBC critically acclaimed serial drama, Hill Street Blues as Jill Thomas. In 1983 she appeared in the comedy film, Doctor Detroit. Other films in the 1980s included The Slugger’s Wife (1985), Silverado (1985), and Jaws: The Revenge (1987). She also starred in television films, The George McKenna Story (1986) alongside Denzel Washington and The Women of Brewster Place (1989) alongside Oprah Winfrey and Cicely Tyson.

Whitfield’s acting continued into the 1990s with The Josephine Baker Story (1991), A Triumph of the Heart: The Rickey Bell Story (1991), Stompin at the Savoy (1992), Taking the Heat (1993), State of Emergency (1994), and Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996), co-starring with Martin Lawrence.

Whitfield’s credits in the twenty-first century include The Rebound (2009) and Mama, I Want to Sing (2011).

From 2014 to 2015, she appeared in the ABC television series How to Get Away with Murder as villainous Mary Walker. She also had a recurring role on Hit the Floor. In 2015 Whitfield was cast in the Oprah Winfrey Network Series, Greenleaf, in which she plays the leading role of Lady Mae Greenleaf, the matriarch of the Greenleaf family.

She won a Gracie Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role-Drama. Whitfield continued to act in Greenleaf in the second season going into 2017. Over her career, beginning in 1983 until 2016, Whitfield has appeared in thirty-nine movies and fifty-two television programs or series.

Whitfield was married twice. Her first marriage was to Vantile Whitfield from 1974 to 1978. Her second husband was director Brain Gibson. They were married from 1990 to 1992 and had a daughter, Grace. Research more about this great American Champion and share it with your babies. Make it a champion day!