Deborah Ann Morgan (born September 20, 1956) is an American film and television actress. She played the role of Angie Baxter–Hubbard on the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

soap opera ''

All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 20 ...

'' for which she was the first African-American to win the

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

for

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre-, or even gender-, specific. Begin ...

in 1989. She is also known for her role as the Seer in the fourth and fifth seasons of ''

Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...

''. In film, she received critical acclaim for her performance as Mozelle Batiste-Delacroix in ''

Eve's Bayou ''Eve's Bayou'' is a 1997 American Southern Gothic drama film written and directed by Kasi Lemmons, who made her directorial debut with this film. Samuel L. Jackson served as a producer, and starred in the film with Lisa Nicole Carson, Jurnee Smo ...

'' (1997) for which she won the

Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female The Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female was an award presented annually by Film Independent. It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an absolutely outstanding performance in a supporting role while working in an indepe ...

. From 2014 to 2021 she played a recurring role as Estelle Green in the

starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...

crime drama series ''

Power Power most often refers to: * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events ** Abusive power Power may a ...

'' and its spinoff '' Power Book II: Ghost'', and from 2021 to 2022 co-starred in the

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

drama series '' Our Kind of People''.

Early life

Morgan was born in Dunn, North Carolina, 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 A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...

'', 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 Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...

in 1975. Morgan graduated from Aquinas High School.

Career

Morgan's earliest film role was in the movie '' Monkey Hustle'' in 1976. She played the role of Vi. Morgan's earliest recurring role was on ''

What's Happening!! ''What's Happening!!'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on ABC from August 5, 1976, until April 28, 1979, premiering as a summer series. Due to other shows being cancelled across the network, and good ratings and reviews from ...

'' from 1976 to 1977 as Diane Harris, and also appeared on ''

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was television's first African ...

''. In 1979, she received critical acclaim for her portrayal of

Alex Haley Alexander Murray Palmer Haley (August 11, 1921 – February 10, 1992) was an American writer and the author of the 1976 book '' Roots: The Saga of an American Family.'' ABC adapted the book as a television miniseries of the same name and a ...

'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 A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

''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 Jesse Hubbard (born September 18, 1975) is a former professional lacrosse player who played professional box lacrosse in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and professional field lacrosse in the Major League Lacrosse (MLL). Background Hubbard st ...

(

Darnell Williams Darnell Williams (born 3 March 1955) is a British-born soap opera actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Jesse Hubbard on the ABC soap opera '' All My Children'' from 1981 to 1988, and from 2008 to 2011, a role which has earned him two Day ...

), became the first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

supercouple A supercouple or super couple (also known as a power couple) is a popular and/or wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or obsessive fashion. The term originated in the United States, and it was coined in the earl ...

" on the daytime serials. In 1989, Morgan won the

for

(which she shares with '' Santa Barbara'' actress

Nancy Lee Grahn Nancy Lee Grahn (born April 28, 1956) is an American actress known primarily for her work in daytime soap operas, portraying Julia Wainwright Capwell on '' Santa Barbara'' from 1985–93 and Alexis Davis on ''General Hospital'' since 1996. E ...

). She and Williams also co-hosted a music video show titled ''

New York Hot Tracks ''New York Hot Tracks'' is a syndicated music television series which aired from 1983 to 1989 and achieved the number one music variety show spot in the United States. ''Hot Tracks'' was executive produced and syndicated by M.K. Thomas & Company ...

'' 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 ''Port Charles'' (commonly abbreviated as ''PC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from June 1, 1997, to October 3, 2003. It was a spin-off of the series ''General Hospital'', which has been running since 1963 and takes pl ...

''. 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 Kasi Lemmons (; born Karen Lemmons, February 24, 1961) is an American film director, screenwriter, and actress. She made her directorial debut with ''Eve's Bayou'' (1997), followed by '' Talk to Me'' (2007), ''Black Nativity'' (2013), '' Harriet ...

' drama film ''

'' (1997). For her portrayal, she won a Chicago Film Critics Association Award and an

Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards (abbreviated Spirit Awards and originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards), founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glas ...

and was nominated for an

Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

. She later left soap operas and began her film career with roles in ''

She's All That ''She's All That'' is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Robert Iscove. It stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard, and Paul Walker. After being dumped by his girlfriend, Zack Siler boasts he could make an ...

'' (1999), '' The Hurricane'' (1999), ''

Love & Basketball ''Love & Basketball'' is a 2000 American romantic sports drama film written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood in her feature film directorial debut. The film is produced by Spike Lee and Sam Kit and stars Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps. It tells ...

'' (2000), ''

Woman Thou Art Loosed ''Woman Thou Art Loosed'' is a 2004 American drama film directed by Michael Schultz and written by Stan Foster. It was produced by Stan Foster and Reuben Cannon. It is the 44th film or series directed by Schultz and is adapted from the self-h ...

'' (2004), ''

Coach Carter ''Coach Carter'' is a 2005 American biographical teen sports drama film starring Samuel L. Jackson and directed by Thomas Carter (no relation). The film is based on the true story of Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter (played by J ...

'' (2005), ''

Relative Strangers ''Relative Strangers'' is a 2006 American comedy film directed by Greg Glienna. Plot Thirty-four-year-old psychologist Richard Clayton's (Ron Livingston) parents reveal to him that he was adopted. He then sets out to find out who his biological p ...

