People’s Choice Award winner Beverly Todd learned the entertainment industry by working with her mentor, the master artisan, Sidney Poitier. Benefiting from his tutelage, she has compiled an impressive list of theater, television and film achievements.

Todd began her professional career in the Off-Broadway hit “Deep Are the Roots.” After a successful run she was selected to star in the London production of “No Strings.” She went on to star in the Actors Studio production of “Blues for Mr. Charlie” for the Theater World Festival in London. Todd won a starring role in the Broadway comedy “Carry Me Back to Morningside Heights,” directed by Sidney Poitier, and subsequently appeared with Mr. Poitier in the films “Uptown Saturday Night,” “The Lost Man,” “They Call Me Mr. Tibbs” and “Brother John.”
On television, Todd is credited with breaking ground for actresses of color in the critically acclaimed PBS television special “Six Characters in Search of an Author,” for which she received her first NAACP Image Award nomination. She won the People’s Choice Award and received her second NAACP Image Award nomination for her starring role in the phenomenally successful, history-making television miniseries “Roots.” Additionally, she starred opposite Louis Gossett Jr. in the made-for-television movie “Don’t Look Back: The Story of Leroy ‘Satchel’ Paige.”

Another milestone in her career was starring opposite Richard Pryor as his rational, loving wife in the feature film comedy “Moving.”

Todd’s additional film credits include “Clara’s Heart,” “Lean On Me” and the Academy Award–winning “Crash.” Her most recent films are the “The Bucket List,” where she starred opposite Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson, and “Hope and Redemption: The Lena Baker Story.”

She appeared with Clarence Williams III in the made-for-television movie “Ali, an American Hero,” chronicling the early life of Muhammad Ali. Additionally on television, she’s had recurring roles on HBO’s “Six Feet Under,” “Lincoln Heights” and “House.”