Actress Margaret Avery, captivating in her iconic role of Shug in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985),has had a remarkable career spanning over three decades. Born in Mangum, Oklahoma, Avery was raised in San Diego, California, where she completed high school.
Avery's passion for acting emerged in her teenage years, but she initially pursued a more stable career in teaching. She graduated from San Francisco State University and joined the Los Angeles public school system as a substitute teacher. However, the "acting bug" continued to nibble away at her, and she began to audition for commercials and stage work on the side.
Avery's early 1970s stage credits included "Revolution", "Sistuhs", and 1973's "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?", for which she won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award. She transitioned to television, appearing in popular series such as The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Kojak, Sanford and Son, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and Murder, She Wrote.
Avery's film career took off during the "blaxploitation" era, with roles in Cool Breeze, Hell Up in Harlem, Magnum Force, Which Way Is Up?, and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. She established herself as a reliable and solid actress, appearing in a range of genres.
Music was also a significant part of Avery's career, with roles in Louis Armstrong - Chicago Style and Scott Joplin. Her iconic performance as Shug Avery in The Color Purple earned her an Academy Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actress". Although she didn't make another film for three years, she continued to work in television, appearing in Amen, The Cosby Show, Roc, and JAG.
In the 1990s, Avery appeared in a range of films, including Heat Wave, The Return of Superfly, Lightning in a Bottle, and White Man's Burden. She also continued to work in television, appearing in episodes of MacGyver, Bones, and Being Mary Jane.
In the 2000s, Avery appeared in films such as Waitin' to Live, Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins, and Meet the Browns. She has also appeared in the crime drama Proud Mary and the family comedy Grand-Daddy Day Care.
