Audra McDonald is one of the biggest Broadway legends in a cast full of them, playing Peggy’s mother Dorothy. McDonald says she threw herself into the historical nature of the role with relish, telling Newsweek, “I find it a great and fulfilling challenge … to learn how a Black woman of my character’s stature in that time would eat her food. It’s all about specific character work. … In which way would a Black woman address her husband at that time, or address her child, or where she would walk on the street or not walk on the street, all of that is really rich character work.”
Memorable screen roles include the 1999 version of “Annie” and multiple seasons of “Private Practice,” where she played Dr. Naomi Bennett. Fans may recognize McDonald from her role on “The Good Fight,” opposite fellow “Gilded Age” star Christine Baranski. She told Newsweek, “Oh my God, I love her so much.”
McDonald is mostly known for her roles on stage, having won six Tony Awards, a record. She played Billie Holliday in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill,” one of her Tony wins, which HBO televised. She talked to WhatsOnStage about the weight of playing such an iconic figure. “I feel that there’s a huge responsibility in playing her, because you don’t want to make a caricature, you want to try and relay the truth about her, the truth about her essence, as much as you possibly can.”
