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.

Filmography

• 2027The Auction — Rita White
• 2026Audra McDonald: I Am What I Am — Performer
• 2025Satisfied — Executive Producer
• 2024Audra McDonald at the London Palladium — Executive Producer
• 2024Ragtime, The Musical: All-Star Reunion Concert — Sarah
• 2023Down Low — Patty
• 2023Origin — Miss Hale
• 2023Rustin — Ella Baker
• 2023Whitney Houston in Focus
• The Gilded Age — Dorothy Scott
• 2021Ohio State Murders — Suzanne
• 2021Respect — Barbara Franklin
• The Bite — Rachel
• 2020An Evening With Audra McDonald
• Central Park — Ashley (voice)
• 2020In Concert at The Hollywood Bowl: Musicals and the Movies — Soloist
• 2020Live with Carnegie Hall: Audra McDonald
• 2020Song of Rapa Nui — Narrator
• The Vote
• 2018Live from Lincoln Center: Sutton Foster in Concert — Host
• 2018New York Philharmonic New Year's Eve: Bernstein on Broadway — Host
• 2017Beauty and the Beast — Madame Garderobe
• 2017Hello Again — Sally
• The Good Fight — Liz Reddick, Liz Reddick-Lawrence
• 2016Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill — Lady Day
• 2016Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas — Caroler
• 2015Ricki and the Flash — Maureen Brummel
• BoJack Horseman — Mother Superior (voice)
• 2013Audra McDonald: Go Back Home
• 2013Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel: Live from Lincoln Center — Host
• 2013The Ordained — Anthea
• 2013The Sound of Music Live! — Mother Abbess
• Doc McStuffins — Itty Bitty Bess (voice)
• 2012One Singular Sensation! Celebrating Marvin Hamlisch
• 2011Rampart — Sarah
• The Good Wife — Liz Lawrence
• 2009The Music Instinct: Science & Song
• 2008A Raisin in the Sun — Ruth Younger
• Private Practice — Naomi Bennett
• 2007Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny — Jenny Smith
• 2006Audra McDonald Sings the Movies for New Year's Eve
• 2006Audra McDonald and Friends: Build a Bridge
• Kidnapped
• The Bedford Diaries — Carla Bonatelle
• 2005Broadway's Lost Treasures III: The Best of The Tony Awards — Sarah (segment "Ragtime") (archive footage)
• Grey's Anatomy — Dr. Naomi Bennett
• Iron Chef America — Judge
• 2005Passion — Clara
• The Colbert Report
• 2004The Best Thief in the World — Ruth
• 2003It Runs in the Family — Sarah Langley
• Mister Sterling — Jackie Brock
• 2002Wonderful Town — Eileen
• 2001Wit — Susie Monahan
• 2000Audra McDonald at the Donmar, London
• 2000The Last Debate — Barbara Manning
• 1999Annie — Miss Grace Farrell
• 1999Cradle Will Rock — Blitzstein - 'Joe Worker' Singer
• 1999Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years — Bessie in her 20s
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Audrey Jackson
• 1998Creating Ragtime — Sarah
• 1998The Object of My Affection — Wedding Singer
• 1996Seven Servants
• Homicide: Life on the Street — Teresa Giardello
• Live from Lincoln Center — Clara
• Love Love

Appearances as themselves (29)

• Actors on Actors: Broadway — Self
• 2024My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80th Anniversary Concert — Self
• 2021Tales from the Wings: A Lincoln Center Theatre Celebration! — Self
• 2021The Kennedy Center at 50 — Herself / Host
• Bottomless Brunch at Colman's — Self
• 2020Porgy and Bess - Metropolitan Opera — Self - Host
• Stars in the House — Self - Special Guest
• 2018Every Act of Life — Self
• 2018Leonard Bernstein Centennial Celebration at Tanglewood — Self - Host
• 2015Josh Groban: Stages Live — Self
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Self - Guest
• Late Night with Seth Meyers — Self
• 2014Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – In Concert with the New York Philharmonic — Self – Host / Beggar Woman
• 2013Six by Sondheim — Self
• Meisterwerke der Klassik — Self
• 2010Sondheim! The Birthday Concert — Self
• 2009Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me — Self - Performer
• RuPaul's Drag Race — Self - Guest Judge
• 2008Dreams Worth While: The Journey of "A Raisin in the Sun" — Self
• The Megan Mullally Show — Self - Guest
• 2005Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square Featuring Audra McDonald and Peter Graves — Self
• The Tony Danza Show — Self
• 1999My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies — Self - Performer
• The View — Self, Self - Guest
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show — Self
• 1995Some Enchanted Evening: Celebrating Oscar Hammerstein II — Self
• Great Performances — Self
• Tony Awards — Self
• Broadway: The Next Generation — Self