{{short description|American actress and singer}} {{Infobox person | name = Maria Howell | image = Maria Howell.jpg | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Gastonia, North Carolina, U.S. | birth_name = Wanda Maria Howell | website = [http://mariahowell.com/actress.php www.mariahowell.com] | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1985–present }}
'''Wanda Maria Howell''' is an American actress and singer.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/maria-howell/bio/307031 |title=Maria Howell Biography |publisher=Tvguide.com |date=2012-11-28 |accessdate=2013-07-28}}</ref>
==Life and career== Howell was born in Gastonia, North Carolina and graduated Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.<ref name=bio/> She worked as jazz singer and made her film debut in ''The Color Purple'' (1985) and later began appearing in film and television.<ref name=bio/> She lived in Okinawa, Japan, from 1995–2001.<ref name=bio/>
In the 2000s, Howell returned to United States and made guest appearances on television series such as ''Drop Dead Diva'', ''Army Wives'', ''The Game'', ''Necessary Roughness'', and ''The Vampire Diaries'', and well co-starred in films include ''Daddy's Little Girls'' (2007), ''Mississippi Damned'' (2009), ''The Blind Side'' (2009), and ''What to Expect When You're Expecting'' (2012).<ref name=rv>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbc.com/revolution/about/bio/cast/maria-howell/586188/ |title=Maria Howell Bio | Grace Beaumont | Revolution |publisher=NBC |date=2013-06-05 |accessdate=2013-07-28}}</ref> In 2013, Howell played Seeder in ''The Hunger Games: Catching Fire''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/maria-howell-joins-hunger-games-catching-fire-361317 |title=Maria Howell Joins 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' as Seeder |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter |date=2012-08-13 |accessdate=2013-07-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://perezhilton.com/2012-08-13-maria-howell-joins-the-hunger-games-catching-fire-as-seeder |title=The Hunger Games Casting: Maria Howell Planted As 'Seeder' |publisher=PerezHilton.com |date=2012-08-13 |accessdate=2013-07-28 |archive-date=2013-12-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203074638/http://perezhilton.com/2012-08-13-maria-howell-joins-the-hunger-games-catching-fire-as-seeder |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/maria-howell-cast-as-seeder-in-the-hunger-games-catching-fire |title=Maria Howell Cast As Seeder In 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' | Shadow and Act |publisher=Blogs.indiewire.com |date= |accessdate=2013-07-28 |archive-date=2013-12-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001529/http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/maria-howell-cast-as-seeder-in-the-hunger-games-catching-fire |url-status=dead }}</ref> Also in 2012, she was cast in recurring role of NBC post-apocalyptic series ''Revolution'' as Grace Beaumont,<ref name=rv/> and in 2013 played Ida Hayes in Lifetime comedy-drama ''Devious Maids''.
From 2016 to 2018, Howell played Lt. Theresa Hawkins in the Bounce TV prime time soap opera ''Saints & Sinners''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mariahowell.com/bio|title=Bio|website=Maria Howell}}</ref> In 2019 she co-starred opposite Kristin Chenoweth in the Hallmark Channel Christmas film, ''A Christmas Love Story''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gastongazette.com/story/entertainment/2019/12/23/gastonias-maria-howell-appears-in-hallmark-christmas-movie/2024789007/|title=Gastonia’s Maria Howell appears in Hallmark Christmas movie|first=Brandy|last=Beard|website=Gaston Gazette}}</ref> In 2021 she had a recurring role in the BET+ thriller series, ''Sacrifice''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wfae.org/arts-culture/2021-11-11/gastonia-native-maria-howell-talks-about-a-career-of-acting-and-music-before-charlotte-show|title=Gastonia native Maria Howell talks about a career of acting and music before Charlotte show|date=November 11, 2021|website=WFAE 90.7 – Charlotte's NPR News Source}}</ref>
