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Lynn Whitfield is an American actress and producer. She began her acting career in television and theatre, before progressing to supporting roles in film. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her performance as Josephine Baker in the HBO biographical drama film The Josephine Baker Story (1991).
Birth Name
Lynn Butler-Smith
Born
Wednesday, 06 May 1953
Actress Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Retirement Plan | Drisdale | 2023 |
| See It Loud: The History of Black Television | Self - Actress - The Women of Brewster Place, Greenleaf | 2023 |
| Vacation Friends | Suzanne | 2021 |
| Fantasy Island | Judy Jackson | 2021 |
| Woman in Motion | Self | 2021 |
| Tales from the Hood 3 | Marie Benoit / Marie Benoît | 2020 |
| Tamron Hall | Self | 2019 |
| Nappily Ever After | Paulette Jones / Pauletta | 2018 |
| Solace | Irene | 2018 |
| Uncensored | Self | 2018 |
Actress Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Retirement Plan | Drisdale | 2023 |
| See It Loud: The History of Black Television | Self - Actress - The Women of Brewster Place, Greenleaf | 2023 |
| Vacation Friends | Suzanne | 2021 |
| Fantasy Island | Judy Jackson | 2021 |
| Woman in Motion | Self | 2021 |
| Tales from the Hood 3 | Marie Benoit / Marie Benoît | 2020 |
| Tamron Hall | Self | 2019 |
| Nappily Ever After | Paulette Jones / Pauletta | 2018 |
| Solace | Irene | 2018 |
| Uncensored | Self | 2018 |
| The Resident | Josephine Okeke | 2018 |
| The Chi | Alicia | 2018 |
| Espionage Tonight | Sydney Greenstreet | 2017 |
| Greenleaf | Lady Mae Greenleaf | 2016 |
| The North Star | Miss Grace | 2016 |
| Prayer Never Fails | Loral Hess / Loral Brown | 2016 |
| Curveball | Dr. Lane | 2015 |
| Lap Dance | Momma Pearl | 2014 |
| 30 Days in Atlanta | Odiye's immigration lawyer (Clara) / Clara | 2014 |
| How to Get Away with Murder | Mary Walker | 2014 |
| My Other Mother | Mary Jo | 2014 |
| Chasing Life | Karen Callahan | 2014 |
| Unsung Hollywood | Self | 2014 |
| Blood Lines | Vivian | 2014 |
| The Last Letter | Lorraine | 2013 |
| The Dempsey Sisters | Olivia Norman | 2013 |
| And Then There Was You | Sophia Brent | 2013 |
| Celebrity Page | Self | 2013 |
| Act Like You Love Me | Harriett / Harriett Lofton | 2013 |
| The Real | Self | 2013 |
| Fatal Attraction | Narrator (voice) | 2013 |
| Hit the Floor | Vanessa Howard / Jelena's mother, Vanessa Howard | 2013 |
| King's Faith | Vanessa Stubbs / Vanessa | 2013 |
| 24 Hour Love | Cynthia | 2013 |
| Mistresses | Marjorie | 2013 |
| Lonely Boy | Dr. Christine Nolan | 2013 |
| Home & Family | Self | 2012 |
| Steve Harvey | Self | 2012 |
| Redemption of a Dog | Francine | 2012 |
| Somebody's Child | Constance | 2012 |
| Family Time | Donna | 2012 |
| Battlefield America | Ms. Parker | 2012 |
| Reel Black Love | 2012 | |
| Dish Nation | Self | 2011 |
| All Things Fall Apart | Bee | 2011 |
| Way Black When: Primetime | Self | 2011 |
| Mama I Want to Sing | Lillian Winter | 2011 |
| Oprah's Master Class | Self | 2011 |
| Are We There Yet? | Grandma / Mother-in-Law 2012 | 2010 |
| Celebrity Close Calls | Self | 2010 |
| Red Carpet Report | Self | 2009 |
| Flashforward | Anastasia Markham | 2009 |
| The Rebound | Laura Reilly | 2009 |
| PoliWood | Self | 2009 |
