Greenleaf

Season 1 e.tv (*194) 20:30 Drama

The saying goes that behind every great man is a greater woman, so let that be a warning to anyone who dares cross Lady Mae in church-themed Greenleaf (2016-current). “She is not to be trifled with,” says Lynn Whitfield of her character. “Strong-willed doesn’t describe her. She is the family leader in every sense of the word even though her husband Bishop James (Keith David) is the head of their church. Angering First Lady Mae is a mistake.”

The 65-year-old puts her youthful 1

looks down to being a melting pot of “everything good from my heritage. I’m not black, I’m not white and I’m not native American. I am a combination”.

Like her character, Lynn attends 2

church every Sunday but she only started going at age 39. She went into a New Year’s eve service to pray for help after the LA race riots in 1992 and says that religion is the one thing she has in common with Lady Mae.

Her second marriage ended in 3

1992 and gave Lynn her biggest role to date – being a mom to 27-yearold daughter Grace. “Being a mother is hard work but it’s also better than winning any award. You get a new character to work with every day, especially with a daughter,” she adds with a grin.

She’s won her fair share of awards, 4

including multiple NAACP (National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People) awards, as well as the 1991 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries for her role in The Josephine Baker Story.

Lynn was hand-picked by Green5

leaf exec producer Oprah Winfrey and jokes, “She had to. We’ve known each other for 40 years – she owed me a job!”