Anna Maria Horsford

Anna Maria Horsford Headshot

Actress

Birth Date: March 6, 1948

Age: 76 years old

Birth Place: New York City, New York

A veteran of African-American sitcoms, Anna Maria Horsford began charming audiences in the late 1970s thanks to supporting roles in the likes of "Amen" (NBC 1986-1991), "The Wayans Bros" (The WB 1995-99) and "Reed Between The Lines" (BET 2011). Born to a Dominican mother and Antiguan father in Harlem, NY in 1948, Horsford attended the Manhattan School of Performing Arts before landing a receptionist job at one of her hometown's PBS stations. After working her way up to the position of director of the landmark variety show "Soul" (PBS 1967-1973), she then made the switch from behind-the-scenes to on-screen when she appeared as a prisoner in soap opera institution "Guiding Light" (CBS 1952-2009). Horsford's acting career then ventured into film with small parts in Cannes Festival-set romantic comedy "An Almost Perfect Affair" (1979), cult classic "Times Square" (1980) and stalker thriller "The Fan" (1981) as well as more notable performances in the biopic of prisoner Terry Jean Moore, "Love Child" (1983), prep-school comedy "Class" (1983) and crime caper "Crackers" (1984). While after briefly rubbing shoulders with the Brat Pack in "St. Elmo's Fire" (1985), Lucille Ball in TV movie "Stone Pillow" (1986) and Jack Nicholson in "Heartburn" (1986), she landed her first major recurring TV role as the deacon's marriage-hungry daughter Thelma Frye in hit sitcom "Amen" (NBC 1986-1991). Following performances in Christopher Reeve's pet project "Street Smart" (1987) and legal drama "Presumed Innocent" (1990), Horsford returned to the sitcom world with a recurring role on "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" (NBC 1990-96), widowed radio station owner Veronica in the short-lived "Rhythm & Blues" (NBC 1992) and security guard Deirdre 'Dee' Baxter in "The Wayans Bros" (The WB 1995-99). But she continued to remain a presence on the big screen, appearing as Judge Harris in romantic drama "Mr. Jones" (1993), Miss Annie in the critically-acclaimed "Once Upon A Time When We Were Colored" (1995) and Ice Cube's mother in stoner buddy comedy "Friday" (1995), a role she would also reprise in its sequel "Friday After Next" (2002). Horsford then added several box office-hits to her filmography including "One Fine Day" (1996), "Nutty Professor II: The Klumps" (2000), "Along Came A Spider" (2001) and "Minority Report" (2002) before landing recurring parts as the mother of rapper Method Man in "Method and Red" (Fox 2004) and Saigon in "Entourage" (HBO 2004-2011), cancer patient Liz Fallon in "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC 2005-) and A.D.A. Beth Encardi in "The Shield" (FX 2002-08). Following appearances in a string of music-based dramas including Toby Keith vehicle "Broken Bridges" (2006), Bone Thugs-n-Harmony biopic "I Tried" (2007) and gritty urban drama "Wigger" (2010), Horsford played matriarch Diane Boyd in "Our Family Wedding" (2010), office manager Ms. Helen in family sitcom "Reed Between The Lines" (BET 2011) and Madea's niece Eileen in "Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas" (2013).

