Phylicia Rashad

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Phylicia Rashad ( ) (née Ayers-Allen; born June 19, 1948) is an American actress, singer and director who is dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University. She is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom ''The Cosby Show'' (1984–1992) which earned her Emmy Award nominations in 1985 and 1986. She also played Ruth Lucas on ''Cosby'' (1996–2000). She was dubbed "The Mother of the Black Community" at the 2010 NAACP Image Awards.

In 2004, Rashad became the first black actress to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play, which she won for her role in the revival of ''A Raisin in the Sun''. In 2022, Rashad won her second Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in Dominique Morisseau's ''Skeleton Crew''. Her other Broadway credits include ''Into the Woods'' (1988), ''Jelly's Last Jam'' (1993), ''Gem of the Ocean'' (2004), and ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' (2008). Rashad won a NAACP Image Award when she reprised her ''A Raisin in the Sun'' role in the 2008 television adaptation.

She has appeared in the films ''For Colored Girls'' (2010), ''Good Deeds'' (2012), ''Creed'' (2015), and ''Creed II'' (2018). She also voiced Brenda Glover on the Nick Jr. animated children's educational television series ''Little Bill'' (1999–2004). In the 21st century, she has directed revivals of three plays by August Wilson, in major theaters in Seattle, Princeton, New Jersey; and Los Angeles.