Phylicia Rashad, American actress
Phylicia Rashad ( fih-LEE-shə rə-SHAHD) (née Ayers-Allen; born June 19, 1948) is an American actress and singer. She is 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 was dubbed "The Mother of the Black Community" at the 2010 NAACP Image Awards and played Ruth Lucas on Cosby (1996–2000).
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. 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 also 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).