== Filmography==
===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1985 |''{{sortname|The|Color Purple|The Color Purple (1985 film)}}'' |Church Choir Soloist | |- |1996 |''{{sortname|The|Closest Thing to Heaven|nolink=1}}'' |Viola Holiday | |- |2006 |''Barbed Wire'' |Barbara |Short film |- |2007 |''Daddy's Little Girls'' |Wife | |- |2008 |''Reverie'' |Momma |Short film |- |2009 |''Mississippi Damned'' |Shelia Hobbs | |- |2009 |''{{sortname|The|Blind Side|The Blind Side (film)}}'' |CPS Welfare Worker | |- |2009 |''{{sortname|A|Peacock-Feathered Blue|nolink=1}}'' |Ms. Bean |Short film |- |2012 |''What to Expect When You're Expecting'' |Jules' Doctor | |- |2012 |''Little Red Wagon'' |Angie | |- |2013 |''{{sortname|The|Hunger Games: Catching Fire}}'' |Seeder | |- |2014 |''Addicted'' |Nina | |- |2014 |''Christmas Wedding Baby'' |Miranda | |- |2014 |''{{sortname|The|Good Lie}}'' |INS Agent | |- | 2016 | ''The Divergent Series: Allegiant'' | Council Member | |- |2016 |''Sons 2 the Grave'' |Ruth Jennings | |- | 2016 | ''Hidden Figures'' | Ms. Sumner | |- |2017 |''American Made'' | NSC | |- |2019 |''Homeless Ashes'' | Virginia | |- |2022 |''Gigi & Nate'' | Chairman Filling | |- |2024 |''Summer Camp'' | Judy | |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1993 |''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' |Goldie |2 episodes |- |1993 |''Linda'' |Shirley |TV film |- |1993 |''Scattered Dreams'' |Elsa |TV film |- |1995 |''American Gothic'' |Choir Soloist |Episode: "Eye of the Beholder" |- |2007 |''K-Ville'' |Loretta Sweeney |Episode: "Flood, Wind, and Fire" |- |2008 |''Living Proof'' |Kate |TV film |- |2008 |''Army Wives'' |Counselor |Episode: "Thank You for Letting Me Share" |- |2009 |''Army Wives'' |Major Barcenilla |Episode: "Fields of Fire" |- |2009 |''Drop Dead Diva'' |Hilda Carrera |Episode: "The Dress" |- |2009–2017 |''The Vampire Diaries'' |Mrs. Halpern, Ayana Bennett |3 episodes |- |2010 |''Past Life'' |Mrs. Connors |Episode: "Regressing Henry" |- |2010 |''Detroit 1-8-7'' |Woman Accident Witness |Episode: "Pharmacy Double/Bullet Train" |- |2011 |''The Game'' |Valencia |Episode: "The Right to Choose Episode" |- |2011 |''Field of Vision'' |Lucy's Teacher |TV film |- |2011 |''Necessary Roughness'' |Joanne Huff |Episode: "Pilot" |- |2011 |''Single Ladies'' |Nurse |Episode: "Take Me to the Next Phase" |- |2011 |''It's Supernatural'' |Barren Woman |Episode: "Bill Ligon" |- |2012 |''Firelight'' |Mrs. Easle |TV film |- |2012–2014 |''Revolution'' |Grace Beaumont |Recurring role, 10 episodes |- |2013 |''Devious Maids'' |Ida Hayes |Recurring role, 8 episodes |- |2016–2018 |''Saints & Sinners'' |Lt. Theresa Hawkins |Recurring role, 15 episodes |- |2017 |''The Haves and the Have Nots'' |Melissa’s mother |2 episodes |- |2017 |''Criminal Minds'' |Dr. Lode Barren |1 episodes |- |2019 |''A Christmas Love Story'' | Carol | |- |2021 |''Delilah'' | Adora |Episode: "The Long Game" |- |2021–present |''Little Ellen'' |Tallulah (voice) |Recurring role |- |2021 |''The Resident'' | Judge Lola Rawlins |Episode: "Past, Present, Future" |- |2021 |''Sacrifice'' |Estelle Winchester |Recurring role, 7 episodes |- |2022 |''To Her, with Love'' | Maya | |- |2024 | ''Christmas in the Friendly Skies'' | Rochelle | TV Movie |- |2025-present |''Beyond the Gates'' |Tracy Tyler |Recurring role |}
===Video games=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role |- |2017 |''Minecraft: Story Mode'' |Tripwire |- |2020 |''Maneater'' |Female Hunter |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0398016|name=Maria Howell}} * {{Twitter}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Howell, