Alfre Woodard net worth is estimated at $8 million. She is an American actress, producer and activist who has built a successful career spanning more than five decades in film, television and theatre.
Woodard is best known for acclaimed performances in films such as Cross Creek, Grand Canyon, Passion Fish, Heart and Souls and Clemency. She has also enjoyed an extensive television career, appearing in Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere, The Practice, Desperate Housewives, True Blood, Luke Cage, Empire and See.
Her career has earned her 18 Emmy nominations, one Academy Award nomination and one Grammy nomination. She has won four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. For several years, Woodard held the record for the most Emmy acting wins by a Black performer before Regina King matched her record in 2020.
- Alfre Woodard Net Worth: $8 Million
- Date of Birth: November 8, 1952
- Place of Birth: Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Nationality: American
- Career: actress, producer and activist
Early Life and Education
Alfre Woodard was born on November 8, 1952, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is the daughter of Constance, a homemaker, and Marion, an entrepreneur and interior designer. She has two older siblings.
Woodard attended Bishop Kelley High School before studying drama at Boston University. Her early interest in acting eventually led her to pursue a professional career in theatre.
Career Beginnings
Woodard began her professional acting career on stage in 1974 when she made her debut at the Arena Stage in Washington, DC. Two years later, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue opportunities in film and television.
Her breakthrough came in 1977 when she appeared in the off-Broadway production For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf.
In 1978, Woodard made her feature film debut in Remember My Name. She also appeared opposite Samuel L. Jackson in the television film The Trial of the Moke. Her early television work continued with the 1979 film Freedom Road.
Alfre Woodard’s Film Career
Woodard’s film career gained momentum in the 1980s. In 1980, she appeared in Robert Altman’s comedy Health. Her major breakthrough on the big screen came in 1983 with the biographical romance Cross Creek.
Her performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, establishing Woodard as a major dramatic talent.
She subsequently appeared in films including Extremities, Scrooged and Miss Firecracker. In the 1990s, she earned further acclaim for Grand Canyon and Passion Fish, the latter earning her a Golden Globe nomination.
Woodard continued to build an impressive film résumé with appearances in Rich in Love, Heart and Souls, Bopha!, Blue Chips, Crooklyn, How to Make an American Quilt, Primal Fear and Star Trek: First Contact.
She ended the decade with a critically acclaimed performance in Maya Angelou’s Down in the Delta, followed by roles in Mumford and The Wishing Tree.
During the 2000s, Woodard appeared in a wide range of productions, including Love & Basketball, K-PAX, Radio, The Core, The Forgotten, Beauty Shop, Something New, Take the Lead and The Family That Preys.
In 2013, she appeared in the Academy Award-winning film 12 Years a Slave. Her later film credits included Annabelle, Mississippi Grind, Burning Sands, Saint Judy and Clemency.
Her performance in Clemency earned her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress. More recent credits have included Juanita, Fatherhood, Salem’s Lot and The Gray Man.
Alfre Woodard’s Television Career
Television has been one of the most important parts of Woodard’s career and a major contributor to her long-term earnings.
In the 1980s, she appeared in the NBC miniseries The Sophisticated Gents and the detective series Tucker’s Witch. Her breakthrough television performance came in 1983 when she played Doris Robson on Hill Street Blues.
The role earned Woodard her first Emmy Award.
She later appeared in television films including Words by Heart, Unnatural Causes and A Mother’s Courage: The Mary Thomas Story. In 1986, she won her second Emmy for her guest appearance in the pilot episode of L.A. Law.
Woodard also earned two Emmy nominations for her portrayal of Dr. Roxanne Turner on the medical drama St. Elsewhere.
Her success continued into the 1990s. In 1995, her performance in The Piano Lesson earned her an Emmy nomination and a SAG Award. She later received another Emmy nomination for Gulliver’s Travels.
One of the biggest highlights of her career came in 1997 with the television film Miss Evers’ Boys. Woodard’s performance earned her an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG Award and NAACP Award.
Emmy Awards and Major Television Roles
Woodard remained one of television’s most respected performers during the 2000s. In 2003, she won her fourth Emmy for her guest role on The Practice.
She later received Emmy nominations for Desperate Housewives, The Water Is Wide and Pictures of Hollis Woods.
Woodard also starred in series including My Own Worst Enemy, Three Rivers and Memphis Beat. Her recurring role on HBO’s True Blood earned her another Emmy nomination.
In 2012, she starred in the television remake of Steel Magnolias. Her performance earned her a record-breaking 17th Emmy nomination at the time.
Her subsequent television credits included Copper, The Last Ship, State of Affairs, Luke Cage, Empire and See.
Activism
Beyond entertainment, Woodard has been heavily involved in activism. She co-founded Artists for a New South Africa, a nonprofit organization focused on combating AIDS in Africa and supporting democracy and human rights in South Africa.
Her activism has remained an important part of her public profile alongside her work in Hollywood.
Personal Life
Alfre Woodard married writer Roderick Spencer in 1983. The couple have two children, Mavis and Duncan.
Woodard and her family have lived in Santa Monica, California.
Alfre Woodard Real Estate
Woodard owns a home in Santa Monica, California. In April 2024, the property was listed for sale for $2.75 million.
Her real estate holdings form part of her overall wealth, alongside the income and assets accumulated during her decades in entertainment.
Author: Andrew Walyaula
Andrew Walyaula is a seasoned multimedia journalist. Email: [email protected]
