{{short description|American actress}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox person | name = Liz Mikel | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Elizabeth Juliene Lacy | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|11|7}} | birth_place = Dallas, Texas, USA | other_names = | occupation = Actor, singer | years_active = 1970–present | spouse = | partner = | website = http://www.lizmikel.com/ }}
'''Elizabeth Juliene 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 Corrina "Mama" Williams, mother of star running back Brian "Smash" Williams, on the NBC television series ''Friday Night Lights''.<ref>{{cite news |first=Amy |last=Amatangelo |work=Boston Herald |title=NBC's bright 'Lights' |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/1252980141.html?dids=1252980141:1252980141&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Apr+11%2C+2007&author=AMY+AMATANGELO&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=TELEVISION+REVIEW+%3B+NBC%27s+bright+`Lights%27&pqatl=google |date=April 11, 2007}}{{dead link|date=July 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
==Career== Liz Mikel has been performing on stage for more than twenty years, including extended runs with the Dallas Theater Center and Theater Three.<ref>{{cite news |first=Lawson |last=Taitte |work=Dallas Morning News |title=Liz Mikel brings stature and star power to 'Caroline' at Theatre Three |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=119951803A9A4220&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |date=June 4, 2007}}</ref> In 2007, the ''Dallas Morning News'' described Mikel as "a fixture on the Dallas theater scene".<ref>{{cite news |work=Dallas Morning News |title=Her old stomping grounds |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=119920D5B84A6298&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |date=June 4, 2007}}</ref> She stepped in for Oprah Winfrey in a special 2008 performance of ''The Vagina Monologues''.<ref name="pr1">{{cite press release |publisher=Billboard Publicity Wire |title=Friday Night Lights Actress Liz Mikel Steps into Oprah's Role For V-Day |url=http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/04/prweb866774.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008093724/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/04/prweb866774.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 8, 2012 |date=April 16, 2008}}</ref>
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."<ref>{{cite news |first=Jerome |last=Weeks |work=Dallas Morning News |title='Empress' of all she surveyed |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=DM&p_theme=dm&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0ED3D5B6AEE9CC9A&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |date=April 2, 1995}}</ref>
Liz starred on Broadway in ''Lysistrata Jones'', for which the ''New York Times'' praised her performance as "commanding."<ref>{{cite news |last=Brantley |first=Ben |url=http://theater.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/theater/reviews/lysistrata-jones-at-walter-kerr-theater-review.html |title='Lysistrata Jones' at Walter Kerr Theater – Review |newspaper=The New York Times |accessdate=July 30, 2012|date=December 14, 2011 }}</ref>
==Awards and honors== In 1998, Mikel received the Leon Rabin Award for "Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Musical" from the Dallas Theatre League.<ref name="kera1">{{cite news |first=Cindy |last=Chaffin |publisher=KERA |title=Art&Seek Q&A: Liz Mikel |url=http://www.kera.org/artandseek/content/2010/01/08/artseek-qa-liz-mikel/ |date=January 8, 2010 |access-date=January 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100112002200/http://www.kera.org/artandseek/content/2010/01/08/artseek-qa-liz-mikel/ |archive-date=January 12, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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''.<ref name="kera1"/> ''D Magazine'' named Mikel "Best Actress" in their 2004 "Best of Big D" issue.<ref>{{cite news |work=D Magazine |title=Best Actress: Liz Mikel |url=http://directory.dmagazine.com/best-of-big-d/Best-Actress-Liz-Mikel |year=2004}}</ref> ''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''.<ref name="pr1"/>
