Her Story
A legendary journey through Hollywood
Anna Maria Horsford is an acclaimed actress whose career spans film, television and stage, with more than 185 acting credits to her name. Known for her versatility, warmth and commanding presence, she brings depth, humor and humanity to roles that have resonated with audiences across generations.
Born and raised in Harlem, she comes from a legacy of trailblazers. Her father, Victor Horsford, was the first Black owner of a supermarket in Harlem, and her mother, Lillian, was from the Dominican Republic. A graduate of New York’s High School of Performing Arts, she began her career on stage, including the groundbreaking production For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide…, before moving into television and film.
She became a household name as Thelma Frye on NBC’s Amen, and audiences embraced her again on The Wayans Bros. and The Last O.G. Her television work also includes Grey’s Anatomy, Entourage, Everybody Hates Chris, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, New Girl and The League.
On the big screen she is beloved as Betty Jones in the cult classic Friday and its sequel Friday After Next, with films including Set It Off, A Madea Christmas, Our Family Wedding, Gridiron Gang, Minority Report, Presumed Innocent and St. Elmo’s Fire. Along the way she has worked with Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, Harrison Ford, Samuel L. Jackson and Tom Cruise.
Recent work includes Pose, Hacks, Bel-Air and No Good Deed, the holiday film Unexpected Christmas, in which she plays Momma Scott, and season two of Diarra from Detroit.
A proud member of the Directors Guild of America, she also directs and produces. Her work has earned two Daytime Emmy nominations for The Bold and the Beautiful, along with lifetime achievement and humanitarian honors from academic, civic and cultural organizations.
