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Valarie Pettiford
Pettiford in 2009
Born	(1960-07-08) July 8, 1960 (age 64) New York City, U.S.
Education	High School of Performing Arts
Occupations	Actress dancer singer
Years active	1978–present
Spouse	Tony Rader

Valarie Pettiford (born July 8, 1960) is an American stage and television actress, dancer, and jazz singer. She received a Tony Award nomination for her role in the broadway production Fosse. She is also known for her role as Deirdre "Big Dee Dee" LaFontaine Thorne on the UPN television sitcom Half & Half.

Stage

Pettiford began her career as a dancer and choreographer in Bob Fosse productions on Broadway. Alvin Klein of the New York Times wrote of her role in the 1983 musical revue Ladies and Gentlemen, Jerome Kern! that "You will not for a moment take your eyes off Valarie Pettiford, the show's standout: a sinewy dancer who can be sultry or sweet, measure for measure, as prescribed.... Miss Pettiford appears to be a superbly trained dancer, schooled in balletic finesse and Broadway-style razzmatazz - and a stunning presence." Leah Frank, also in the NYT, wrote of Pettiford's appearance in West Side Story in 1987: "The mainstay of the supporting cast is Valarie Pettiford, whose Anita is spicy, sensual and full of fire. She is an exciting actress who has a special quality needed to ignite a number such as America."

In 1994, she played lesbian Cassandra Keefer in The Naked Truth, and from 1995 to 1996 starred as Julie in a touring production of Show Boat.

Pettiford received a Tony nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Musical and a Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination for her role in the Broadway production Fosse from 1998 to 1999. Variety said Pettiford gave "a coolly elegant vocal rendition, is also a sultry, powerful dancer." She left Fosse to appear as Velma Kelly in Chicago in the West End in London from August 1999 to February 2000, alongside Chita Rivera as Roxie Hart.

In 2007 Pettiford won the Backstage Bistro Award for her cabaret debut at the Metropolitan Room in New York City, and won an NAACP Theatre Award for her lead role in The Wild Party. In 2008, she starred in a solo show, Valarie Pettiford - Thankful that played in New York City and Los Angeles. In 2009, she starred in the solo show Valarie Pettiford - The Concert in New York City.

Film

In 1978, at the age of 17 and enrolled at the High School of Performing Arts, Pettiford did her first-ever movie work as part of the large ensemble in the film The Wiz. She starred as Mariah Carey's mother in the 2001 film Glitter, had a role in Stomp the Yard in 2007, and played Aunt Geneva in the 2011 film, Jumping the Broom.

Television

In the 1990s, Pettiford appeared on daytime soap operas, including Another World and One Life to Live (where she originated the role of Sheila Price). Her Half & Half role from 2002 to 2006 as Dee Dee Thorne gained her three NAACP Image Award nominations. From 2008 to 2009, she played Sandra Lucas in the comedy-drama series Tyler Perry's House of Payne. She also appeared in the HBO pilot Anatomy of Hope, directed by J. J. Abrams. Pettiford plays a recurring role as the wife to Harold Cooper (Harry Lennix), Assistant Director of the FBI Counter-Terrorism Division, on the NBC drama The Blacklist. She has also starred in the TV series A Discovery of Witches as the witch Emily Mather.

In September 2024, it was announced Pettiford had joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in the role of Amy Lewis.

Music

While on Half & Half, Pettiford released a jazz album, Hear My Soul, in 2005.

Personal life

Pettiford was born in Queens, New York to Ralph and Blanch Pettiford, and graduated from the High School of Performing Arts in 1978. She is married to her manager, actor and former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Tony Rader. They got engaged in 1991.

