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Lynn Whitfield

Lynn Whitfield

Keynote Speaker: Actress & Star of OWN's "Greenleaf"

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  • Speaking Fee:
    Live Event Fee: $20,000 - $30,000
    Virtual Event Fee: $10,000 - $20,000
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Lynn Whitfield Biography

Lynn Whitfield, one of the most respected members of the African American acting community, was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The first of four children of a dentist-composer father and a housing executive mother, Whitfield credits watching classic movies on television with her late maternal grandmother as an inspiration for her enduring career as a memorable storyteller on multiple platforms.

Today, the Emmy Award-winning actress is well known for the authenticity she brings to her portrayal of women from all walks of life, including her recent tour de force as Lady Mae, the church matriarch-diva in the hit OWN drama, Greenleaf (2016-2020), for which she received the 2017 Gracie Award and two NAACP Image Award wins.

Whitfield is a third generation graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she received a B.F.A. in Theatre and later a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. While training at Howard, she gained stage experience with the D.C. Black Repertory Company and joined the Negro Ensemble Company in New York after graduation. Whitfield’s first national exposure came with her standout performance in “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf" on PBS.

Hollywood took notice and Whitfield was signed to Columbia Pictures, making her big-screen debut in Doctor Detroit(1982), The Slugger’s Wife and Silverado (both 1985), followed by televised movies, The George McKenna Story and Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI (both CBS, 1986) and the acclaimed Oprah Winfrey-produced miniseries, The Women of Brewster Place (ABC, 1989).Whitfield vaulted to international fame in the HBO biopic The Josephine Baker Story (1991), portraying the legendary Paris-based entertainer, French Resistance and Civil Rights fighter. She earned an Emmy Award as “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special or Miniseries,” giving her "the greatest sense of accomplishment and realization of my vision,” she says. But she is proudest of her role as mother to Grace, her actor-musician daughter with former husband, the late Josephine Baker director Brian Gibson.

Returning to the big screen as the unforgettable Brandi in Martin Lawrence’s popular urban revenge saga, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996), Whitfield went on to score critical success as the beleaguered wife of Samuel L. Jackson in Eve's Bayou (1997), the story of a prominent black Louisiana family filmed near New Orleans. She returned to a similar dramatic milieu in the ABC miniseries, The Wedding (1998), also executive produced by Winfrey. More recently, she was seen on How to Get Away With Murder (ABC, 2015-16) and Oprah’s Master Class (OWN, 2017).

Whitfield has won seven NAACP Image Awards for her work in film and television, including Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story(2004) co-starring Jamie Foxx. She attracted a new generation of fans in two of the Disney Channel's highest rated movies, The Cheetah Girls (2003)and The Cheetah Girls 2(2006). Other select feature film roles include the Chris Rock vehicle, Head of State (2003); Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion (2006); Mama I Want To Sing(2008),a remake of the off-Broadway musical; Kings of the Evening (2008); The Rebound (2010); Things Fall Apart (2011), produced by and co-starring rapper 50 Cent; The Last Letter (2013) opposite Omari Hardwick and Sharon Leal, Kings Faith (2013); Curveball (2015); and Nappily Ever After (2018) with Sanaa Lathan.

Whitfield divides her time between Atlanta, Los Angeles and New Orleans.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Lynn Whitfield and other top speakers and celebrities.

Lynn Whitfield Videos

Urban Perspectives: The Lynn Whitfield Interview
Lynn Whitfield interview on The View

How do I book Lynn Whitfield to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Lynn Whitfield for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Lynn Whitfield, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Lynn Whitfield or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Lynn Whitfield for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Lynn Whitfield, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Lynn Whitfield are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Lynn Whitfield, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Lynn Whitfield speak about?

Lynn Whitfield is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Entertainers, Acting, Empowerment, Women in Business, Female Leadership, Women in Entertainment and Celebrity.

Where does Lynn Whitfield travel from?

Lynn Whitfield generally travels from Atlanta, GA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Lynn Whitfield?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Lynn Whitfield for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Lynn Whitfield for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Lynn Whitfield or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Lynn Whitfield is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Entertainers, Acting Speakers and Empowerment. The estimated speaking fee range to book Lynn Whitfield for live events is $20,000 - $30,000, and for virtual events $10,000 - $20,000. Lynn Whitfield generally travels from Atlanta, GA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Jameela Jamil, NeNe Leakes and Beanie Feldstein. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Lynn Whitfield for an upcoming event.

Lynn Whitfield Videos

Urban Perspectives: The Lynn Whitfield Interview
Lynn Whitfield interview on The View
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All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.