Margaret Avery
Biography
Margaret Avery is an American actress who came up through the stage before building a screen career. Born in Mangum and raised in San Diego, she earned a degree in education and taught elementary school before pursuing acting full time. Her early films included Cool Breeze (1972) and Which Way Is Up? (1977), and she received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Scott Joplin (1977). Her performance as Shug Avery in The Color Purple (1985), directed by Steven Spielberg, brought an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She later appeared in Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008) and Meet the Browns (2008), as well as White Man's Burden (1995), and had a role in Proud Mary (2018). From 2013 to 2019 she played Helen Patterson on the BET drama Being Mary Jane. She also guest-starred on Grey's Anatomy and Better Things.
82years old
Turns 83 on January 20in 98 days
- Born Mangum
- Star sign: AquariusFirst day of the sign, on the Capricorn cusp
Movie Career
- Films
- 19
- Career span
- 50 years1972 to 2022
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Big break
Avery was the last actor cast in The Color Purple, and she won the role of Shug after her agent was told she was not right for it because the filmmakers wanted a singer rather than an actor.
Early training
Avery studied with vocal coach Judy Davis, who also coached Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand, and trained at the American Conservatory Theater.
A change of course
Avery was an elementary school teacher in Oakland, California, and while she held that job she started making singing and acting appearances.
First role
Avery's first theatrical movie role came in 1972, playing Lark in the crime film Cool Breeze alongside Thalmus Rasulala and Judy Pace. That blaxploitation version of The Asphalt Jungle gave her the Marilyn Monroe part.
A change of course
After her Oscar nomination for The Color Purple, Avery did not work in film or television for two years and supported herself on the college lecture circuit.
Margaret Avery movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Steven Spielberg directed two of these films, Michael Schultz two. Laurence Fishburne appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Laurence Fishburne's page
Samuel L. Jackson's page
Danny Glover's page
Whoopi Goldberg's page
James Earl Jones's page
Angela Bassett's page
All films by Steven Spielberg
Michael SchultzDirector, 2 films, 1977 to 1983
All films by Michael Schultz
Also two films together5 more actors
- Rae Dawn ChongWe Are Gathered Here Today (2022) and The Color Purple (1985)
- Harry BelafonteIs That Black Enough for You?!? (2022) and White Man's Burden (1995)
- Thalmus RasulalaFor Us, the Living: The Story of Medgar Evers (1983) and Cool Breeze (1972)
- Nicole Ari ParkerWe Are Gathered Here Today (2022) and Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (2008)
- Bumper RobinsonWhite Man's Burden (1995) and The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Margaret Avery's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$303 million
7 of the 19 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 19 films: 7 worldwide figure; 3 us gross only; 7 never in cinemas; 2 figure not found.
- 7Worldwide figure
- 3US gross only
- 7Never in cinemas
- 2Figure not found
Highest grossing
The seven biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$146M48.3% of the total
- 2$44M14.4% of the total
- 3$42M13.9% of the total
- 4$40M13.1% of the total
- 5$22M7.2% of the total
- 6$9.0M3.0% of the total
- 7$610K0.2% of the total
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.