General Hospital

Phylicia Rashad Facts: Celebrities Who Started on Soaps

Published by

Shado Saeyang

5 years ago

Phylicia Rashad is a film, television, and theater star who is best known for playing Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show for its entire run on NBC. She also appeared on a couple of soaps.

Rashad has also recently been in the Creed films and she is also a guest-star on This Is Us! From where she was born and raised to her interesting personal life, here are five fast facts about the beloved star.

Who Is Phylicia Rashad?

She was born on June 19 in Houston, Texas. She grew up with two brothers and one sister, Debbie Allen, who is a famous actress, director, and choreographer — and currently serves as executive producer (also acts and directs) on Grey’s Anatomy.

When Rashad was growing up, her family moved to Mexico, so she speaks Spanish fluently. She ended up graduating from Howard University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Soap Beginnings
Her first regular role on a television show came when she got the part of Courtney Wright on One Life to Live. She was on the show for one year before leaving to be a part of The Cosby Show. During the first hiatus, she guested on Santa Barbara as Felicia Dalton.

A Broadway First
Rashad became the first African-American actress to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in A Raisin in the Sun in 2004.

Disney Destiny

The actress is frequently seen on stage and on the screen, but you can also find her at Disney World! The actress is actually featured in the introduction video for the Dinosaur ride inside the Animal Kingdom theme park, and she plays the role of Dr. Helen Marsh, the head of the Dino Institute.

Getting Personal With Phylicia Rashad
Rashad’s first marriage was to William Lancelot Bowles, Jr. (from 1972 to 1975) — with whom she has a son. Her second marriage was to Village People lead singer Victor Willis (from 1978 to 1982).

She married former NFL player Ahmad Rashad on December 14, 1985, after they got engaged on live television during a Thanksgiving football game. O.J. Simpson was the best-man and former onscreen husband Bill Cosby walked her down the aisle. The couple has a daughter, Condola, born on December 11, 1986. They divorced in 2001.