Maya Angelou

Acting

Maya Angelou

Born April 4, 1928St. Louis, Missouri, USA70 credits

Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees.

Known For

Orwell: 2+2=5
7.2

Orwell: 2+2=5

Movie

2025

Daedalus
10.0

Daedalus

Movie

2024

Maya Angelou at the BBC
2.0

Maya Angelou at the BBC

Movie

2024

Why Is We Americans?

Why Is We Americans?

Movie

2022

A Song for Cesar: Beware a Movement That Sings

A Song for Cesar: Beware a Movement That Sings

Movie

2021

Minha Bateria Está Fraca e Está Ficando Tarde

Minha Bateria Está Fraca e Está Ficando Tarde

Movie

2020

Filmography

Orwell: 2+2=5
2025Orwell: 2+2=5as Self (archive footage)Movie
Daedalus
2024Daedalusas Sampled Interview (voice) (uncredited)Movie
Maya Angelou at the BBC
2024Maya Angelou at the BBCas Self (archive footage)Movie
Why Is We Americans?
2022Why Is We Americans?as SelfMovie
A Song for Cesar: Beware a Movement That Sings
2021A Song for Cesar: Beware a Movement That Singsas SelfMovie
Minha Bateria Está Fraca e Está Ficando Tarde
2020Minha Bateria Está Fraca e Está Ficando Tardeas SelfMovie
B
2018Becky and the Birdsas Self (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)Movie
Words Are Things
2018Words Are Thingsas Narrator (voice)Movie
Mr. SOUL!
2018Mr. SOUL!as Self (archive footage)Movie
The Nineties
2017The Ninetiesas Self (archive footage)TV
Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
2016Maya Angelou: And Still I Riseas Self (archive footage)Movie
I Hope You Dance: The Power and Spirit of Song
2015I Hope You Dance: The Power and Spirit of Songas SelfMovie
The Power of the Heart
2014The Power of the Heartas SelfMovie
Paul Simon: Under African Skies
2012Paul Simon: Under African Skiesas SelfMovie
On the Shoulders of Giants
2011On the Shoulders of GiantsMovie
One Night in Vegas
2010One Night in Vegasas SelfMovie
Papa Césaire
2009Papa Césaireas SelfMovie
Good Hair
2009Good Hairas SelfMovie
The Black Candle
2009The Black Candleas Self - NarratorMovie
Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed
2008Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayedas SelfMovie
Madea's Family Reunion
2006Madea's Family Reunionas MayMovie
Iconoclasts
2005Iconoclastsas SelfTV
Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song?
2004Sesame Street: What's the Name of That Song?as Self (archive footage)Movie
America Beyond the Color Line
2004America Beyond the Color Lineas SelfTV
S
2003Sisters in Cinemaas SelfMovie
The Runaway
2000The Runawayas Conjure WomanMovie
The Unfinished Journey
1999The Unfinished Journeyas SelfMovie
The Early Show
1999The Early Showas SelfTV
Down in the Delta
1998Down in the DeltaDirectorMovie
Q
1998Quincy Jones...The First 50 Yearsas SelfMovie
The Enchanted Island Madagascar: The Living Edens
1998The Enchanted Island Madagascar: The Living Edensas NarratorMovie
T
1997The Gregory Hines Showas SelfTV
HARDtalk
1997HARDtalkTV
Perfect Moment
1997Perfect Momentas SelfMovie
Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmas
1996Sesame Street: Elmo Saves Christmasas Narrator (voice)Movie
Get on the Bus
1996Get on the Busas Self (archive footage, uncredited)Movie
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
1996The Rosie O'Donnell Showas SelfTV
America's Dream
1996America's DreamStoryMovie
Moesha
1996Moeshaas Maya AngelouTV
Angelou on Burns
1996Angelou on BurnsMovie
How to Make an American Quilt
1995How to Make an American Quiltas AnnaMovie
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Childas Fairy Godmother (voice)TV
Touched by an Angel
1994Touched by an Angelas Clarice MitchellTV
Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!
1994Sesame Street | All-Star 25th Birthday: Stars and Street Forever!as Self (archive footage)Movie
Malcolm X: Make It Plain
1994Malcolm X: Make It Plainas SelfMovie
There Are No Children Here
1993There Are No Children Hereas Lelia MaeMovie
Intimate Portrait
1993Intimate Portraitas Self (archive footage)TV
Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebration
1993Sesame Street Jam: A Musical Celebrationas Self - Special GuestMovie
Poetic Justice
1993Poetic Justiceas Aunt JuneMovie
The Real Malcolm X
1992The Real Malcolm XMovie
Kindred Spirits: Contemporary African American Artists
1992Kindred Spirits: Contemporary African American Artistsas AnchorMovie
James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket
1989James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticketas SelfMovie
American Experience
1988American Experienceas Self - AuthorTV
Aimé Césaire: The Mask of Words
1987Aimé Césaire: The Mask of Wordsas SelfMovie
American Masters
1986American Mastersas SelfTV
Sister, Sister
1982Sister, SisterWriterMovie
Creativity with Bill Moyers: Portrait of Maya Angelou
1982Creativity with Bill Moyers: Portrait of Maya AngelouMovie
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
1979I Know Why the Caged Bird SingsWriterMovie
The Richard Pryor Show
1977The Richard Pryor ShowTV
The Richard Pryor Special?
1977The Richard Pryor Special?as Willie's WifeMovie
Roots
1977Rootsas Nyo BotoTV
The Tapestry
1976The TapestryDirectorMovie
All Day Long
1975All Day LongDirectorMovie
Georgia, Georgia
1972Georgia, GeorgiaWriterMovie
Great Performances
1971Great Performancesas SelfTV
D
1969Dr. Maya Angelou's Blacks, Blues, Black!as Self - HostTV
Porgy and Bess
1959Porgy and Bessas DancerMovie
Calypso Heat Wave
1957Calypso Heat WaveMovie
Hallmark Hall of Fame
1951Hallmark Hall of Fameas Conjure womanTV
A
—Assignment AmericaTV