Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou was a celebrated actress, poet, and civil rights activist known for her powerful voice and impactful performances. She gained recognition for her roles in films such as 'Poetic Justice' and 'How to Make an American Quilt.' Angelou's career spanned decades, establishing her as... Read More
Known for
Stamped from the Beginning (2023)
Following the roots and evolution of racist concepts in the United States in order to understand today's society.
Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes (2023)
The Drum Waltzes explores the life and music of legendary drummer, activist Max Roach, his creative peaks, personal struggles and re-inventions from the Jim...
Let the World See (2022)
A chronicle of Ms. Mamie Till-Mobley's fierce quest for justice that sparked the civil rights movement after her son Emmett Till's brutal murder, inspiring...
NYC Epicenters 9/11➔2021½ (2021)
An unprecedented, sweeping portrait of New Yorkers as they rebuild and rebound, from a devastating terrorist attack through the ongoing global pandemic, weaving together...
Personal details
Credits
| Year | Title | Character | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
Orwell: 2+2=5George Orwell was one of the most visionary authors of the 20th century, whose novels 1984 and Animal Farm foretold... |
Self (archive footage) | |
| 2024 |
Daedalus"Fly too high and you will burn, go too low and you won't breathe." A 7 day vlog during the... |
Sampled Interview (voice) (uncredited) | |
| 2024 |
Maya Angelou at the BBCBonnie Greer looks back on the extraordinary life of one of literature’s most significant and inspirational figures, Maya Angelou, through... |
Self (archive footage) | |
| 2022 |
Why Is We Americans?The story focuses on Newark's Baraka family and its involvement in social activism, poetry, music, art and politics. |
Self | |
| 2021 |
A Song for Cesar: Beware a Movement That SingsSong for Cesar is a documentary film with a unique view of the life and legacy of Cesar Chavez and... |
Self | |
| 2020 |
Minha Bateria Está Fraca e Está Ficando TardeAs the Sars-Covid 19 pandemic increased, Rubiane Maia was in Folkestone, England, and Tom Nobrega in Tarapoto, in the Peruvian... |
Self | |
| 2018 |
Becky and the BirdsA short film based on the self-titled extended play album “Becky and the Birds” by Becky and the Birds (Thea... |
Self (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited) | |
| 2018 |
Words Are ThingsSome day we’ll be able to measure the power of words but in the meantime let’s be careful about the... |
Narrator (voice) | |
| 2018 |
Mr. SOUL!On the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, one fearless black pioneer reconceived a Harlem Renaissance for a new era,... |
Self (archive footage) | |
| 2017 |
The NinetiesHit rewind and explore the most iconic moments and influential people of The Nineties, the decade that gave us the... |
Self (archive footage) | |
| 2016 |
Maya Angelou: And Still I RiseA celebration of Dr. Maya Angelou by weaving her words with rare and intimate archival photographs and videos, which paint... |
Self (archive footage) | |
| 2015 |
I Hope You Dance: The Power and Spirit of SongI HOPE YOU DANCE: the power and spirit of song is the first full length documentary film to explore how... |
Self | |
| 2014 |
The Power of the HeartFrom the director of ‘THE SECRET’ comes this unparalleled and life-changing film about the astonishing power and intelligence of your... |
Self | |
| 2012 |
Paul Simon: Under African SkiesPaul Simon returns to South Africa to explore the incredible journey of his historic Graceland album, including the political backlash... |
Self | |
| 2011 |
On the Shoulders of GiantsThe story of the Harlem Rens: the greatest basketball team you never heard of. |
Unknown character | |
| 2010 |
One Night in VegasOn the evening of Sept. 7, 1996, Mike Tyson, the WBC heavyweight champion, attempted to take Bruce Seldon’s WBA title... |
Self | |
| 2009 |
Papa CésaireShortly after his death in 2008, Maldoror made this film about her longtime friend and collaborator, the Négritude poet Aimé... |
Self | |
| 2009 |
Good HairAn exposé of comic proportions that only Chris Rock could pull off, GOOD HAIR visits beauty salons and hairstyling battles,... |
Self | |
| 2009 |
The Black CandleThe origins of Kwanzaa and the seven principles upon which the pan-African holiday derives its meaning are explored in this... |