Credits

Vacation FriendsStream

Actor
Nancy
Movie
2021
57%

The Bitch Who Stole ChristmasStream

Actor
Mayor Coont
Movie
2021

B PositiveStream

Guest Star
Mrs. Ludlum
Series
2020
85%

Studio City

Actor
Jolene Hernandez
Show
2019

The ConnersStream

Guest Star
Nicole
Series
2018
93%

I Feel BadStream

Guest Star
Teri
Series
2018
31%

Single AF

Actor
Show
2018

The Last O.G.Stream

Actor
Roberta
Series
2018

Chasing the Blues

Actor
Mrs. Walker
Movie
2017

Gladys Brown

Actor
Gladys Brown
Movie
2017

MomStream

Guest Star
Ms. Ferguson
Series
2013

Tyler Perry's A Madea ChristmasStream

Actor
Eileen
Movie
2013
20%

Key & PeeleStream

Actor
Series
2012
97%

C'mon Man

Actor
Mrs. Woods
Movie
2012

Reed Between the Lines

Actor
Helen Wilson
Show
2011

New GirlStream

Guest Star
Charmaine
Series
2011
95%

Funny or Die Presents

Actor
Anna Maria
Show
2010

Wigger

Actor
Ruth
Movie
2010

I Tried

Actor
Movie
2007

Broken Bridges

Actor
Loretta
Movie
2006

Everybody Hates ChrisStream

Guest Star
Hattie Mitchell
Series
2005
95%

Grey's AnatomyStream

Guest Star
Series
2005
84%

American DadStream

Guest Voice
Series
2005

My Big Phat Hip Hop Family

Actor
Mamma Pearl
Movie
2005

Ganked

Actor
Mrs. Barry
Movie
2005

Guarding Eddy

Actor
Carol
Movie
2005

EntourageStream

Guest Star
Saigon's Mother
Series
2004
65%

Method & Red

Actor
Dorothea
Show
2004

Justice

Actor
Chief Public Defender Poole
Movie
2004

Cold CaseStream

Guest Star
Series
2003

Lockdown

Actor
Saunders
Movie
2003

Lift Every Voice

Guest Star
Show
2002

The ShieldStream

Actor
A.D.A. Beth Encardi
Series
2002
90%

The ShieldStream

Guest Star
A.D.A. Beth Encardi
Series
2002
90%

Friday After NextStream

Actor
Mrs. Jones
Movie
2002
26%

The Bernie Mac ShowStream

Guest Star
Series
2001

The Chronicle

Guest Star
Series
2001

Jacked

Actor
Thelma Barnes
Movie
2001

How High

Actor
Mrs. King
Movie
2001

Jacked Up

Actor
Movie
2001

The District

Guest Star
Series
2000

Masquerade

Actor
Mrs. Scott
Movie
2000

A Private Affair

Actor
Movie
2000

Dancing in September

Actor
Sitcom Mom
Movie
2000

Nutty Professor II: The Klumps

Actor
Mrs. Gaines
Movie
2000

Judging Amy

Guest Star
Series
1999

L.A. Doctors

Guest Star
Show
1998

Good News

Director
Show
1997

Good News

Guest Star
Show
1997

Sparks

Guest Star
Show
1996

MoeshaStream

Guest Star
Series
1996

Dear God

Actor
Lucille Barnett
Movie
1996

One Fine Day

Actor
Evelyn
Movie
1996

The Wayans Bros.Stream

Actor
Series
1995

FridayStream

Actor
Mrs. Jones
Movie
1995
76%

Widow's Kiss

Actor
Lavanda Harrison
Movie
1995

Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored

Actor
Miss Annie
Movie
1995
71%

Beautiful

Actor
Vivienne Avant
Show
1994

Baby Brokers

Actor
Randi
Movie
1994

Tall Hopes

Actor
Lainie Harris
Show
1993

Mr. Jones

Actor
Judge Harris
Movie
1993

Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story

Actor
Veronica Perry
Movie
1992

Baby Talk

Guest Star
Series
1991
0%

The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirStream

Guest Star
Series
1990

A Killer Among Us

Actor
Barbara Evans
Movie
1990

Taken Away

Actor
Mrs. Pierson
Movie
1989

The Bold and the BeautifulStream

Guest Star
Soap
1987

Street SmartStream

Actor
Harriet
Movie
1987
67%

Amen

Actor
Thelma Frye
Series
1986

Nobody's Child

Actor
Nurse Betty
Movie
1986

HeartburnStream

Actor
Della
Movie
1986
45%

St. Elmo's FireStream

Actor
Naomi
Movie
1985
42%

Stone Pillow

Actor
Collins
Movie
1985

Charlotte Forten's Mission

Actor
Hannah
Movie
1984

Crackers

Actor
Slam Dunk
Movie
1984

ClassStream

Actor
Maggie
Movie
1983
29%

Muggable Mary: Street Cop

Actor
Kathy Thomas
Movie
1982

Benny's Place

Actor
Charmaine
Movie
1982

Love Child

Actor
Mara
Movie
1982

The Fan

Actor
Emily Stolz
Movie
1981

Bill

Actor
Ms. Marge Keating
Movie
1981

Times Square

Actor
Rosie Washington
Movie
1980

An Almost Perfect Affair

Actor
Amy Zon
Movie
1979

Hollow Image

Actor
Monica
Movie
1979

News aboutAnna Maria Horsford