Lynn Whitfield Biography
Lynn Whitfield is an American actress who was born and brought up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. She started her acting career in television and theatre before progressing to supporting roles in film.
She received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her breakout performance as Josephine Baker in the HBO biographical film The Josephine Baker Story (1991) and also won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.
Lynn Whitfield Age
Whitfield is 72 years old, she was born on 15 February 1953, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. She celebrates her birthday on 15 February every year, and her birth sign is Aquarius.
Lynn Whitfield Height
Lynn Whitfield stands at a height of 5 feet 3 inches(1.61 m).
Lynn Whitfield Weight
Whitfield weighs 52 kg (115 lbs).
Early Life and Education
Whitfield was born on 15 February 1953, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as the daughter of Jean (née Butler), a former president of the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, and Dr. Valerian Smith, who was also a composer who wrote the musicals, The Supper and The Wake. Her mother is a founding member of the Baton Rouge chapter of The Links Incorporated and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Whitfield is an honorary member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
After graduating from high school. Later on, she joined Howard University to complete a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. The private university was historically black, though currently is now open to all sexes and races. After she graduated, she moved permanently to Washington, D.C. to study and perform with the Black Repertory Company.
Rise to Fame and Breakthrough Moment
Whitfield earned wide recognition in the title role of The Josephine Baker Story (1991), portraying the American who became a Folies Bergère star, a French Resistance fighter during World War II, and a civil rights activist. The HBO biopic needed her to age from 18 to 68.
Major Achievements and Contributions
- 1 Emmy. Winner. Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or Special – 1991. LYNN WHITFIELD, as Josephine Baker. The Josephine Baker Story. HBO. August 24, 2023.
Personal Life
Lynn Whitfield Family, Parents
Whitfield was born and raised by her father, Valerian Smith, and mother, Jean Butler, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She is the daughter of Jean, who is African-American, an officer of a finance agency, and Valerian Smith, who is Creole, a dentist. She is the eldest of four children and a third-generation BFA graduate from Howard University.
Her father, who was a dentist, was instrumental in developing Lynn’s initial interest in acting, as he was a prime figure in forming community theater in her native Baton Rouge.
Her Mother, Jean, is a founder member of the Baton Rouge chapter of The Links Incorporated, and she is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated. She was brought up alongside her three siblings, namely, Valerian Butler-Smith, Kimberlegh Butler-Smith, and Shawne Langston.
Lynn Whitfield Siblings
Whitfield was brought up alongside her two sisters, namely Kimberlegh Butler-Smith and Shawne Langston, and a brother, Valerian Butler-Smith.
Lynn Whitfield Husband
Whitfield was married to her beloved husband Brian Gibson. The couple did their wedding in 1990 and later on, they divorced in 1992, and together they are blessed with one child, namely, Grace Gibson. Previously, she was married to Vantive Whitfield in 1974 and later on divorced in 1978.
Lynn Whitfield Daughter
Whitfield, together with her second husband Brian Gibson, had a daughter by the name of Grace Gibson.
Grace Gibson Lynn Whitfield
Lynn’s daughter, Grace Gibson, is an actress, known for Black Nativity (2013), All Eyez on Me (2017), and Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. (2018).
Lynn Whitfield Net Worth
Lynn Whitfield net worth is estimated at 3 million dollars. This includes her assets, money, and income. Her primary source of income is her career as an Actress. Through her various sources of income, Whitfield has been able to accumulate a good fortune but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.
Thin Line
Lynn was cast as a female lead opposite Martin Lawrence in the dark romantic comedy film A Thin Line Between Love and Hate in 1996. During its filming, Lawrence was 12 years younger than Lynn, who was then 42. The film earned over $35 million against a budget of $8 million.
80s
In 1981, Whitfield made her professional screen debut as Jill Thomas in the critically acclaimed NBC serial drama Hill Street Blues. She appeared in 1983 in the comedy film Doctor Detroit (1983), playing the minor role of Thelma Cleland. Later on, she co-starred in the films The Slugger’s Wife, Silverado, and Jaws: The Revenge.
Additionally, she also starred in Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI as the title character and in the ABC miniseries The Women of Brewster Place alongside Oprah Winfrey and Cicely Tyson, and in the television films The George McKenna Story opposite Denzel Washington.
Furthermore, she was also a regular cast member in the short-lived 1988 ABC female-driven medical drama series HeartBeat alongside Kate Mulgrew, Gail Strickland, and Laura Johnson.
Greenleaf
Lynn was cast in the series regular role of the main villain in the Oprah Winfrey Network original scripted drama series Greenleaf in 2015, about the unscrupulous world of the Greenleaf family and their sprawling Memphis megachurch.
Madea’s Family Reunion
Lynn co-starred in Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion (2006)
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