Self - Narrator | |
| 2008 |
Joe Louis: America's Hero BetrayedAn American story. Traces the career of Joe Louis (1914-1981) within the context of American racial consciousness: his difficulty getting... |
Self | |
| 2006 |
Madea's Family ReunionSouthern matriarch Madea has a lot on her plate. Her nieces, Vanessa and Lisa, have relationship troubles - Vanessa moves... |
May | |
| 2005 |
IconoclastsIn this Sundance Channel original series, leading innovators and creative visionaries come together to discuss their passions and creative processes... |
Self | |
| 2004 |
Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song?Come one, come all for Sesame Street's 35th anniversary musical gathering! Is there one song the whole world can sing... |
Self (archive footage) | |
| 2004 |
America Beyond the Color LineHenry Louis Gates Jr., Harvard's chair of Afro-American Studies, travels the length and breadth of the United States to take... |
Self | |
| 2003 |
Sisters in CinemaExplores the careers of twenty black women working as film directors. |
Self | |
| 2000 |
The RunawayAt the birth of two boys, one white and one black, a mysterious and powerful Conjure Woman (Maya Angelou) prophesies... |
Conjure Woman | |
| 1999 |
The Unfinished JourneyA multimedia short created for the U.S. millennium celebrations, The Unfinished Journey reflects on America’s history and spirit through six... |
Self | |
| 1999 |
The Early ShowThe Early Show is an American morning television show which was broadcast by CBS from New York City from 1999... |
Self | |
| 1998 |
Quincy Jones... The First 50 YearsThe composer-arranger-producer is honored in a tribute taped in 1997. |
Self | |
| 1998 |
The Enchanted Island Madagascar: The Living EdensTravel to the mysterious island that time forgot -- the island of Madagascar. Nestled in the tranquil waters of the... |
Narrator | |
| 1997 |
The Gregory Hines ShowThe Gregory Hines Show is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS. The series premiered on Monday, September 15,... |
Self | |
| 1997 |
HARDtalkIn-depth interviews with hard-hitting questions and sensitive topics being covered as famous personalities from all walks of life talk about... |
Unknown character | |
| 1997 |
Perfect MomentIn this documentary, artist-filmmaker Nicholas Hondrogen asks people to describe memorable moments of their lives. Some, such as Norman Lear... |
Self | |
| 1996 |
Sesame Street: Elmo Saves ChristmasCan there be such a thing as too much Christmas? Find out... when a magical Christmas wish is granted and... |
Narrator (voice) | |
| 1996 |
Get on the BusFifteen Black men gather in South Central LA to take a cross-country bus trip to attend the Million Man March... |
Self (archive footage, uncredited) | |
| 1996 |
The Rosie O'Donnell ShowThe Rosie O'Donnell Show was an American daytime television talk show hosted and produced by actress and comedian Rosie O'Donnell.... |
Self | |
| 1996 |
MoeshaThe everyday life of Moesha Mitchell, a vivacious young woman juggling romance, school, ever-changing family dynamics, and friendships. |
Maya Angelou | |
| 1996 |
Angelou on BurnsThis award-winning documentary tells the story of the American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou’s journey to Ayrshire to... |
Unknown character | |
| 1995 |
How to Make an American QuiltSoon-to-be-wed graduate student Finn Dodd develops cold feet when she suspects her fiancé is cheating on her. In order to... |
Anna | |
| 1995 |
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every ChildHappily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child is an American anthology animated television series. |
Fairy Godmother (voice) | |
| 1994 |
Touched by an AngelMonica, an angel, is tasked with bringing guidance and messages from God to various people who are at a crossroads... |
Clarice Mitchell | |
| 1994 |
Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!Sesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever! was a 1994 TV special that aired on ABC to celebrate... |
Self (archive footage) | |
| 1994 |
Malcolm X: Make It PlainNarrated by actress Alfre Woodard, this trenchant, eye-opening doc traces the radical civil rights leader’s life from his tumultuous childhood,... |
Self | |
| 1993 |
There Are No Children HereThe devastating story of brothers Lafayette and Pharoah Rivers, children of the Chicago ghetto, is powerfully told here by a... |
