See Phylicia in action as Clair Huxtable in a clip from the classic sitcom, The Cosby Show, as well as hear of how training is going for the acting legend!
65-year-old Phylicia Rashad has been somewhat low-profile with her television and film roles ever since the 1992 finale of The Cosby Show. She has, however, been in many acclaimed Broadway productions recently, becoming the first African-American actress to win a Tony Award for Lead Actress in 2004 for A Raisin in the Sun. Isn't it also interesting that her sister Debbie Allen is one of the top choreographers for So You Think You Can Dance? and frequently appears on Grey's Anatomy? We think so! Anyways, below is a short 1985 clip of Phylicia as Clair giving some of her best parental advice (we apologize for the lack of high-quality).
In training, Phylicia informs us that the strenuous rehearsals have been a bit more demanding and physically tolling than she had expected. She's told us about some aches and pains here and there, but really, wouldn't we all be feeling the burn at 65 years old? Kudos to Phylicia for trying! Partner Tristan MacManus (who has had some success with women of a certain age: Fran Drescher, JK Rowling, and Sigourney Weaver) is doing his best to bring great things out of Phylicia and is excited to work with such an iconic television legend.
"I was skeptical to accept the offer to be on the show. I am not a dancer by any means, so the aspects of this competition are all so new to me. The eight hour rehearsals can get exhausting at times and I feel a tad fatigued at the end of the day. But I am absolutely trying my hardest and I don't plan on letting anybody down."
- Phylicia Rashad
So who knows? Will training prove to be too much for the legendary Mrs. Huxtable? We will have to wait until November 20th when Phylicia & Tristan face off against the 6 other iconic females of television to find out! In the mean time, how do you think she'll do? Let us know or drop a comment!