- Born
- Birth nameSalli Elise Richardson
- Height5′ 4″ (1.63 m)
- Salli Richardson-Whitfield is a 30-year industry veteran. She has been featured in 20+ major motion pictures and has starred opposite a number of Hollywood's top actors, including Samuel L. Jackson in 'The Great White Hype', Denzel Washington in 'Antwone Fisher', and Will Smith in 'I Am Legend'. On television, Salli starred in the long-running SYFY network hit series 'Eureka' as well as three seasons of 'Stitchers' on Freeform. Her acting resume includes dozens of popular series, highlighted by 'Criminal Minds', 'Bones', 'House MD', 'NYPD Blue', 'Castle', 'Being Mary Jane', and 'CSI: Miami'.
Changing gears to a role behind the camera, Salli has established herself as a director and producer. Ava DuVernay was one of the first to recognize Salli's skill as director, offering Salli two back-to-back episodes of the first season of 'Queen Sugar'. Her now incredibly extensive directing resume includes Amazon's 'Wheel of Time', Hulu's 'Reprisal', Apple's 'See', Netflix's 'Dear White People', 'Luke Cage', 'The Punisher', and 'Altered Carbon', Starz' 'American Gods' and 'Survivor's Remorse', Showtime's 'The Chi', ABC's 'Scandal' and 'Black-ish', Fox's 'Lethal Weapon', Freeform's 'Shadowhunters', BET's 'Rebel', SYFY'S 'The Magicians', 'Eureka', 'Black Lightening', and The CW's 'All American'.
Salli's work is award-nominated for a NAACP Award for Outstanding Directing In A Drama Series for 'Luke Cage', for a Hugo Award nomination for her work on 'Wheel of Time', and for a Black Reel Award for directing 'Black-ish'. She won the AAFCA Best TV Directing Award for her work on HBO's 'The Gilded Age'. Most recently, she won two The Gracies' 2024 awards for Director - Drama ('Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty') and Producer - Entertainment ('The Gilded Age').
Salli's successful run as a director and producer was punctuated by the announcement of her first Overall Deal with HBO for whom she Directed and Executive Produced Julian Fellowes' period drama series 'The Gilded Age' and also directed the final two episodes of the first season of Adam McKay's critically acclaimed series 'Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty'. Salli has since renewed her relationship with HBO and HBO Max with a long-term Overall Deal. Since then, she has served as Executive Producer on season two of 'Winning Time' and season two of 'The Gilded Age', to much success. She is an Executive Producer and Director on HBO's Brad Ingelsby Task Force Limited Series starring Mark Ruffalo.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Erwin More
- SpouseDondré T. Whitfield(September 8, 2002 - present) (2 children)
- ChildrenParker Richardson WhitfieldDre Terrell Whitfield
- ParentsMarcia HarrisDuel Richardson
- 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).
- According to Richardson, she and Matthew McConaughey were only friends who became victims of the Hollywood rumor mill. She was then dating and is now married to actor Dondré T. Whitfield.
- Began her professional acting career in the theater at the Kuumba Workshop in Chicago.
- Played tennis for the University of Chicago Laboratory High School.
- Has a daughter, Parker Richardson Whitfield.
- 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.
- Indies are always an extra challenge. The time is shorter because you have less money to spend and fewer days to shoot.
- When you're in N.Y.C. and they shut down one of the bridges, this is a movie!
- When a loved one passes, there are mixed emotions, and a thirst to live one's own life more deeply can certainly be among them.
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