For decades, Alfred Woodard has built a career defined by stellar performances, rave reviews and a refusal to let Hollywood define its limits. But according to the Oscar-nominated actress, the path to success was met with some harsh realities, including a painful comment she heard while trying to break into the industry. In a candid new cover story, Alfre Woodard opened up about the racial prejudice she faced early in her career, revealing that a black stage actress tried to dissuade her from pursuing film altogether.
After graduating from Boston University with an acting degree in 1974, Woodard told AARP The Magazine that she headed west to Los Angeles, determined to succeed as a film actress. But the reception she encountered in Hollywood was far from welcoming. “Oh, honey,” she said, a black theater actress warned her. “There is no such thing as a black film actress.”
But rather than discouraging her, this comment only strengthened Woodard’s resolve. “In my mind, I just said, ‘Well, that’s not my reality,'” she recalls.
Woodard says Hollywood tried to lock him up
The Emmy-winning actress revealed that rejection became a painful reality during those early years as she struggled to land auditions. “I wouldn’t have an audition for nine or ten months straight,” Woodard admitted.
Even when positions became available, she said her representatives often rejected opportunities before she had the chance. “When she heard about a role, my agents would say, ‘Oh, Alfre, that’s not for you.’ It says a pretty young black woman,” she recalls.
At times, Woodard said she was also told that she didn’t look like “the right kind of Black person,” highlighting the narrow standards that Black actresses often face in Hollywood. Yet she refused to let these barriers define her future.
Instead, the actress focused on preparing herself for the opportunities she believed would eventually present themselves. She explained that she remained grounded in the belief that “when someone wanted to invite me into a space with them, that was the kind of person I should be with.”
Faith has also become an anchor in difficult times. Woodard, who has practiced Christian Science since college, turned to spirituality while navigating an industry that repeatedly shut doors in her face.
Tulsa roots helped shape Alfre Woodard’s confidence
Long before Hollywood questioned whether she belonged on the show, Woodard said her family in Tulsa, Oklahoma, made sure she knew exactly who she was. Raised by her father Marion “MH” Woodard and mother Constance, the actress grew up in a household where confidence and resilience were expected.
“For as long as I can remember, my father said, ‘No one, no man in this world, I don’t care who it is, is better than you,'” Woodard said. “What I received from my family was a strong sense of self-worth, a sense of worth. »
These lessons proved particularly powerful growing up during segregation. Tulsa’s high schools weren’t desegregated until 1973, but Woodard said she never doubted the importance of her voice.
How Tulsa Taught Alfre Woodard Resilience
She also learned about injustice and perseverance early on. At just 5 years old, Woodard said his father demanded that his family watch the evening news, exposing him at an early age to the civil rights movement. At the age of 10, she helped her parents register voters.
Woodard also recalled a pivotal classroom moment in middle school, when teachers secretly informed students about the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, an event largely omitted from the formal school curriculum at the time.
“They told the story of the Tulsa Massacre of 1921,” she recalled, saying the experience helped shape her understanding of survival and strength. “Through the stories passed down by these Black Tulsans who survived and endured violence. I learned what resilience looked like.”
Alfre Woodard refused to let Hollywood decide his future
Despite the setbacks, Woodard’s perseverance paid off. After an outstanding stage performance in “For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf”, acclaimed filmmaker Robert Altman gave her her first film role in “Remember My Name” in 1978, then again in “HealtH”.
Her role in “Cross Creek” earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 1983, launching a decades-long career that would ultimately include four Emmy Awards wins, a Golden Globe and more than 100 screen credits.
But even today, Woodard says success has never been about trophies. “I am a child of Southern darkness, a grandchild and a great-grandchild,” she said. “You push and you work because you are part of the continuum! The trophy is not the thing.”