BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY
Debbi Morgan
| Debbi Morgan | |
|---|---|
Morgan with Dorian Harewood in The Jesse Owens Story, 1984
| |
| Born | Deborah Morgan September 20, 1956 Dunn, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Spouse(s) | Ces Weldon (1980-1984) Charles S. Dutton (1989-1994) Donn Thompson (1997-2000) Jeffrey Winston (2009-present) |
Deborah "Debbi" Morgan (born September 20, 1956) is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her role as Dr. Angie Hubbard on the ABC soap opera All My Children, and for her role as The Seer in the fourth and fifth seasons of Charmed. In film, she received critical acclaim for her performance in Eve's Bayou (1997).
Early life
Morgan was born in Dunn, North Carolina, the daughter of Lora, a teacher, and George Morgan, Jr., a butcher. She has a younger sister, Terry.[1] She moved to New York City when she was three months old. Her father died of leukemia when she was eight, and she was raised by her mother, who worked as a secretary and a typing instructor at Junior High School 80 in the Bronx. Morgan attended parochial school.
Career
Morgan's earliest film role was in the movie Mandingo in 1975. She played the role of Dite. Morgan's earliest recurring role was onWhat's Happening!! from 1976 to 1977 as Diane Harris, and also appeared on Good Times. In 1979, she received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Alex Haley's great-aunt Elizabeth Harvey on the 1979 miniseries Roots: The Next Generations, and her guest-starring role as Curtis Jackson's ex-girlfriend turned prostitute on The White Shadow.[2] Her most famous role was Angie Baxter Hubbard on the soap opera All My Children, a role she originally played from January 1982 to July 1990. Her portrayal of Angie struck a chord with many Black viewers across America. Angie and her love interest, Jesse Hubbard (Darnell Williams), became the first African-American "supercouple" on the daytime serials. In 1989, Morgan won theDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (which she shares with Santa Barbara actress Nancy Lee Grahn). She and Williams also co-hosted a music video show titled New York Hot Tracks in the mid-1980s.
After leaving All My Children, Morgan played the role of Chantal Marshall on the NBC soap opera, Generations (replacing actress Sharon Brown) and remained with the show until it ended. She then reprised her role as Angie Hubbard on ABC's Loving in 1991. In 1995, she brought the same character to The City (a retooled version of Loving), making Morgan one of the few performers to portray the same character on three different soap operas. From 1997 to 1998, she also played Dr. Ellen Burgess on Port Charles. In the 1980s and 1990s, Morgan became a de facto symbol for the possibilities for black women as all of her soap opera roles involved her playing a successful doctor.
Morgan garnered much acclaim from movie critics for her portrayal of clairvoyant Mozelle Batiste Delacroix in director Kasi Lemmons' drama film Eve's Bayou (1997).[2] For her portrayal, she won a Chicago Film Critics Association Award and an Independent Spirit Award and was nominated for an Image Award. She later left soap operas and began her film career with roles in She's All That (1999), The Hurricane (1999), Love & Basketball (2000), Woman Thou Art Loosed (2004), Coach Carter (2005), Relative Strangers (2006), and Color of the Cross (2006). On television, she had roles in The Practice, Strong Medicine, Boston Public, Providence, and Soul Food. [3]
From 2002 to 2003, Morgan played lead character Lora Gibson, opposite Lea Thompson, on the Lifetime drama series For the People. She also played the role of The Seer in the fourth and fifth seasons of Charmed. Morgan, returned to All My Children in January 2008, after 10 years after leaving daytime television.[4] In May 2009 and 2011, she was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.[5] In 2011, ABC cancelled All My Children, and Morgan joined the cast of The Young and the Restless as Yolanda "Harmony" Hamilton[6][7] on October 7, 2011, exactly two weeks after All My Children aired its final television episode on September 23, 2011. In 2013, Morgan starred in the internet version of All My Children, reprising her role of Angie Hubbard.[8] The series premiered on April 29, 2013 and was cancelled after single season.[9][10] On November 2013, after All My Children was cancelled, Morgan was cast in upcoming Starz drama series Power, opposite Omari Hardwick and La La Anthony.[11][12]
