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Starletta DuPois, a talented veteran character actress, has brought to life numerous memorable roles both on stage and screen. She is well-known for her performances in cult classics such as Friday After Next alongside Ice Cube and Mike Epps, Big Momma's House with Martin Lawrence, and Oliver Stone's South Central. Recently, she appeared in the faith-based film Mosaic, the inspirational drama Boarding House, and the adaptation of the bestselling book True To The Game. Her upcoming role is Mrs. Chambers in the film Magic Max.
Throughout her distinguished career, Starletta has worked with many notable actors, including James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Jack Nicholson, Lou Gossett Jr., Robert Duvall, Steve Harvey, Gena Rowlands, Marla Gibbs, Denzel Washington, and the late James Garner. Millions worldwide remember her as Whitney Houston's mother in Waiting To Exhale. Her television credits are equally impressive, featuring appearances in Lost, Cold Case, Any Day Now, Strapped, The Carmichael Show, The Rich & The Ruthless, and the Lifetime movie Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland, where she portrayed Katherine Jackson, matriarch of the Jackson family.
Starletta’s theater foundation is strong, earning her numerous accolades including a Tony Award nomination for The Mighty Gents and a NAACP Theater Award nomination for Miss Evers Boys at the Mark Taper Forum. She has performed extensively in regional theater, with roles in Intimate Apparel, King Hedley II, and Before It Hits Home at St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre, where she received The Woodie Award, named in honor of her mentor Woodie King Jr. She also originated the role of Bernice in August Wilson's The Piano Lesson, directed by Lloyd Richards.
In a remarkable achievement, Starletta has portrayed all three female roles in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin In The Sun. She earned an NAACP Image Award for her role as Ruth Younger in the PBS American Playhouse production alongside Danny Glover and won Best Actress for playing Lena Younger at the Royal Exchange in London. Her work has been recognized by the Los Angeles Women’s Theater Festival with their Eternity Award, and she has received two Living Legend Awards: one from The Giving Back Corporation and another from the National Black Theater Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
A native of Philadelphia, Starletta holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and an MFA in Theater Arts from UCLA, where she graduated magna cum laude. A dedicated philanthropist and mentor to emerging artists, she has served as an adjunct professor at USC. She has toured successfully with her solo play Order My Steps and is currently developing an autobiographical solo play set to premiere soon.
Starletta resides in Los Angeles, California, and is the proud mother of talented young musician Deandre.
