Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Salli Richardson-Whitfield

  • Actress
  • Director
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,0003
Salli Richardson-Whitfield
Highlights love stories from the black community and seeks to find secrets to making a marriage work. Features love stories from some successful people in entertainment as well as everyday couples, each offering a unique take on love.
Play trailer1:00
Black Love (2017–2022)
35 Videos
99+ Photos
Emmy-nominated director and executive producer Salli Richardson-Whitfield is poised to direct and executive produce the highly anticipated HBO series "Task," created by Brad Ingelsby (Mare of Easttown). Starring Mark Ruffalo, this gripping drama explores the life of an FBI agent tasked with dismantling a wave of drug-house robberies led by an unsuspecting family man in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia. Produced in association with wiip, the series is set to premiere in 2025, with Ingelsby, Ruffalo, and Paul Lee among the executive producers.

Salli will also return to direct the final two episodes of the third season of "The Gilded Age," premiering in 2025. Having directed half of the first season of Julian Fellowes' acclaimed series and served as an executive producer for all three seasons, Salli's contributions have been pivotal to its success.

With a career spanning over 30 years, Salli made history with her 2024 Emmy nomination for Best Director in a Drama Series for HBO's "Winning Time: The Rise and Fall of the Lakers Dynasty." This nomination marked a significant milestone as she became the first Black woman nominated in this category in the Emmys' forty-eight-year history. Additionally, she received a second nomination as an executive producer for season two of "The Gilded Age" for Best Drama. Her outstanding work has also garnered her two Gracie Award nominations. Before her impactful partnership with HBO, Salli directed across various genres. Her work on "Luke Cage" earned her an NAACP Award for Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series, and she was nominated for a Hugo Award for Amazon's "Wheel of Time."

Inspired by director Ava DuVernay, Salli transitioned from a celebrated acting career to directing, beginning with two episodes of "Queen Sugar." Her extensive directing portfolio includes notable projects such as Hulu's "Reprisal," Apple's "SEE," Netflix's "Dear White People," "The Punisher," and "Altered Carbon," as well as Starz' "American Gods," Showtime's "The Chi," and ABC's "Scandal."

Previously one of Hollywood's most sought-after leading ladies, Salli starred in over 20 major motion pictures alongside icons like Samuel L. Jackson in "The Great White Hype," Denzel Washington in "Antwone Fisher," and Will Smith in "I Am Legend." On television, she is known for her roles in the long-running Syfy series "Eureka," "Family Law," and the award-winning "The Newsroom."

When she's not behind the camera or in front of it, the Chicago native enjoys golfing and cherishes time on the green with her husband, actor/activist Dondre Whitfield, and their two children, Parker and Dre.

Salli resides in Los Angeles, California, where she continues to inspire and break barriers in the entertainment industry.
BornNovember 23, 1967
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornNovember 23, 1967
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,0003
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys
      • 3 wins & 5 nominations total

    Photos180

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 174
    View Poster

    Known for

    Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)
    Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid
    4.7
    • Gail Stern
    • 2004
    Colin Ferguson, Joe Morton, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Neil Grayston, Erica Cerra, and Jordan Hinson in Eureka (2006)
    Eureka
    7.9
    TV Series
    • Allison Blake
    Black Dynamite (2009)
    Black Dynamite
    7.4
    • Gloria
    • 2009
    Will Smith, Kona, and Abbey in I Am Legend (2007)
    I Am Legend
    7.2
    • Zoe Neville(as Salli Richardson)
    • 2007

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Actress



    • Joel Kinnaman in Altered Carbon (2018)
      Altered Carbon
      7.9
      TV Series
      • Commission Leader
      • 2020
    • Black Lightning (2018)
      Black Lightning
      6.1
      TV Series
      • Rebecca Montez
      • 2018
    • Emma Ishta in Stitchers (2015)
      Stitchers
      6.8
      TV Series
      • Maggie Baptiste
      • 2015–2017
    • Morris Chestnut in Rosewood (2015)
      Rosewood
      6.7
      TV Series
      • Dr. Aubrey Joseph
      • 2016
    • Wilmer Valderrama, Rocky Carroll, Gary Cole, Katrina Law, Sean Murray, Brian Dietzen, and Diona Reasonover in NCIS (2003)
      NCIS
      7.8
      TV Series
      • Carrie Clark
      • 2013–2015
    • Lisa Arrindell and Isaiah Washington in The Sin Seer (2015)
      The Sin Seer
      3.6
      • Nia
      • 2015
    • Gabrielle Union in Being Mary Jane (2013)
      Being Mary Jane
      7.6
      TV Series
      • Valerie
      • 2015
    • Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic in Castle (2009)
      Castle
      8.1
      TV Series
      • U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Weston
      • 2014
    • Don Cheadle in House of Lies (2012)
      House of Lies
      7.4
      TV Series
      • Sandra Joy
      • 2014
    • Esai Morales, Loretta Devine, and Salli Richardson-Whitfield in Teachers (2013)
      Teachers
      7.1
      TV Movie
      • Christine
      • 2013
    • Jeff Daniels in The Newsroom (2012)
      The Newsroom
      8.6
      TV Series
      • Jane Barrow
      • 2012–2013
    • Esai Morales, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, and Robert Townsend in Playin' for Love (2013)
      Playin' for Love
      6.3
      • Talisa McCoy
      • 2013
    • Colin Ferguson, Joe Morton, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Neil Grayston, Erica Cerra, and Jordan Hinson in Eureka (2006)
      Eureka
      7.9
      TV Series
      • Allison Blake
      • 2006–2012
    • The Finder (2012)
      The Finder
      7.7
      TV Series
      • Athena Brookes
      • 2012
    • We the Party (2012)
      We the Party
      4.2
      • Principal Reynolds
      • 2012