Personal life
Morgan has been married four times: to Charles Weldon from 1980 to 1984; to actor Charles S. Dutton from 1989 to 1994, and photographer Donn Thompson from 1997 to 2000.[1] She has been married to Jeffrey Winston since June 2009.[13]
Filmography
Film
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976, 1977 | Good Times | Ellen / Samantha | Episodes: "The Break Up" and "A Friend in Need" |
| 1976-1977 | What's Happening!! | Diane Harris | Recurring role, 6 episodes |
| 1978 | The Love Boat | Stephanie Jackson | Episode: "Second Chance/Don't Push Me/Like Father, Like Son" |
| 1979 | Roots: The Next Generations | Elizabeth Harvey | TV Mini-Series |
| 1979 | The White Shadow | Delores Raye | Episode: "Delores, of Course" |
| 1980 | The Incredible Hulk | Jody | Episode: "Falling Angels" |
| 1981 | Sanford | Charlene | Episode: "Love Is Blind" |
| 1981-1982 | Behind the Screen | Lynette Porter | Series regular, 13 episodes |
| 1980, 1982 | Trapper John, M.D. | Linda / Denise | Episodes: "Hot Line" and "Ladies in Waiting" |
| 1982–1990, 2008-2011, 2013 | All My Children | Dr. Angela Baxter Hubbard | Series regular Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1989) Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Lead - Daytime Drama (2009) NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series (2009, 2010) Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (2009, 2011-12) Nominated — Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series (1986) Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series (2011) Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama (1990) Nominated — Soap Opera Digest Awards for Outstanding Younger Lead Actress (1986) |
| 1990-1991 | Generations | Chantal Marshall | Series regular |
| 1991 | A Different World | Lisa Westin | Episode: "To Tell the Truth" |
| 1992 | The Cosby Show | Tracy | Episode: "Eat, Drink and Be Wary" |
| 1992 | Herman's Head | Melodie | Episode: "Brackenhooker" |
| 1992, 1993 | Roc | Linda | Episodes: "The Hand That Rocs the Cradle" and "Crazy George in Love" |
| 1993-1995 | Loving | Dr. Angela "Angie" Hubbard | Series regular |
| 1995-1997 | The City | Dr. Angela "Angie" Hubbard | Series regular Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series (1996) |
| 1997-1998 | Port Charles | Dr. Mary Eleanor 'Ellen' Burgess | Series regular |
| 1997, 1998 | General Hospital | Dr. Mary Eleanor 'Ellen' Burgess | Special guest star |
| 1999 | Spawn | Granny Blake | 3 episodes, voice role |
| 1999-2000 | Any Day Now | Episodes: "Elephants in the Room" and "You Think I Am Lying to You?" | |
| 2000 | City of Angels | Episode: "Smoochas Gracias" | |
| 2001 | The Practice | Marsha Shinn | Episode: "The Day After" |
| 2000, 2001 | Strong Medicine | Chloe Simons | Episodes: "Pilot" and "Mortality" |
| 2000-2001 | Boston Public | Superintendent Marsha Shinn | Recurring role, 4 episodes |
| 2001 | Providence | Marilyn Chase | Episode: "Home Sweet Home" |
| 2001-2002 | Soul Food | Lynette Van Adams | Recurring role, 3 episodes NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (2002) |
| 2002-2003 | Charmed | The Seer | Recurring role, 8 episodes |
| 2002-2003 | For the People | District Attorney Lora Gibson | Series regular, 18 episodes |
| 2004 | Touching Evil | Aileen Mooney | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2006 | Ghost Whisperer | Mrs. Riley | Episode: "Melinda's First Ghost" |
| 2006 | Close to Home | Lizette Carter | Episode: "Prodigal Son" |
| 2006-2007 | The Bold and the Beautiful | District Attorney Jennifer Tartaro | Recurring role, 14 episodes |
| 2011-2012 | The Young and the Restless | Harmony Hamilton | Series regular, 43 episodes |
| 2014 | Power | Estelle |
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