Salli Elise Richardson-Whitfield (born Salli Elise Richardson, November 23, 1967) is an American actress, television director and producer. as an actress, Richardson is known for her role as Angela in the film A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994) and for… Salli Elise Richardson-Whitfield (born Salli Elise Richardson, November 23, 1967) is an American actress, television director and producer. as an actress, Richardson is known for her role as Angela in the film A Low Down Dirty Shame (1994) and for her role as Dr. Allison Blake on the Syfy comedy-drama series Eureka (2006–2012).
She is also known for her voice acting as Elisa Maza on the Disney animated series Gargoyles (1994–1996), and as Viveca Foster on the CBS series Family Law (1999–2002). Richardson also has appeared in a number of other films such as The Great White Hype (1996), Antwone Fisher (2002), Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004) and I Am Legend (2007). She had leading roles in the independent films Pastor Brown (2009), Black Dynamite (2009) and I Will Follow (2010).
In the 2010s, Richardson started working as a television director and executive producer, receiving five Primetime Emmy Awards nominations. In 2024, she became the first black woman to be nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, and in 2026, she became the first black woman to receive two Outstanding Directing for a Drama series nominations for her works on The Gilded Age and Task.
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