Early life

Richardson-Whitfield was born in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of an African American-Native American mother and an Irish-Italian father. She has three brothers: Josh Richardson, Chad Richardson, and Nalin. Richardson played tennis in high school, and launched her acting career in the Kuumba Workshop theater there. She graduated from the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools in 1985.

Career

Richardson began her acting career in the theater before roles in television and film. In film, she played small roles in Prelude to a Kiss, Mo' Money, Posse, and later had major roles in Sioux City and A Low Down Dirty Shame. From 1994 to 1996 she had voice role of Elisa Maza on the animated series Gargoyles. She had many guest-starring roles in numerous television shows, such as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, New York Undercover, The Pretender, Stargate SG-1, NYPD Blue, House, Bones, Criminal Minds, NCIS and Castle.

Richardson starred opposite Dixie Carter and Kathleen Quinlan in the CBS legal drama series, Family Law, from 1999 to 2002. She had recurring roles as Nancy Adams on Rude Awakening, and as Laura on CSI: Miami. She starred opposite Denzel Washington in the 2002 drama film Antwone Fisher. She also appeared in the 2004 horror film Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid and starred opposite Will Smith in 2007's post-apocalyptic film I Am Legend. She later had a leading role in the independent dramas Pastor Brown (2009) and I Will Follow (2010). She also starred in the The Sin Seer with Isaiah Washington, set for 2015 release.

From 2006 to 2012, Richardson starred as Department of Defense agent (and later head of Global Dynamics) Allison Blake in the Syfy comedy-drama series Eureka. Her second pregnancy was written into the storyline of the series. After the series' cancellation, she was cast as the lead in the Lifetime drama pilot The Secret Lives of Wives. In 2014, Richardson was cast in a recurring role on Lifetime's The Lottery as the first lady of the United States, but she lost it to Shelley Conn; She also has a role on BET's Being Mary Jane as an old friend of the lead character. In 2015, Richardson was cast in the ABC Family series, Stitchers.

Personal life

On September 8, 2002, she married long-time boyfriend and fellow actor Dondre Whitfield. She and Whitfield have one daughter, Parker Richardson-Whitfield, and one son, Dondre Terrell Whitfield Jr. (born January 24, 2009). Whitfield has appeared along with her husband Dondre Whitfield in a late night infomercial as part of an advertising campaign to promote the Time Life Zestify Midnight Soul collection.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1991	Up Against the Wall	Denise
1992	Prelude to a Kiss	Bridesmaid
1992	Mo' Money	Pretty Customer
1992	How U Like Me Now	Valerie
1993	Posse	Lana
1994	I Spy Returns	Nicole Scott	Television film
1994	Sioux City	Jolene Buckley
1994	A Low Down Dirty Shame	Angela
1994	Lily in Winter	Ada Covington	Television film
1995	Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored	Miss Alice
1996	Soul of the Game	Lahoma
1996	The Great White Hype	Bambi
1997	True Women	Martha	Television film
1998	Butter	Blusette Ford
1999	Lillie	Lillie
2002	Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs	Karen
2002	Antwone Fisher	Berta Davenport
2002	Baby of the Family	Nelli McPherson
2003	Biker Boyz	Half & Half
2004	Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid	Gail Stern
2007	I Am Legend	Zoe Neville
2009	Black Dynamite	Gloria
2009	Pastor Brown	Jessica "Jesse" Brown	Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Actress
2010	I Will Follow	Maye
2012	We the Party	Principal Reynolds
2013	Teachers	Christine	Television film
2015	Playin' for Love	Talisa McCoy
2015	The Sin Seer	Nia	Post-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1992	Silk Stalkings	Shelley	Episode: "Wild Card"
1993	Star Trek: Deep Space Nine	Fenna / Nidell	Episode: "Second Sight"
1994	Roc	Diane Hubbard	Episode: "The Last Temptation of Roc"
1994	New York Undercover	Tammy Barrett	Episode: "Eyewitness Blues"
1994-1996	Gargoyles	Elisa Maza (voice)	Series regular, 60 episodes
1996	Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles	Elisa Maza	Series regular, 11 episodes
1997	Stargate SG-1	Drey'auc	Episode: "Bloodlines"
1997	Between Brothers	Vanessa	Episode: "The Player"
1998	The Pretender	Cynthia Sloan	Episode: "Gigolo Jarod"
1998-1999	Mercy Point	Lt. Kim Salisaw	Series regular, 8 episodes
1999	The Jamie Foxx Show	Camille Turner	Episode: "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire"
2000	Secret Agent Man	Rachel	Episode: "WhupSumAss"
2000-2001	Rude Awakening	Nancy Adams	Recurring role, 9 episodes
1999-2002	Family Law	Viveca Foster	Series regular, 68 episodes
2003	CSI: Miami	Laura	Recurring role, 5 episodes
2004	Line of Fire	Erica Logan	Episode: "The Senator"
2004	Second Time Around	Amanda	Episode: "Coupling Up"
2004	NYPD Blue	Bobbi Kingston	Episodes: "My Dinner with Andy" and "I Like Ike"
2005	House	Sharon	Episode: "Sports Medicine"
2005	1-800-Missing	Kelly	Episode: "Sisterhood"
2005	The War at Home	Vanessa	Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to the Barbecue"
2006	Bones	Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Kurland	Episode: "Aliens in a Spaceship"
2009	Criminal Minds	Tamara Barnes	Episodes: "Hopeless" and "The Eyes Have It"
2006-2012	Eureka	Allison Blake	Series regular, 77 episodes Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (2011)
2012	The Finder	Athena Brookes	Episode: "Life After Death"
2012	The Secret Lives of Wives	Reed	TV pilot
2012-2013	The Newsroom	Jane Barrow	Recurring role, 3 episodes
2013	NCIS	Carrie Clark	Episode: "Alibi"
2014	House of Lies	Sandra Joy	Episode: "Power(less)"
2014	Castle	U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Weston	Episode: "The Greater Good"
2014	NCIS	Carrie Clark	Episode: "Semper Fortis"
2015	Being Mary Jane	Valerie	Recurring role, 5 episodes
2015-present	Stitchers	Maggie	Series regular
2015	NCIS	Carrie Clark	Episode: "A Day in Court"

Rosewood (TV series)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]