Audra McDonald
Audra McDonald
Audra Ann McDonaldis an American actress and singer. She has appeared on the stage in both musicals and dramas, such as Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, and Porgy and Bess. She maintains an active concert and recording career, performing song cycles and operas as well as performing in concert throughout the U.S. She has won six Tony Awards, more performance wins than any other actor, and is the only person to win all four acting categories. She starred as...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionTV Actress
Date of Birth3 July 1970
CountryUnited States of America
The only thing I've ever wanted to do in my entire life is to be on Broadway.
When I first was exposed to 'Porgy and Bess' many, many years ago, I was blown away by it - loved the music, overwhelmed by the production at the Met that I saw, and thought I want to play Bess someday. But I also knew they were stereotypes that were considered racist.
I used to practice Tony speeches in my bathroom with my hairbrush.
Anytime I get the chance to sing or work with Michael John, it is such an incredibly fertile and incredibly creative and safe and encouraging environment - and challenging, too, because he is so collaborative!
And I found the theater, and I found my home.
...I tried to kill myself. It was a feeble attempt, but I did. And I got put in a mental hospital for a month, and I got myself straight and worked on my mental health...it's nothing that I hide. It's nothing to be proud of or to be ashamed of. It's part of my life, you know? And I'm still here!
I want to thank all the shoulders of the strong and brave and courageous women that I am standing on,
Pedigree matters: if you break your shoulder trying to open a door, it's much harder to play the game once you get in the room.
...and if you hear something you know, please sing along. No wait - I take that back - you can't sing along - this is about me now - this is my show.
The authentic Gullah dialect is actually very clipped, and so it would sound almost Jamaican and be very odd to an American audience's ears. It's not the typical Southern dialect that we're used to.