Phylicia Rashad's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) The Cosby Show Clair Hanks… Do No Harm Dr. Vanessa… Cosby Ruth Lucas Little Bill Brenda

Main Movie Roles 2010 - For Colored Girls 2010 - Just Wright

BIOGRAPHY:

Born to dentist, Andrew Arthur Allen, and poet, Vivian Ayers, in Harris County, TX. As a child, Phylicia, her older brother Andrew (called Tex) and younger sister, Debbie Allen, lived in Mexico to escape US racism. She also has another brother, Hugh Allen (a real estate banker in North Carolina).

Their mother, Vivian Ayers, decided to live there to give the Allen children a brief experience of not having to endure the chronic racism and segregation that was typical of Texas during the 1950s. From this, Phylicia and Debbie are fluent in Spanish.

Phylicia graduated from Howard University and later taught drama there.

With younger sister, Debbie Allen, she has production company "D.A.D." which stood for "Doctor Allen's Daughters". Her Pulitzer-nominated poet mother, Vivian, is the artistic and free spirit that has influenced and encouraged the remarkable creativity that so marks Allen as a performer.


TRIVIA:

• Her mother Dr Vivian Elizabeth Ayers attended Brainerd Institute, Barber Scotia College and Bennett College. Vivian was the first poet in the state of Texas to receive the Pulitzer Prize Award nomination in 1952. Vivian was often called the "Poet Laureate of Texas." In the late 50's, her poetry, "Hawk," attracted the attention of NASA and for twenty years was the only poetry celebrated by NASA. She worked as an apprentice librarian at the Fondren Library of Rice University and was accorded faculty status in 1965, becoming the first African American to be so qualified. During her years at Rice, she organized and published The Adept Quarterly, an important contribution to the small publications movement of the time.
• Nominated for a 2004 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a play for "A Raisin in the Sun" on Broadway.
• Children: Son Billy (born in 1973 - Father: William Lancelot Bowles Jr.), Daughter Condola Phylea (born December 11, 1986 - Father: 'Ahmad Rashad' (qv)), 3 stepchildren (Ahmad's children): daughter Keva (born in 1970), daughter Maiysha (born in 1974) and son Ahmad Jr. (born in 1978).
• 'Ahmad Rashad' (qv) proposed to her on national TV during the halftime show of NBC's Thanksgiving Day broadcast of the game between the Detroit Lions and the New York Jets. Earlier in the day, she had worked NBC's Macy's Thanksgiving Day telecast. Within minutes of hearing Ahmad's request, she came on NBC's "NFL Live" halftime set and accepted his proposal live on TV. 'O.J. Simpson' (qv) was best-man at her 1985 wedding to 'Ahmad Rashad' (qv).
• Sits on the Board of Directors of Atlanta, GA's Alliance Theatre Company, the largest regional theatre in the Southeastern United States.
• Tied for the 2004 Drama Desk award for Best Actress in a play for "A Raisin in the Sun" with 'Viola Davis (I)' (qv) for "Intimate Apparel".
• Her ex-husband, 'Victor Willis (I)' (qv), was a lead singer for 'The Village People' (qv). The two divorced because of Willis' cocaine drug addiction. Sister-in-law of 'Norman Nixon' (qv).
• Appears in the video pre-show of the "Dinosaur" ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.