Lynn Whitfield’s Acting Résumé Is Full Of Strong, Complex Women
HuffPost
The Hollywood veteran has set a standard for playing nuanced, no-nonsense women through her many memorable roles — including her latest.
This interview is part of “Pivotal,” a Q&A series where we highlight the defining moments that have shaped a star’s career — from breakthrough roles to game-changing milestones to epic moments that catapult them into the spotlight.
One thing about Lynn Whitfield: she’s not new to this; she’s true to this.
The 72-year-old Hollywood veteran may have just joined the latest seasons of Lena Waithe’s ever-expanding South Side of Chicago street drama, “The Chi,” playing the elegant yet intimidating, old-money grande dame Alicia. But Whitfield has been a staple in the acting world for quite some time now, adding more and more memorable roles to her repertoire with every gig she nabs.
From her Emmy-winning turn as Josephine Baker to playing a woman scorned by Martin Lawrence in “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate” to her numerous unforgettable matriarchal roles in “Greenleaf,” “Eye’s Bayou,” “Madea’s Family Reunion,” “The Cheetah Girls” and more, Whitfield has mastered the art of playing strong, complex (and rich!) Black women onscreen. Her part in “The Chi” is no different, although it is a villainous persona we rarely see from her.
For the past two seasons, Whitfield, who went from recurring guest star to series regular, has been stirring up all sorts of turmoil in “The Chi,” becoming the city’s latest terror after her son, Rob (Iman Shumpert), was gunned down in the street by one of her many enemies. Her quest to find her son’s killer and avenge his death set much of Season 7’s events in motion, but ultimately led to her untimely demise.
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