Rashad, Phylicia (1948–)

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Rashad, Phylicia (1948–)

African-American actress. Name variations: Phylicia Allen; Phylicia Ayers-Allen; credited as Phylicia Ayres Allen in film The Wiz. Born Phylicia Ayers Allen, June 19, 1948, in Houston, TX; dau. of Andrew Allen (dentist) and Vivian Ayers-Allen (poet); sister of Debbie Allen (dancer); magna cum laude graduate of Howard University; m. William Lancelot Bowles Jr. (dentist), 1972 (div. 1975); m. Victor Willis (lead singer for Village People), 1978 (div. 1980); m. Ahmad Rashad (sportscaster), 1985 (div. 2001); children: (1st m.) 1; (3rd m.) 1.

Made film debut under name Phylicia Ayers-Allen in The Broad Coalition (1972); appeared as Courtney Wright on tv soap opera "One Life to Live" (1983–84); also appeared on "Santa Barbara" (1984); came to prominence as Claire Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" (1984–92); won Tony for Best Leading Actress for performance as Lena Younger in A Raisin in the Sun (2004), the 1st African-American to win in that category.