==Fire== On January 7, 2010, the Holly Hills apartment complex in Dallas where Mikel lived burned to the ground, destroying all of Mikel's clothing, possessions, and memorabilia.<ref name="kera1"/> The local arts community responded with a series of benefit concerts, and the Dallas Theater Center announced they would donate "100 percent of all ticket sales" from the world-premiere performance of the musical, ''Give It Up!'', in which Mikel appears.<ref>{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Wilonsky |work=Dallas Observer |title=Give It Up For Liz Mikel |url=http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2010/01/give_it_up_for_liz_mikel.php |date=January 8, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Nancy |last=Visser |work=Dallas Morning News |title=Tuckers' Blues is hosting fundraiser for diva Liz Mikel, whose home burned this week |url=http://eastdallasblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/01/tuckers-blues-is-hosting-fundr.html |date=January 8, 2010 |access-date=January 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708222045/http://eastdallasblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/01/tuckers-blues-is-hosting-fundr.html |archive-date=July 8, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 1992 | ''The Quest for Freedom'' | Ben's Mother | |- | 1997 | ''It's in the Water'' | Viola Johnson | |- | 2004 | ''Seventy-8'' | Sunset | |- | 2008 | ''Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins'' | Ruthie Jenkins | |- | 2009 | ''Carried Away'' | Restaurant Manager | |- | 2012 | ''Bending the Rules'' | Fat Dee | |- | 2013 | ''Straight A's'' | Nurse Viola | |- | 2013 | ''The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'' | TSA Skeleton #2 | |- | 2014 | ''Dakota's Summer'' | Ms. Judd | |- | 2014 | ''Get On Up'' | Gertrude Sanders | |- | 2014 | ''Salvation'' | Emily | TV movie |- | 2014 | ''Jazz Lessons'' | Mama Jacqui | Short film |- | 2016 | ''Dead Awake'' | Nurse | |- | 2020 | ''Miss Juneteenth'' | Betty Ray | |- | 2021 | ''The Blazing World'' | Dr. Cruz | |- |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! Notes |- | 2004 | ''LAX'' | Angry woman | Episode: "Pilot" |- | 2006 | ''Prison Break'' | Correctional officer | Episode: "Unearthed" |- | 2006-2008 | ''Friday Night Lights'' | Corrina "Mama" Williams | Recurring role, 26 episodes |- | 2008 | ''Sordid Lives: The Series'' | Maggie | Recurring role, 4 episodes |- | 2010 | ''Past Life'' | Alma | Recurring role, 2 episodes |- | 2013 | ''Dallas'' | Judge Rhonda Mason | Recurring role, 2 episodes |- |}
===Theatre=== Sources:<ref name=playbilldatabase>{{cite web |url=https://www.playbill.com/person/liz-mikel-vault-0000120751 | publisher=Playbill.com |title=Liz Mikel: Performer |access-date=June 4, 2022 }}</ref><ref name="broadwayworld">{{cite web |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Liz-Mikel/ |title=Liz Mikel Broadway and Theatre Credits |publisher=BroadwayWorld.com (Wisdom Digital Media) |access-date=June 4, 2022}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Year(s) !Production !Role !Location !Category |- | 2010 |''Give It Up!'' | rowspan="3" | Hetaira | Dallas Theater Center | Regional |- | rowspan="2" | 2011 | ''Lysistrata Jones'' | Transport Group Theatre Company | Off-Broadway |- | ''Lysistrata Jones'' | Walter Kerr Theatre | Broadway |- | rowspan="2" |2022 | rowspan="3" | ''1776'' | rowspan="2" | John Hancock | American Repertory Theater | Regional |- | American Airlines Theatre | Broadway |- | 2023 | Benjamin Franklin | | National Tour |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.lizmikel.com/ Liz Mikel official website] *[http://www.myspace.com/LIZMIKEL Liz Mikel official MySpace page] *{{IMDb name|id=0586386}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mikel, Liz}} Category:Actresses from Dallas Category:Living people Category:1963 births Category:American television actresses Category:American film actresses Category:American stage actresses Category:American musical theatre actresses Category:21st-century African-American actresses Category:21st-century American actresses Category:20th-century African-American actresses Category:20th-century American actresses Category:20th-century African-American women singers Category:20th-century American women singers Category:20th-century American singers Category:21st-century African-American women singers Category:21st-century American women singers