Lynn Whitfield is a veteran American actress. She first gained recognition for her theatre work, appearing in productions with the Black Repertory Company in Washington, D.C.
Early Life
Whitfield was born on February 15, 1953 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She is the daughter of Jean (née Butler), a former president of the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, and Dr. Valerian Smith, who was also a composer who wrote the musicals, The Supper and The Wake.
Her mother is a founding member of the Baton Rouge chapter of The Links Incorporated and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Whitfield is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. She is the eldest of four children and a third-generation BFA graduate from Howard University.
Both parents were instrumental in developing Whitfield’s initial interest in acting, as they were actively involved in the Baton Rouge art scene. Her love of movies was shared by her maternal grandmother, Estelle Devall Butler, who exposed her to them. By age five, Whitfield decided she wanted to be in them.
Career
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 breakout performance as Josephine Baker in the HBO biographical film The Josephine Baker Story (1991).
In the 1990s, Whitfield played leading roles in a number of made-for-television movies and had several starring roles in theatrical films, including A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996), Gone Fishin’ (1997), Eve’s Bayou (1997), Stepmom (1998), Head of State (2003), Madea’s Family Reunion (2006), and The Women (2008). Whitfield also starred in a number of movies in the 2000s and 2010s. From 2016 to 2020, she starred as Lady Mae Greenleaf in the Oprah Winfrey Network dramatic series Greenleaf, for which she won critical acclaim and garnered two NAACP Image Awards and a Gracie Award. Whitfield has won a total of seven NAACP Image Awards.
Personal Life
Whitfield has been married twice. Her first husband, from 1974 to 1978, was Vantile Whitfield. From 1990 to 1992, she was married to director Brian Gibson, with whom she had a daughter, Grace.
What is Lynn Whitfield Net Worth?
Lynn Whitfield has a net worth of $3 million.
