Lynn Whitfield (née Smith; born February 15, 1953) is an American actress. She began her career in television and theatre before taking 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 nomination for her role as Josephine Baker in the HBO film The Josephine Baker Story (1991).
In the 1990s, Whitfield starred in several made-for-television movies and 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). From 2016 to 2020, she played Lady Mae Greenleaf in the Oprah Winfrey Network series Greenleaf, winning two NAACP Image Awards and a Gracie Award. Whitfield has won a total of seven NAACP Image Awards.
United States