| The Women | Glenda Hill | 2008 |
| Kings of the Evening | Gracie | 2008 |
| Shark | Anita Astin | 2006 |
| The Cheetah Girls 2 | Dorothea Garibaldi / Dorothea | 2006 |
| Confessions | Dr. Page | 2006 |
| Madea's Family Reunion | Victoria | 2006 |
| The Book of Daniel | Elena | 2006 |
| 36th NAACP Image Awards | Self | 2005 |
| Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story | Barbara Becnel | 2004 |
| The Cheetah Girls | Dorothea / Dorothea Garibaldi | 2003 |
| Head of State | Debra Lassiter | 2003 |
| A Time for Dancing | Linda Derricks, the Dance Teacher / Linda | 2002 |
| Without a Trace | Paula Van Doren | 2002 |
| A Girl Thing | Nia Morgan | 2001 |
| Boston Public | Louanna Harper | 2000 |
| Strong Medicine | Dr. Marshall | 2000 |
| Love Songs | Jean Simpson (segment "Love Song for Jean and Ellis, A") / Jean Simpson | 1999 |
| Dangerous Evidence: The Lori Jackson Story | Lori Jackson | 1999 |
| The Color of Courage | Minnie McGhee | 1999 |
| Stepmom | Dr. P. Sweikert | 1998 |
| The Wedding | Corinne Coles | 1998 |
| Eve's Bayou | Roz Batiste | 1997 |
| The Planet of Junior Brown | Mrs. Brown | 1997 |
| The View | Herself | 1997 |
| Gone Fishin' | Angie | 1997 |
| Promised Land | Dr. Serena Hall | 1996 |
| The Daily Show | Self - Guest | 1996 |
| Saturday Night Special | Self | 1996 |
| A Thin Line Between Love and Hate | Brandi Web / Brandi | 1996 |
| Touched by an Angel | Dr. Serena Hall | 1994 |
| The Cosby Mysteries | Barbara Lorenz | 1994 |
| In the Army Now | Sgt. Ladd | 1994 |
| Thicker Than Blood: The Larry McLinden Story | Bobbie Mallory | 1994 |
| State of Emergency | Dehlia Johnson | 1994 |
| The Cosby Mysteries | Barbara Lorenz | 1994 |
| Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Herself - Guest | 1993 |
| Taking the Heat | Carolyn Hunter | 1993 |
| Martin | Ellen | 1992 |
| HBO First Look | Self | 1992 |
| Stompin' at the Savoy | Esther | 1992 |
| A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story | Natala | 1991 |
| The Josephine Baker Story | Josephine Baker | 1991 |
| The Trials of Rosie O'Neill | 1990 | |
| Equal Justice | Maggie Mayfield | 1990 |
| Snoops | Denise Kendall | 1989 |
| The Women of Brewster Place | Ciel | 1989 |
| Sidewalks Entertainment | Self - Guest | 1988 |
| Heartbeat | Dr. Cory Banks | 1988 |
| Jaws: The Revenge | Louisa | 1987 |
| Biography | Self | 1987 |
| Dead Aim | Sheila Freeman | 1987 |
| The George McKenna Story | Bobbie Maxwell | 1986 |
| Matlock | Angela Page | 1986 |
| The Insiders | Yvonne | 1985 |
| Tall Tales & Legends | Pollie Ann | 1985 |
| Silverado | Rae | 1985 |
| The Slugger's Wife | Tina Alvarado | 1985 |
| Miami Vice | Odette Ribaud | 1984 |
| The New Mike Hammer | Delia Marvel | 1984 |
| Doctor Detroit | Thelma Cleland | 1983 |
| St. Elsewhere | Annie Callan | 1982 |
| Matt Houston | Val | 1982 |
| American Playhouse | Woman in the Bath | 1982 |
| The Fall Guy | Jeanne | 1981 |
| Cagney & Lacey | Eleanor Taggart | 1981 |
| Hill Street Blues | Jill Thomas | 1981 |
Producer Filmography
| Title | Year |
|---|
| And Then There Was You | 2013 |
| Redemption of a Dog | 2012 |
| Year | Type | Category | Won |
|---|
| 1992 | Golden Globe | Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated |
| 1991 | Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special | Won |
