PHYLICIA RASHAD

Among the well-loved matriarchs in TV history, Phylicia Rashad is perhaps one of the most iconic. She first rose to prominence after her Broadway debut on the production of The Wiz. After that, she earned a minor role in the Tony Award-winning Dreamgirls. Phylicia is often regarded as The Mother of the Black Community and became popular for her character as Clair Huxtable in the famous sitcom, The Cosby Show.

People also give her credit for being the first-ever black actress to earn a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. She garnered this award after she starred in the revival of A Raisin in the Sun and attained an NAACP Image Award. Phylicia’s other works on plays and films include Gem of the Ocean, Good Deeds, Creed, Creed II, Into the Woods, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Little Bill, and Jelly’s Last Jam.