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage roles

• The Wiz (2006), Aunt Em
• The Wild Party (2005)
• He Hunts (2002), Leontine Duchotel
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (2002), Dorothy Shaw
• Chicago (August 1999—February 2000), Velma Kelly
• Fosse (1998—99)
• Show Boat (1995—96), Julie
• Freefall (1994)
• The Naked Truth (1994), Cassandra Keefer
• Weird Romance (1992), Shannara and other roles
• West Side Story (1987), Anita
• Big Deal (1986), Pearl, dance captain
• Ladies and Gentlemen, Jerome Kern (1985), choreographer
• Grind (1985), Fleta
• Dancin' (1979), performer
• Sophisticated Ladies (1978), a sophisticated lady and understudy for Miss Jamison, dance captain
• A Broadway Musical (1978), swing performer
• Summer and Smoke
• The Balcony
• Beehive
• Tango Apasionato
• Sarah and Abraham
• She Stoops to Conquer
• Sweet Charity

References

1. ^ Rout, Nancy E.; Buckley, Ellen (1993). The Soap Opera Book: Who's Who in Daytime Drama. Todd Publications. p. 207. ISBN 0-915344-23-8.
2. ^ "Valarie Pettiford to Perform 'Thankful' at Upright Cabaret". Broadway World. October 10, 2008. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
3. ^ Gordon, Ed (July 13, 2005). "Valarie Pettiford: 'Hear My Soul'". NPR. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
4. Klein, Alvin (July 31, 1983). "Theater; Evening of Kern is a pleasure". New York Times. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
5. Frank, Leah D. (August 30, 1987). "Theater review; 'West Side Story': staging at its best". New York Times. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
6. Brantley, Ben (June 17, 1994). "Review/Theater; Gay Guru Offers Advice For the Love-Locked". New York Times. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
7. Novakovich, Iilana (January 13, 1995). "Ex One Life star in Toronto Show Boat". The Record. Ontario. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
8. ^ Jones, Kenneth (July 20, 1999). "Reva Rice, Formerly of Starlight Express, Steams Into Fosse July 20". Playbill. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
9. Isherwood, Charles (January 15, 1999). "Fosse (Dance revue -- Broadhurst Theater)". Variety. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
10. Gans, Andrew (March 1, 2007). "Luker, David, Pettiford and Stritch Among Bistro Award Winners". Playbill. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
11. Stitt, Eric (February 20, 2007). "NAACP fetes Fishburne, Pettiford". Variety. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
12. "Tony Nominee Valarie Pettiford Sings Abel/Steffan, Mondays in May at Metropolitan Room". Broadway World. May 11, 2009. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
13. ^ "Valarie Pettiford". The Tennessee Tribune. November 27, 1996. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
14. ^ Van Gelder, Laurence (September 21, 2001). "Glitter (2001); Dreaming a Dream and Paying the Price for It". New York Times. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
15. ^ Waldron, Clarence (January 8, 2007). "Why 'Stomp the Yard' is the Must-See Movie of the Season". Jet. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
16. Rice, Lynette (September 18, 2024). "The Young & the Restless Casts Valarie Pettiford as New Amy Lewis". Deadline Hollywood. United States: Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
17. ^ "Valarie Pettiford Biography (1960-)". Film Reference. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
18. "1978 Graduates". High School of Performing Arts. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
19. Robinson-English, Tracey (August 2005). "Infertility: help for couples trying to conceive". Ebony. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
20. "Tipoff". Star-News. November 26, 1991. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
21. ^ "Valarie Pettiford". Broadway World. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
22. Segal, Lewis (April 19, 2002). "Scene-Stealing Enhances a Classic Feydeau Farce". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
23. Shirley, Don (March 8, 2002). "What the Blonds Prefer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
24. Simon, John (March 21, 1994). "Theater". New York Magazine. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
25. Simon, John (July 20, 1992). "Two obits, one encomium". New York Magazine. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
26. Kelly, Kevin (April 7, 1986). "Bob Fosse's New 'Big Deal'". New York Magazine. Retrieved July 18, 2010.

External links

• Valarie Pettiford at IMDb
• Valarie Pettiford at the Internet Broadway Database
• Valarie Pettiford at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Valarie Pettiford Interview on WISH-TV

• 1960 births
• Living people
• Actresses from Queens, New York
• American female dancers
• American film actresses
• American musical theatre actresses
• American stage actresses
• American television actresses
• Musicians from Queens, New York
• 20th-century African-American actresses
• 20th-century American actresses
• 21st-century African-American actresses
• 21st-century American actresses
• Dancers from New York (state)