Salli Richardson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Salli Richardson
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Richardson in 2012
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Salli Elise Richardson
November 23, 1967 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Other names | Salli Richardson-Whitfield |
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| Years active | 1991–present |
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| Children | 2 |
Salli Elise Richardson-Whitfield (born November 23, 1967) is an American actress and television director. She is well-known for playing Angela in the movie A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994). She also starred as Dr. Allison Blake in the Syfy TV show Eureka from 2006 to 2012.
Salli Richardson-Whitfield also lent her voice to Elisa Maza in the Disney cartoon series Gargoyles (1994–1996). She played Viveca Foster on the CBS series Family Law (1999–2002). She has appeared in many other movies like Antwone Fisher (2002) and I Am Legend (2007). In the 2010s, Richardson-Whitfield began working as a television director.
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Early life and beginnings
Salli Richardson-Whitfield was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother is African American, and her father had English and Italian roots. She played tennis in high school at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. She started her acting journey in the Kuumba Workshop theater there. She finished school in 1985.
Career highlights
Acting roles
Salli Richardson-Whitfield started her acting career in theater. Then, she moved on to roles in television and movies. In films, she had small parts in Prelude to a Kiss and Mo' Money. Later, she got bigger roles in movies like Sioux City and A Low Down Dirty Shame.
From 1994 to 1996, she was the voice of Elisa Maza in the animated series Gargoyles. She also appeared as a guest star in many TV shows. These included Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Stargate SG-1, NYPD Blue, House, and NCIS.
Richardson-Whitfield starred in the CBS legal drama Family Law from 1999 to 2002. She also had repeating roles in Rude Awakening and CSI: Miami. She acted alongside Denzel Washington in the 2002 movie Antwone Fisher. She also appeared in the 2004 horror film Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid. In 2007, she starred with Will Smith in the movie I Am Legend. She also had main roles in independent films like Pastor Brown (2009) and I Will Follow (2010).
From 2006 to 2012, Richardson-Whitfield played Department of Defense agent Allison Blake in the Syfy comedy-drama series Eureka. Her second pregnancy was even written into the show's story. After Eureka ended, she took on other TV roles. These included parts in Being Mary Jane and Stitchers.
Directing work
Salli Richardson-Whitfield has also become a successful director for television shows. She first directed two episodes of her own show, Eureka. In 2016, she directed episodes of Ava DuVernay's drama series Queen Sugar. Her husband, Dondre Whitfield, also appears in this show. She also directed an episode of the historical drama Underground.
In 2017, she directed episodes for shows like Rebel and Shonda Rhimes' Scandal. She has directed comedy shows too, such as Survivor's Remorse, Black-ish, and Dear White People. She has also directed episodes for popular superhero shows. These include Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Luke Cage, and Black Lightning. Other notable directing credits include Chicago Med, The Punisher, American Gods, and See.
In 2019, Richardson-Whitfield was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. This was for her directing work on Luke Cage. Also in 2019, she won a Black Reel Award for directing Black-ish. In September 2020, she signed a deal with HBO to develop projects. She has produced and directed episodes of the HBO drama The Gilded Age. She also worked on the series Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
Personal life
On September 8, 2002, Salli Richardson married fellow actor Dondre Whitfield. They have one daughter and one son together.
Awards and recognition
Salli Richardson-Whitfield has received several awards and nominations for her work.
- In 2019, she won a Black Reel Award for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for her work on Black-ish.
- In 2024, she won two Gracie Awards. One was for Director – Drama for Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. The other was for Producer – Entertainment for The Gilded Age.
- She was also nominated for a Hugo Award in 2022 for her directing on The Wheel of Time.
- In 2024, she received two Primetime Emmy Awards nominations. These were for Outstanding Drama Series (as a producer) for The Gilded Age and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.
