Debbi Morgan

Deborah Ann Morgan (born September 20, 1956)[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 role 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) for which she won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female. In 2014, she began playing a recurring role as Estelle Green in the crime drama series Power and its spinoff Power Book II: Ghost.

Debbi Morgan
Morgan with Dorian Harewood in The Jesse Owens Story, 1984.
Born	Deborah Ann Morgan September 20, 1956 Dunn, North Carolina, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1971–present
Spouse(s)	Charles Weldon ​ ​ (m. 1980; div. 1984)​ Charles S. Dutton ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 1994)​ Donn Thompson ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2000)​ Jeffrey Winston ​ (m. 2009)​
Website	debbimorgan.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 Aquinas High School, graduating in 1974.

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 and has no children. Her first marriage was to Charles Weldon from 1980 until 1984. In 1989 Morgan married actor Charles S. Dutton, later divorcing in 1994. From 1997 until 2000, Morgan was married to photographer Donn Thompson. Morgan has been married to Jeffrey Winston since June 2009.[19]

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
2018	Rent-an-Elf	Catherine
2019	Sextuplets	Janet
2019	Merry Liddle Christmas	Marchelle	Television film
2020	Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding	Marchelle	Television 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 "The Love Bug Bites Back"
1993–1995	Loving	Dr. Angela "Angie" Hubbard	Series regular: August 2, 1993 – November 10, 1995
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"
2019	Tales	Clarice	Episode: "My Life"

Music video appearances

• Cameo – "Attack Me with Your Love" (1985), "Single Life" (1985)

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.

External links

• Debbi Morgan at IMDb
• Debbi Morgan at AllMovie
• Debbi Morgan on Twitter