Lelia Mae | |
| 1993 |
Intimate PortraitIntimate Portrait is a biographical television series on the Lifetime Television cable network focusing on different celebrities, which includes interviews... |
Self (archive footage) | |
| 1993 |
Sesame Street Jam: A Musical CelebrationSesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration is a special produced forSesame Street’s 25th anniversary. Released in a slightly different form... |
Self - Special Guest | |
| 1993 |
Poetic JusticeStill grieving after the murder of her boyfriend, hairdresser Justice writes poetry to deal with the pain of her loss.... |
Aunt June | |
| 1992 |
The Real Malcolm XCBS News looks at Malcolm X, focusing on his public life from 1959 to his assassination in 1965, suggesting that... |
Unknown character | |
| 1992 |
Kindred Spirits: Contemporary African American ArtistsContemporary African-American artists tell how their art and lives have been affected by African influences and their own experiences living... |
Anchor | |
| 1989 |
James Baldwin: The Price of the TicketJames Baldwin was at once a major 20th century American author, a Civil Rights activist and, for two crucial decades,... |
Self | |
| 1988 |
American ExperienceTV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world... |
Self - Author | |
| 1987 |
Aimé Césaire: The Mask of WordsAimé Césaire - Le Masque des mots is a portrait of the Martinican writer who calls himself a rebellious negro... |
Self | |
| 1986 |
American MastersAmerican Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers,... |
Self | |
| 1982 |
Creativity with Bill Moyers: Portrait of Maya AngelouIn this documentary profile, Bill Moyers travels with Maya Angelou to Stamps, Arkansas, the segregated Southern town where she grew... |
Unknown character | |
| 1977 |
The Richard Pryor ShowThe Richard Pryor Show is an American comedy variety series starring Richard Pryor. It premiered on NBC on Tuesday, September... |
Unknown character | |
| 1977 |
The Richard Pryor Special?Richard Pryor wanders around the NBC Studio, encountering various eccentrics. Meanwhile, the Reverend James L. White, the Ugandan dictator Idi... |
Willie's Wife | |
| 1977 |
RootsThe epic tale of celebrated Pulitzer-prize winning author Alex Haley's ancestors as portrayed in the acclaimed twelve hour mini-series Roots,... |
Nyo Boto | |
| 1971 |
Great PerformancesThe best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse programming portfolio of classical... |
Self | |
| 1969 |
Dr. Maya Angelou's Blacks, Blues, Black!A 10-part public television series created by Dr. Maya Angelou for KQED in 1968, exploring the influence of African American... |
Self - Host | |
| 1959 |
Porgy and BessIn the early 1900s, the fictional Catfish Row section of Charleston, South Carolina serves as home to a black fishing... |
Dancer | |
| 1957 |
Calypso Heat WaveA jukebox operator helps promote a calypso craze. |
Unknown character | |
| 1951 |
Hallmark Hall of FameLong-running anthology program sponsored by Hallmark Cards. Beginning in 1951 and continuing into 2019, the series received 80 Emmy Awards,... |
Conjure woman | |
| TBA |
Assignment AmericaA weekly series with alternating interviewer: Harvard psycho-historian Doris Kerns; poet, playwright and author Maya Angelou; syndicated columnist George Will... |
Unknown character |
Latest Release
Got a question about Maya Angelou?
Maya Angelou is known for her roles in 'Poetic Justice' (1993), 'How to Make an American Quilt' (1995), and 'The Black Candle' (2008).
Yes, Maya Angelou received numerous awards including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 and three Grammy Awards for her spoken word albums.
Maya Angelou's first film role was in 'Porgy and Bess' (1959), where she played the character Clara.
Maya Angelou's estimated net worth was around 10 million USD at the time of her passing in 2014.
Yes, Maya Angelou was an active civil rights activist, working alongside figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
Maya Angelou often portrayed strong, resilient characters that reflected her own life experiences and her commitment to social justice.
Maya Angelou had one child, Guy Johnson, who was born in 1944.
Maya Angelou's work has had a profound impact on literature and film, inspiring generations with her themes of resilience, identity, and the human experience.