Liz Mikel
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Juliene "Liz" Mikel (née Lacy) (born November 7, 1963) is an American actress and jazz vocalist from Dallas, Texas
. She is best known for her role as Corinna "Mama" Williams, mother of star running back Brian "Smash" Williams
, on the NBC television series Friday Night Lights
.
and Theater Three. In 2007, the Dallas Morning News described Mikel as "a fixture on the Dallas theater scene". She stepped in for Oprah Winfrey
in a special 2008 performance of The Vagina Monologues
.
Her film credits include roles in The Quest for Freedom, It's in the Water
, Detention (aka Learning Curve), Seventy-8, Carried Away, and as Ruthie Jenkins in Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins. Besides Friday Night Lights, television roles have included guest appearances on LAX
, Prison Break
, and Past Life
plus a recurring role as Maggie on Sordid Lives: The Series
.
Dallas Morning News theater critic Jerome Weeks once described Mikel's voice as "an immense, joyful force" and stated, "If a mountain range could belt a bawdy song, it would sound like Mikel."
Liz is currently starring on Broadway in Lysistrata Jones.
for "Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical" from the Dallas Theatre League
. She has also been the recipient of the Sankofa Award for her "dedication to the Arts in the Community" and the Dallas Theater Critics Forum Award 2004 for her role in Ain’t Misbehavin. D Magazine
named Mikel "Best Actress" in their 2004 "Best of Big D" issue. The Dallas Weekly featured her as "Queen of the Arts: The Face of Black Theater in Dallas" in March 2006. Mikel was awarded The 2008 Column Theater Award for "Best Actress in a Musical-Equity" for Caroline, or Change
.
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. She is best known for her role as Corinna "Mama" Williams, mother of star running back Brian "Smash" Williams
Smash Williams
Brian "Smash" Williams is a fictional character in the NBC/DirecTV drama television series Friday Night Lights portrayed by actor Gaius Charles. He is the starting running back of the Dillon High School Panthers. Considered the most talented player on the roster after quarterback Jason Street,...
, on the NBC television series Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
.
Career
Mikel has been performing on stage for more than twenty years, including extended runs with the Dallas Theater CenterDallas Theater Center
The Dallas Theater Center is a major regional theater in Dallas, Texas . It produces classic, contemporary and new plays. The theater was based in the Kalita Humphreys Theater, a building designed by famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, from 1959 to 2009...
and Theater Three. In 2007, the Dallas Morning News described Mikel as "a fixture on the Dallas theater scene". She stepped in for Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
in a special 2008 performance of The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper...
.
Her film credits include roles in The Quest for Freedom, It's in the Water
It's In the Water
It's in the Water is a 1997 independent film. Written and directed by Kelli Herd, the film touches on themes of homosexuality, AIDS, coming out and small-town prejudice...
, Detention (aka Learning Curve), Seventy-8, Carried Away, and as Ruthie Jenkins in Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins. Besides Friday Night Lights, television roles have included guest appearances on LAX
LAX (TV series)
LAX is a television drama set at the Los Angeles International Airport and draws its name from the airport's IATA airport code, "LAX".-Synopsis:...
, Prison Break
Prison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
, and Past Life
Past Life (TV series)
Past Life is an American crime drama television series which aired on Fox from February 9, 2010 to June 4, 2010. The series premiered on Tuesday, February 9 at 9:00 pm Eastern/8:00 pm Central...
plus a recurring role as Maggie on Sordid Lives: The Series
Sordid Lives: The Series
Sordid Lives: The Series is an American television series created, written, and directed by Del Shores and acts as a prequel to 2000 film Sordid Lives, also by Shores, self-described as a "Black comedy about white trash"...
.
Dallas Morning News theater critic Jerome Weeks once described Mikel's voice as "an immense, joyful force" and stated, "If a mountain range could belt a bawdy song, it would sound like Mikel."
Liz is currently starring on Broadway in Lysistrata Jones.
Awards and honors
In 1998, Mikel received the Leon Rabin AwardLeon Rabin Awards
Named after the Leon Rabin, an arts patron who devoted his life to the development of Dallas based arts and artists, the Leon Rabin Awards , the Awards served as an avenue to recognize the numerous artists who support these theatres, as well as a way to showcase the vast and diverse talent that...
for "Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical" from the Dallas Theatre League
Dallas Theatre League
The Dallas Theatre League was the primary sponsor of the annual Leon Rabin Awards, an event celebrating the diversity and excellence of live theatre in Dallas, Texas, USA...
. She has also been the recipient of the Sankofa Award for her "dedication to the Arts in the Community" and the Dallas Theater Critics Forum Award 2004 for her role in Ain’t Misbehavin. D Magazine
D Magazine
This article is about the magazine about Dallas. For the Italian magazine, see La Repubblica.D Magazine is a monthly magazine covering Dallas-Fort Worth. It covers a range of topics including politics, business, food, fashion and lifestyle in the city of Dallas. The first issue was published in...
named Mikel "Best Actress" in their 2004 "Best of Big D" issue. The Dallas Weekly featured her as "Queen of the Arts: The Face of Black Theater in Dallas" in March 2006. Mikel was awarded The 2008 Column Theater Award for "Best Actress in a Musical-Equity" for Caroline, or Change
Caroline, or Change
Caroline, or Change is a through-composed musical with book and lyrics by Tony Kushner and score by Jeanine Tesori that combines spirituals, blues, Motown, classical music, and Jewish klezmer and folk music....
.