Phylicia Rashad reflected on her career, family heritage and approach to acting during a C-Suite Luncheon at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. She said legacy is shaped by how people live, relate to others and pass values to younger generations, while stressing the importance of finding humanity in every role. Discussing television, Rashad said she chooses not to watch programmes she dislikes.

The event, sponsored by AARP, highlighted Rashad’s work from “The Cosby Show” to “The Gilded Age”, “Diarra From Detroit” and the “Creed” films, as well as her recent direction of the Tony-winning play “Purpose”. It also considered an AARP study finding that Black adults consume film, television and streaming content at higher rates than the wider US population. The research said viewers regard older Black women as influential cultural figures and feel more positive about ageing when they are represented on screen.