Audra McDonald facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Audra McDonald
McDonald at the 74th Tony Awards in 2021
Born	(1970-07-03) July 3, 1970 (age 55) West Berlin, West Germany
Education	Juilliard School (BM)
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1994–present
Spouse(s)	Peter Donovan ​ ​ (m. 2000; div. 2009)​ Will Swenson ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	2
Awards	Full list

Audra Ann McDonald (born July 3, 1970) is a famous American singer and actress. She is best known for her amazing work on Broadway, where she has won six Tony Awards. This is more than any other actor has won for performances! She is also the only person to win a Tony Award in all four acting categories. As of the 78th Tony Awards, she has been nominated a record-breaking eleven times.

Besides her Tony Awards, Audra McDonald has won many other honors, including two Grammy Awards for music and an Emmy Award for television. In 2016, President Barack Obama gave her the National Medal of Arts. In 2017, she was added to the American Theater Hall of Fame, which is a special honor for people who have made a big difference in theater.

She has performed in many different types of shows, like musicals, operas, and plays. Her six Tony Awards were for her roles in Carousel (1994), Master Class (1996), Ragtime (1998), A Raisin in the Sun (2004), Porgy and Bess (2012), and Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill (2014). She has also been nominated for other Tony Awards for her roles in shows like Marie Christine (2000) and Gypsy (2025).

On television, she played Dr. Naomi Bennett in the show Private Practice from 2007 to 2011. She also played Liz Lawrence in The Good Wife and its spin-off show The Good Fight. She won an Emmy Award for hosting Live from Lincoln Center in 2015. In movies, she has appeared in films like Beauty and the Beast (2017) and Respect (2021).

Audra McDonald is also a talented classical singer. She has performed in operas and with famous orchestras like the Berlin Philharmonic. Her recording of the opera Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (2008) won two Grammy Awards. She continues to perform and record music, singing everything from jazz to musical theater songs.

Early Life and Education

Audra McDonald was born in West Berlin, West Germany, on July 3, 1970. Her parents, Anna Kathryn and Stanley James McDonald Jr., were Americans. Her father was in the United States Army at the time. Audra grew up in Fresno, California, which was her father's hometown. She has a younger sister, Alison, who works in television and film.

Audra went to the Roosevelt School of the Arts program at Theodore Roosevelt High School in Fresno. She started acting with a group called Good Company Players when she was young. She knew she wanted to be involved in theater after her first performance with their junior company. She studied classical singing at the Juilliard School and graduated in 1993.

Career Highlights

Early Work and Broadway Success

McDonald in 1998

Audra McDonald first appeared on Broadway in 1992 in the musical The Secret Garden. In 1994, she won her first Tony Award for her role as Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel. The next year, she won her second Tony Award for playing Sharon Graham in the play Master Class. From 1997 to 1999, she played Sarah in the musical Ragtime and won her third Tony Award.

She also started appearing in television and movies. In 1999, she was in the TV movie Annie as Miss Farrell.

Becoming a Broadway Star

By the age of 28, Audra McDonald had already won three Tony Awards. She won her fourth Tony in 2004 for her role in A Raisin in the Sun. She later won her fifth Tony Award for playing Bess in The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess. In 2014, she played Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. This role earned her a sixth Tony Award, making her the first person to win a Tony in all four acting categories.

On television, she played Dr. Naomi Bennett in Private Practice from 2007 to 2013. She also sang with the New York Philharmonic in a special concert that was shown on PBS.

Audra McDonald is known for playing many different types of roles, even those that were traditionally played by white actors. She was the first Black woman to play roles like Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel and Lizzie Curry in 110 in the Shade. She believes in trying out for any role she feels is right for her.

She has also performed in operas. In 2006, she made her opera debut in Houston. In 2007, she performed in Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny in Los Angeles, which later won two Grammy Awards.

Expanding Her Career

In 2011, McDonald appeared in a new version of Porgy and Bess and then brought the role to Broadway in 2012. She won her fifth Tony Award for this role.

Since 2012, Audra McDonald has hosted the PBS series Live from Lincoln Center. She won an Emmy Award for her work on the show. In 2013, she played Mother Abbess in the live TV production of The Sound of Music Live!.

McDonald portrayed Billie Holiday on Broadway in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill (2014)

Her role as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill was very important. She won her sixth Tony Award for this performance. In her acceptance speech, she thanked her parents and the strong African-American women who came before her, like Lena Horne and Maya Angelou. This performance was also filmed and shown on HBO in 2016.

In 2017, McDonald was in Disney's live-action movie Beauty and the Beast, playing Madame de Garderobe. She also joined the cast of The Good Fight, playing Liz Lawrence-Reddick. In 2019, she was nominated for her ninth Tony Award for her role in Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.

Recent Work

McDonald performing on the South Lawn of the White House in 2023

In 2021, McDonald hosted the 74th Tony Awards ceremony. She also appeared in the movie Respect, playing Barbara Siggers Franklin. In 2022, she starred as Dorothy Scott in the HBO series The Gilded Age. That year, she received her tenth Tony Award nomination for her role in Ohio State Murders.

In 2023, McDonald played civil rights activist Ella Baker in the movie Rustin. She also appeared in the movie Origin. In May 2024, it was announced that she would return to Broadway in a revival of Gypsy, playing Mama Rose. This role earned her a record-breaking eleventh Tony Award nomination.

Music and Recordings

Audra McDonald has continued her classical music training throughout her career. She often performs concerts across the U.S. and has sung with groups like the New York Philharmonic.

She has released several solo albums with Nonesuch Records. Her first album, Way Back to Paradise (1998), featured songs by new musical theater composers. Her album Go Back Home was released in 2013. She has also been featured on many other recordings and cast albums from her Broadway shows.

Personal Life

Audra McDonald married bassist Peter Donovan in 2000. They have one daughter, Zoe Madeline Donovan. They later divorced in 2009.

She married actor Will Swenson on October 6, 2012. They have a daughter named Sally James McDonald-Swenson, born in 2016. Audra is also a stepmother to Will's two sons from his previous marriage. As of 2014, she lives with her family in Croton-on-Hudson, New York.

Activism and Charity Work

Audra McDonald is involved in many charitable activities. In 2020, she joined other Broadway stars to help people learn about voter ID rules.

In June 2020, McDonald helped start Black Theatre United. This group works to fight racism in the theater community and across the country. They focus on raising awareness, holding people accountable, advocating for change, and taking action to support the Black community.

She also joined other Broadway stars in 2018 to record Singing You Home. This children's album helps organizations that support families separated at the border. In 2014, she joined the board of directors for Covenant House, an organization that helps homeless youth in many cities.

Acting Credits

Film

Television

Theatre Performances

Awards and Achievements

Audra McDonald has received many awards throughout her career. She has won six Tony Awards from eleven nominations, which is the most for any performer in Tony Awards history. She also has two Grammy Awards and one Emmy Award.

In 2016, President Barack Obama gave her the National Medal of Arts. In 2017, she was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame. She also received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in 2012. In 2024, she was the grand marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade.

Images for kids

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  McDonald in the East Room of the White House, 2013

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  McDonald performing at the Wright Center in 2011

See also

In Spanish: Audra McDonald para niños