Audra McDonald

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Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is an American singer and actress. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four acting categories. In addition to her six Tony Awards she has received numerous accolades including two Grammy Awards, and an Emmy Award. She was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 2016 from President Barack Obama, and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2017.

She has performed in musicals, operas, and dramas. She has received six Tony Awards for her roles in ''Carousel'' (1994), ''Master Class'' (1996), ''Ragtime'' (1998), ''A Raisin in the Sun'' (2004), ''Porgy and Bess'' (2012), and ''Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill'' (2014). Her other Tony-nominated roles were in ''Marie Christine'' (2000), ''110 in the Shade'' (2007), ''Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune'' (2020), and ''Ohio State Murders'' (2023).

On television, she portrayed Dr. Naomi Bennett in the ABC series ''Private Practice'' from 2007 to 2011, and Liz Lawrence in ''The Good Wife'' and its spinoff series ''The Good Fight''. She received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her roles in ''Wit'' (2001), ''A Raisin in the Sun'' (2008), and ''Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill'' (2016). She won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program for hosting ''Live from Lincoln Center'' (2015). On film, she has acted in ''Ricki and the Flash'' (2015), ''Beauty and the Beast'' (2017), ''Respect'' (2021), and ''Rustin'' (2023).

As a classical soprano, she has performed in staged operas with the Houston Grand Opera and the Los Angeles Opera, and in concerts with symphony orchestras like the Berlin Philharmonic and New York Philharmonic. Her recording of Kurt Weill's ''Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny'' (2008) with the Los Angeles Opera won the Grammy Award for Best Classical Album and the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. She maintains an active concert and recording career throughout the United States performing genres ranging from jazz standards to musical theatre.