    Director



    • Task
      • Director
      • Post-production
      • TV Mini Series
      • 2025



    • John C. Reilly, Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke, Solomon Hughes, Sean Patrick Small, Hadley Robinson, and Quincy Isaiah in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022)
      Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
      8.3
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2022–2023
    • Christine Baranski, Audra McDonald, Donna Murphy, Cynthia Nixon, Louisa Jacobson, Morgan Spector, Carrie Coon, and Denée Benton in The Gilded Age (2022)
      The Gilded Age
      8.1
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2022
    • The Wheel of Time (2021)
      The Wheel of Time
      7.2
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2021
    • Joel Kinnaman in Altered Carbon (2018)
      Altered Carbon
      7.9
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2020
    • Jeremy Irvine in Treadstone (2019)
      Treadstone
      6.9
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2019
    • Jason Momoa in See (2019)
      See
      7.6
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2019
    • Abigail Spencer in Reprisal (2019)
      Reprisal
      7.4
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2019
    • Gina Torres in Pearson (2019)
      Pearson
      6.8
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2019
    • Dear White People (2017)
      Dear White People
      6.4
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2018–2019
    • The Chi (2018)
      The Chi
      7.5
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2019
    • Brendan Fraser, Matt Bomer, Michelle Gomez, April Bowlby, Matthew Zuk, Diane Guerrero, Joivan Wade, and Riley Shanahan in Doom Patrol (2019)
      Doom Patrol
      7.7
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2019
    • Crispin Glover, Demore Barnes, Emily Browning, Ian McShane, Ricky Whittle, Yetide Badaki, Omid Abtahi, and Bruce Langley in American Gods (2017)
      American Gods
      7.6
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2019
    • Kiernan Shipka in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018)
      Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
      7.4
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2019
    • Harry Shum Jr., Emeraude Toubia, Katherine McNamara, Dominic Sherwood, Matthew Daddario, and Alberto Rosende in Shadowhunters (2016)
      Shadowhunters
      6.5
      TV Series
      • Director (directed by)
      • 2017–2019
    • Stella Maeve, Summer Bishil, Hale Appleman, Olivia Taylor Dudley, and Arjun Gupta in The Magicians (2015)
      The Magicians
      7.6
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2018–2019

    Producer



    • Task
      • executive producer
      • Post-production
      • TV Mini Series
      • 2025



    • Christine Baranski, Audra McDonald, Donna Murphy, Cynthia Nixon, Louisa Jacobson, Morgan Spector, Carrie Coon, and Denée Benton in The Gilded Age (2022)
      The Gilded Age
      8.1
      TV Series
      • executive producer (as Salli Richardson Whitfield)
      • 2022–2023
    • John C. Reilly, Adrien Brody, Jason Clarke, Solomon Hughes, Sean Patrick Small, Hadley Robinson, and Quincy Isaiah in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022)
      Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty
      8.3
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2023
    • Post Life (2016)
      Post Life
      6.4
      Short
      • producer
      • 2016
    • Esai Morales, Loretta Devine, and Salli Richardson-Whitfield in Teachers (2013)
      Teachers
      7.1
      TV Movie
      • executive producer
      • 2013
    • Grace (2011)
      Grace
      2.7
      Short
      • executive producer
      • 2011
    • Pastor Brown (2009)
      Pastor Brown
      6.4
      • co-producer (as Salli Richardson)
      • 2009

    • In-development projects at IMDbPro

    Videos35

    'The Sin Seer': Daily Prayers
    Clip 1:37
    'The Sin Seer': Daily Prayers
    We the Party
    Clip 0:57
    We the Party
    We the Party
    Clip 0:57
    We the Party
    We the Party
    Clip 1:20
    We the Party
    I Am Legend
    Clip 0:45
    I Am Legend
    I Am Legend
    Clip 1:06
    I Am Legend
    I Am Legend
    Clip 1:19
    I Am Legend

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official Instagram
    • Alternative names
      • Salli Elise Richardson
    • Height
      • 5′ 4″ (1.63 m)
    • Born
      • November 23, 1967
      • Chicago, Illinois, USA
    • Spouse
      • Dondré T. WhitfieldSeptember 8, 2002 - present (2 children)
    • Children
        Parker Richardson Whitfield
    • Parents
        Marcia Harris
    • Other works
      Stage: Appeared in "The Old Settler", Los Angeles, CA. Also in cast: CCH Pounder, Jenifer Lewis. NOTE: Richardson was nominated for an Ovation Award by the Theatre League of Southern California for her performance.
    • Publicity listings
      • 2 Interviews
      • 2 Articles
      • 1 Pictorial
      • 10 Magazine Cover Photos

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Her mother Marcia Harris is African American/Native American (Cherokee) and her father Duel Richardson, who is the director of Neighborhood Relations/Educational Programs and Office of Community Affairs for the University of Chicago, is Caucasian (English/Italian).
    • Quotes
      I Will Follow is a celebration of life. Sometimes when you lose something, you understand its value more than when you had it. The same is true for life.

    FAQ

    Powered by Alexa
    • How old is Salli Richardson-Whitfield?
      57 years old
    • When was Salli Richardson-Whitfield born?
      November 23, 1967
    • Where was Salli Richardson-Whitfield born?
      Chicago, Illinois, USA
    • What is Salli Richardson-Whitfield's birth name?
      Salli Elise Richardson
    • How tall is Salli Richardson-Whitfield?
      5 feet 4 inches, or 1.63 meters

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.