<Li> Ahmad Rashād (m . 1985--2001) </Li> <Tr> <Th> Children </Th> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <P> Phylicia Rashad or Rashād (/ fɪˈliːʃə rəˈʃɑːd / fih - LEE - shə rə - SHAHD) (née Ayers - Allen; June 19, 1948) is an American actress, singer and stage director . She is known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the long - running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1984--92), which earned her Emmy Award nominations in 1985 and 1986 . She was dubbed "The Mother" of the African - American community at the 2010 NAACP Image Awards . </P> <P> In 2004, Rashad became the first black actress to win the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play, which she won for her role in the revival of A Raisin in the Sun . Her other Broadway credits include Into the Woods (1988), Jelly's Last Jam (1993), Gem of the Ocean (2004), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2008). She won a NAACP Image Award when she reprised her A Raisin in the Sun role in the 2008 television adaptation . She has also appeared in the films For Colored Girls (2010), Good Deeds (2012), and Creed (2015). </P>

Who played clair huxtable on the cosby show