'' (2006), and ''

Color of the Cross ''Color of the Cross'' is a 2006 religious film written by, directed by, and starring Jean-Claude La Marre. The film is one of the few depictions of Christ as a black man, and portrays Jesus' persecution as the result of racism. Plot In what w ...

'' (2006). On television, she had roles in ''

The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy in 1 ...

'', ''

Strong Medicine ''Strong Medicine'' is an American medical drama with a focus on feminism, feminist politics, health issues and class conflict that aired on the Lifetime Television, Lifetime network from 2000 to 2006. It was created and produced in part by Who ...

'', ''

Boston Public ''Boston Public'' is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. Set in Boston, the series centers on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school in the Boston Public Schools district. It features ...

'', ''

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

'', and ''

Soul Food Soul food is an ethnic cuisine traditionally prepared and eaten by African Americans, originating in the Southern United States.Soul Food originated with the foods that were given to enslaved Black people by their white owners on Souther ...

''. From 2002 to 2003, Morgan played lead character Lora Gibson, opposite

Lea Thompson Lea Katherine Thompson (born May 31, 1961) is an American actress and director. She is best known for her role as Lorraine Baines-McFly in the ''Back to the Future'' film trilogy (1985–1990) and Beverly Switzler in '' Howard the Duck'' (1 ...

, on the Lifetime drama series '' For the People''. She also played the role of the Seer in the fourth and fifth seasons of ''

''. Morgan returned to ''All My Children'' in January 2008; 10 years after leaving daytime television. In May 2009 and 2011, she was nominated for the

for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. In 2011, ABC cancelled ''All My Children'', and Morgan joined the cast of ''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, Wi ...

'' as Yolanda "Harmony" Hamilton 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. The series premiered on April 29, 2013, and was cancelled after a single season. In November 2013, after ''All My Children'' was cancelled, Morgan was cast in

Starz Starz (stylized as STARZ since 2016; pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment, and is the flagship property of parent subsidiary Starz Inc. Programming on Starz consist ...

drama series, ''

'', opposite

Omari Hardwick Omari Latif Hardwick (born January 9, 1974) is an American actor known for his starring role as James "Ghost" St. Patrick, the protagonist of Starz's ''Power'' and his role as Vanderohe in Zack Snyder's ''Army of the Dead'' (2021). He is also kn ...

and

Naturi Naughton Naturi Cora Maria Naughton (born May 20, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Naughton is best known as one-third of the Contemporary R&B, R&B group 3LW and for her acting roles in the films ''Fame (2009 film), Fame'' and ''Notor ...

. In 2015, she co-starred alongside Richard Lawson and

Vivica A. Fox Vivica Anjanetta Fox (born July 30, 1964) is an American actress, producer, and television host. Fox began her career on ''Soul Train'' (19821983). She eventually continued her career with roles on the daytime television soap operas ''Days of O ...

in two TV One holiday movies: ''Royal Family Thanksgiving'' and ''Royal Family Christmas''. Morgan later played

Toni Braxton Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. ...

's mother in the Lifetime biopic '' Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart''. In 2017, Morgan appeared in the Marvel miniseries '' The Defenders'' playing Delores. The following year, she had a recurring role in the BET drama series '' The Quad''. In 2019, she appeared in the Netflix film ''

Sextuplets A multiple birth is the culmination of one multiple pregnancy, wherein the mother gives birth to two or more babies. A term most applicable to vertebrate species, multiple births occur in most kinds of mammals, with varying frequencies. Such bir ...

'' starring

Marlon Wayans Marlon Lamont Wayans (born July 23, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Wayans began his career portraying a pedestrian in ''I'm Gonna Git You Sucka'' (1988). He went on to regularly collaborate with his brother Shawn Wa ...

. She starred with

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling girl ...

in the Lifetime movie ''Merry Liddle Christmas'' and its sequels. In 2021, she was cast in the

Lee Daniels Lee Daniels (born December 24, 1959) is an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. His first producer credit was ''Monster's Ball'' (2001), for which Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress, making Daniels ...

prime time soap opera, '' Our Kind of People'' opposite

Yaya DaCosta Camara DaCosta Johnson (born November 15, 1982), better known as Yaya DaCosta, is an American actress and model. She was the runner-up in Cycle 3 of ''America's Next Top Model''. DaCosta eventually went to star in ABC's daytime drama series ''Al ...

Personal life

Morgan has been married four times and has no children. Her first marriage was to

Charles Weldon Charles Weldon (June 1, 1940 – December 7, 2018) was an actor, director, educator, singer, and songwriter. He was the artistic director of the Negro Ensemble Company for thirteen years. He was the co-founder of the Alumni of this company, ...

from 1980 until 1984. In 1989, Morgan married actor Charles S. Dutton, divorcing in 1994. From 1997 until 2000, Morgan was married to photographer Donn Thompson. Morgan has been married to Jeffrey Winston since June 2009.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music video appearances

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

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Debbi 1950s births Living people Actresses from New York City African-American actresses American film actresses American soap opera actresses American television actresses Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series winners Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female winners Participants in American reality television series People from Dunn, North Carolina 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women