Biography
Patrese D. McClain is an award-winning actor, writer, educator, and producer from Chicago, Illinois. Known for her work across film, television, and theater, her screen credits include Fargo (FX), Widows, Captive State, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Working Man, and Detroit 1-8-7.
In addition to her acting career, McClain is a writer whose work includes the inaugural episode of BET Her Presents: The Couch, a mental health-focused anthology initiative directed by Mona Scott-Young. She was also part of the Emmy Award-winning Dangerous Acts project, developed through a collaboration between Howard University and the Lucille Lortel Theatre to celebrate and preserve the legacy of early Black playwrights.
A veteran of the National Broadway Tour of August Wilson’s Tony Award-winning Jitney, McClain has performed with leading theater companies across the United States, including The Public Theater, The Old Globe, Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Actors Theatre of Louisville.
Her work has been recognized with the Barrymore Award, Kevin Kline Award, St. Louis Theater Circle Award, and Joseph Jefferson Award. McClain is the founder of Pure Art Education and serves as a professor of acting at Boston University. She holds a BFA from Howard University and an MFA from Pennsylvania State University.
