IMDb Page
Movie Release Date Character Age at Release
The Book of Clarence 01/11/24 Mother Mary 71
Weathering 04/07/23 Mum 70
Space Oddity 03/31/23 Dr. Olsen 70
The Gray Man 07/13/22 Margaret Cahill 69
Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color 07/15/21 Alma Thomas (voice) 68
Fatherhood 06/18/21 Marian 68
Dreamland: The Burning of Black Wall Street 05/31/21 Mary Parrish (voice) 68
The Making of Clemency 03/24/20 Herself 67
Clemency 12/27/19 Warden Bernadine Williams 67
The Lion King 07/12/19 Sarabi (voice) 66
No Small Matter 06/21/19 Narrator (voice) 66
The Lion King: Can You Feel The Love Tonight with Robin Roberts 06/02/19 66
Juanita 03/08/19 Juanita 66
Saint Judy 03/01/19 Judge Benton 66
Burning Sands 01/24/17 Professor Hughes 64
Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise 10/14/16 Herself 63
So B. It 06/07/16 Bernadette 63
Captain America: Civil War 04/27/16 Miriam Sharpe 63
Mississippi Grind 07/04/15 Sam 62
Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band 04/01/15 Mary Lou Williams (voice) 62
Knucklehead 02/01/15 Sheila 62
A Path Appears 01/26/15 Self 62
Annabelle 10/02/14 Evelyn 61
Nelson Mandela Redrawn 07/18/14 Self 61
And the Oscar Goes To... 02/01/14 Self (archive footage) 61
12 Years a Slave 10/18/13 Mistress Shaw 60
The Door 07/02/13 E 60
Steel Magnolias 10/07/12 Ouiser 59
Black Panther 01/18/10 Dondi Reece 57
Medal of Honor 11/05/08 Narrator 55
Reach for Me 10/01/08 Evelyn 55
Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys 09/12/08 Alice Evans 55
American Violet 08/28/08 Alma Roberts 55
Henry Box Brown 02/01/08 55
Pictures of Hollis Woods 12/02/07 Edna Reilly 55
Nefertiti and the Lost Dynasty 07/16/07 Self - Narrator 54
King Leopold's Ghost 05/28/06 Ilanga (voice) 53
Take the Lead 03/17/06 Augustine James 53
The Water Is Wide 01/29/06 Mrs. Brown 53
Something New 01/29/06 Joyce McQueen 53
Beauty Shop 04/22/05 Ms. Josephine 52
The Forgotten 09/24/04 Det. Anne Pope 51
Radio 10/24/03 Principal Daniels 50
The Singing Detective 10/24/03 Chief of Staff 50
A Wrinkle in Time 04/25/03 Mrs. Whatsit 50
The Core 03/28/03 Stickley 50
Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property 02/16/03 Narrator 50
Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives 02/10/03 50
The Wild Thornberrys Movie 12/20/02 Akela (Cheetah Mother) (voice) 50
Searching for Debra Winger 07/13/02 Self 49
K-PAX 10/22/01 Claudia Villars 48
The Wild Thornberrys: The Origin of Donnie 08/18/01 Medicine Woman (voice) 48
Disney's American Legends 02/12/01 48
Holiday Heart 12/10/00 Wanda Dean 48
Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks 11/30/00 Narrator 48
Lost Souls 10/13/00 Dr. Allen 47
The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story 05/31/00 Mary Parrish (voice) 47
John Henry 05/27/00 Polly / Narrator (voice) 47
Dinosaur 05/19/00 Plio (voice) 47
Love & Basketball 04/21/00 Camille Wright 47
What's Cooking? 01/20/00 Audrey Williams 47
Eleanor Roosevelt 01/10/00 Narrator (voice) 47
Mumford 09/24/99 Lily 46
Funny Valentines 02/14/99 Joyce May 46
The Wishing Tree 01/01/99 Clara 46
The Underground Railroad 01/01/99 46
Down in the Delta 12/25/98 Loretta Sinclair 46
The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue 11/01/97 Maisie (voice) 44
Cadillac Desert: Water and the Transformation of Nature 06/24/97 Narrator 44
Follow Me Home 02/28/97 Evey 44
Miss Evers' Boys 02/22/97 Eunice Evers, R.N. 44
The Member of the Wedding 01/29/97 Berenice Sadie Brown 44
Star Trek: First Contact 11/22/96 Lily Sloane 44
A Step Toward Tomorrow 11/10/96 Dr. Sadlin 44
Special Report: Journey to Mars 03/25/96 Tamara O'Neil 43
Primal Fear 03/06/96 Shoat 43
How to Make an American Quilt 10/06/95 Marianna 42
The Piano Lesson 02/05/95 Berniece Charles 42
Crooklyn 05/13/94 Carolyn Carmichael 41
Aliens for Breakfast 04/02/94 Mrs. Marks 41
Blue Chips 02/18/94 Lavada McRae 41
Malcolm X: Make It Plain 01/26/94 Narrator 41
Bopha! 09/16/93 Rosie Mangena 40
Heart and Souls 08/13/93 Penny Washington 40
Passion Fish 12/11/92 Chantelle 40
Rich in Love 09/04/92 Rhody Poole 39
The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag 08/21/92 Ann 39
Grand Canyon 12/25/91 Jane 39
Blue Bayou 01/15/90 Jessica Filley 37
A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story 12/03/89 Mary Thomas 37
Miss Firecracker 04/28/89 Popeye Jackson 36
Scrooged 11/22/88 Grace Cooley 36
The Child Saver 01/18/88 Andrea Crawford 35
Mandela 09/20/87 Winnie Mandela 34
Unnatural Causes 11/10/86 Maude DeVictor 34
L.A. Law: Pilot 09/15/86 Adrianne Moore 33
Extremities 08/22/86 Patricia 33
Puss in Boots 09/09/85 Princess Lovinia 32
Go Tell It on the Mountain 01/14/85 Esther 32
Words by Heart 01/01/85 Claudie Sills 32
Black Hollywood 11/28/84 Self 32
Sweet Revenge 10/31/84 Vicki Teague 31
The Killing Floor 04/10/84 Mattie 31
Cross Creek 09/21/83 Geechee 30
Precious Blood 03/09/82 Narrator 29
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf 02/23/82 Woman who lost her stuff 29
The Ambush Murders 01/05/82 Karisha Ellsworth 29
HealtH 09/12/80 Sally Benbow 27
Freedom Road 10/29/79 Katie 26
The Trial of the Moke 05/03/78 Lucy Smith 25
Remember My Name 02/10/78 Rita 25
Salem's Lot None Dr. Cody 71
Hate to See You Go None 71
Summer Camp None 71