Audra McDonald

Biography

Audra Ann McDonald is an American actress and singer. Primarily known for her work on the Broadway stage, she has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win in all four acting categories. She has performed in musicals, operas, and dramas such as A Moon for the Misbegotten, 110 in the Shade, Carousel, Ragtime, Master Class, and Porgy and Bess. In addition to her six Tony Awards, she has received numerous accolades including two Grammy Awards and an Emmy Award. She was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 2016 from President Barack Obama and was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2017.

Known For

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Audrey Jackson

Late Night with Seth Meyers

Self

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Self

Grey's Anatomy

Dr. Naomi Bennett

Homicide: Life on the Street

The Colbert Report

Private Practice

Naomi Bennett

Beauty and the Beast

Madame Garderobe

Filmography

Year	Movie	Role
2025	The Auction
2024	My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary Concert	Self
2024	Ragtime Reunion Concert	Sarah
2024	Audra McDonald at the London Palladium
2023	Rustin	Ella Baker
2023	Origin	Miss Hale
2023	Whitney Houston in Focus
2023	Down Low	Patty
2021	The Kennedy Center at 50	Herself / Host
2021	Respect	Barbara Franklin
2021	Ohio State Murders	Suzanne
2020	Live with Carnegie Hall: Audra McDonald
2020	The Metropolitan Opera: Porgy and Bess	Self - Host
2020	An Evening With Audra McDonald
2020	In Concert at The Hollywood Bowl: Musicals and the Movies	Soloist
2020	Song of Rapa Nui	Narrator
2018	Sutton Foster in Concert	Host
2018	Every Act of Life	Self
2018	Leonard Bernstein Centennial Celebration at Tanglewood	Self - Host
2018	New York Philharmonic New Year's Eve: Bernstein on Broadway	Host
2017	Broadway: The Next Generation	Self
2017	Beauty and the Beast	Madame Garderobe
2017	Hello Again	Sally
2016	Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill	Lady Day
2016	Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas	Caroler
2015	Ricki and the Flash	Maureen Brummel
2015	Josh Groban: Stages Live	Self
2014	Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street	Beggar Woman
2013	The Sound of Music Live!	Mother Abbess
2013	Six by Sondheim	Self
2013	The Ordained	Anthea
2013	Audra McDonald: Go Back Home
2013	Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel: Live from Lincoln Center	Host
2012	One Singular Sensation! Celebrating Marvin Hamlisch
2011	Rampart	Sarah
2010	Sondheim! The Birthday Concert	Self
2009	Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me	Self - Performer
2008	A Raisin in the Sun	Ruth Younger
2007	Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny	Jenny Smith
2006	Audra McDonald Sings the Movies for New Year's Eve
2006	Audra McDonald and Friends: Build a Bridge
2005	Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square Featuring Audra McDonald and Peter Graves	Self
2005	Passion	Clara
2005	Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards	Sarah (segment "Ragtime") (archive footage)
2004	The Best Thief in the World	Ruth
2003	It Runs in the Family	Sarah Langley
2002	Wonderful Town	Eileen
2001	Wit	Susie Monahan
2000	The Last Debate	Barbara Manning
2000	Audra McDonald at the Donmar, London
1999	Cradle Will Rock	Blitzstein - 'Joe Worker' Singer
1999	Annie	Miss Grace Farrell
1999	Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years	Bessie in her 20s
1999	My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies	Self - Performer
1998	The Object of My Affection	Wedding Singer
1996	Seven Servants
1995	Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II	Self

Year	TV Show	Role
2025	Variety Studio: Actors on Actors: Broadway	Self
2022	The Gilded Age	Dorothy Scott
2021	The Bite	Rachel
2020	The Vote
2020	Stars in the House	Self - Special Guest
2020	Stars in the House	Self
2020	Central Park	Ashley (voice)
2020	Bottomless Brunch at Colman's	Self
2017	The Good Fight	Liz Reddick
2017	The Good Fight	Liz Reddick-Lawrence
2015	The Late Show with Stephen Colbert	Self
2014	Late Night with Seth Meyers	Self
2014	BoJack Horseman	Mother Superior (voice)
2012	Doc McStuffins	Itty Bitty Bess (voice)
2012	Meisterwerke der Klassik	Self
2009	The Good Wife	Liz Lawrence
2009	RuPaul's Drag Race	Self - Guest Judge
2007	Private Practice	Naomi Bennett
2006	Kidnapped
2006	The Bedford Diaries	Carla Bonatelle
2006	The Megan Mullally Show	Self - Guest
2005	The Colbert Report
2005	Grey's Anatomy	Dr. Naomi Bennett
2005	Iron Chef America	Judge
2004	The Tony Danza Show	Self
2003	Mister Sterling
1999	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Audrey Jackson
1997	The View	Self
1997	The View	Self - Guest
1996	The Rosie O'Donnell Show	Self
1993	Homicide: Life on the Street
1976	Live from Lincoln Center	Clara
1971	Great Performances	Self