Debbi Morgan

Deborah Ann Morgan (born September 20, 1951)[1][2] is an American film and television actress. She played the role of Angie Baxter–Hubbard on the ABC soap opera All My Children for which she was the first African-American to win the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 1989. She is also known for her roles as the Seer in the fourth and fifth seasons of Charmed. In film, she received critical acclaim for her performance as Mozelle Batiste-Delacroix in Eve's Bayou (1997).

Not to be confused with Debra Morgan.
Debbi Morgan
Born
Deborah Ann Morgan

(1951-09-20) September 20, 1951
Dunn, North Carolina, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1971–present
Spouse(s)
​
(
m. 1980; div. 1984)

​
(
m. 1989; div. 1994)

Donn Thompson
​
(
m. 1997; div. 2000)

Jeffrey Winston
(
m. 2009)
Websitedebbimorgan.org

Early life

Morgan was born in Dunn, North Carolina,[1] the daughter of Lora, a teacher, and George Morgan, Jr., a butcher. She has a younger sister, Terry. The family relocated to the Bronx when Morgan was still a child. In a 1997 interview with People, Morgan revealed that her father was an abusive alcoholic. While he never physically harmed his daughters, Morgan recalled her mother running from her father often. Her father died of leukemia in 1975.[2] Morgan attended parochial school. Debbie graduated from Aquinas High School in the Bronx.

Career

Morgan's earliest film role was in the movie Cry Uncle! in 1971. She played the role of Dite. Morgan's earliest recurring role was on What'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. 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 the Daytime 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 1993. 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).[3] 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.[4]

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; 10 years after leaving daytime television.[5] In May 2009 and 2011, she was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.[6] In 2011, ABC cancelled All My Children, and Morgan joined the cast of The Young and the Restless as Yolanda "Harmony" Hamilton[7][8] 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.[9] The series premiered on April 29, 2013 and was cancelled after a single season.[10][11] In November 2013, after All My Children was cancelled, Morgan was cast in Starz drama series, Power, opposite Omari Hardwick and Naturi Naughton.[12][13] In 2015, she co-starred alongside Richard Lawson and Vivica A. Fox in two TV One holiday movies: Royal Family Thanksgiving and Royal Family Christmas.[14][15] Morgan later played Toni Braxton's mother in the Lifetime biopic Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart.[16][17][18]

Personal life

Morgan has been married four times: to Charles Weldon (1980–84), to actor Charles S. Dutton (1989–94), to photographer Donn Thompson (1997–2000) and to Jeffrey Winston (since June 2009).[19] She does not have any children.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1971 Cry Uncle Olga Winter
1974 Amazing Grace Morgan State Student
1975 Mandingo Dite
1976 Taxi Driver Girl at Columbus Circle
1976 The Monkey Hu$tle Vi
1979 Love's Savage Fury Opal Television film
1981 Thornwell Katherine Television film
1984 The Jesse Owens Story Ruth Solomon Owens Television film
1987 Guilty of Innocence: The Lenell Geter Story Marcia Hickson Television film
1992 Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing Maureen Gilman Television film
1997 Eve's Bayou Mozelle Batiste Delacroix Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
1999 She's All That Ms. Rousseau
1999 Spawn 3: Ultimate Battle Granny Blake
1999 The Hurricane Mae Thelma Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
1999 Asunder Lauren Hubbs
2000 Love & Basketball Nona McCall
2000 The Runaway Reba Monroe Television film
2004 Woman Thou Art Loosed Twana
2005 Coach Carter Tonya
2005 Back in the Day Mrs. Packer
2006 Relative Strangers Mrs. Manoire
2006 Color of the Cross Mary
2015 Royal Family Thanksgiving Alfreda Royal Television film
2015 Royal Family Christmas Alfreda Royal Television film
2016 Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart Evelyn Jackson Braxton Television film
2019 Sextuplets

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 "The Love Bug Bites Back"
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
2014–2020 Power Estelle Recurring role
2017 The Defenders Delores Episodes: "The H Word" and "Worst Behavior"

Music video appearances
gollark: I can guess that much, but it doesn't appear to do anything.
gollark: ... thanks, bot? Does that actually mean anything?
gollark: > Actually, all that discussions about what better and what worse is have no sense, cuz everywhere you have a bad things and you have a good thingsI have no idea what you mean.
gollark: I mean, a 3D printer is way cheaper than other plastic-making things to buy, but if you need large quantities of plastic things then it's more expensive.
gollark: Per... individual thing, yes, but not necessarily per unit of output or whatever.

References
  1. Ancestry.com (2005). North Carolina Birth Index, 1800-2000 (Report). Ancestry.com Operations Inc.
  2. Day, Carol (November 24, 1997). "Morgan Glory". People. 48 (21). Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  3. "Debbi Morgan". Movies.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  4. "Debbi Morgan Credits". Tvguide.com. 2012-11-28. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  5. "Jesse and Angie return home to Pine Valley - All My Children @ soapcentral.com". soapcentral.com. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  6. Rice, Lynette (2011-06-19). "Daytime Emmys 2011". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
  7. Barrett, Annie (2011-09-14). "All My Children stars heat up CBS Daytime". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  8. Daytimeconfidential.zap2it.com Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Debbi Morgan Officially Joins Resurrected 'All My Children' | Shadow and Act". Blogs.indiewire.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-12. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  10. Matt Webb Mitovich (2013-11-11). "Soaps Dish: All My Children, SOAPnet Scrubbed". TVLine. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  11. "All My Children Dead (Again), Cast Members Say – Today's News: Our Take". TVGuide.com. 2013-11-11. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  12. "La La Anthony, Debbi Morgan Join Cast Of Starz Omari Hardwick Drama 'Power' | Shadow and Act". Blogs.indiewire.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  13. Andreeva, Nellie (2013-11-14). "Starz Series 'Power' Adds La La Anthony". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  14. Tambay A. Obenson (4 August 2015). "Vivica A. Fox, Romeo Miller and Debbi Morgan Lead Ensembl – Shadow and Act". Shadow and Act. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  15. "Vivica A. Fox, Romeo Miller to Star in Two Holiday Movies for TV One (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  16. "Debbi Morgan to Play Toni Braxton's Mom in TV Biopic". BET.com. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  17. "Debbi Morgan Added to Cast of Lifetime's Toni Braxton Biopic". Essence.com. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  18. "Un-Break My Heart: Lifetime movie casts Lex Scott Davis to play Toni Braxton". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  19. "All My Children: Debbi Morgan Married in Washington!". Soaps.com. SheKnows Media. 28 June 2009. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
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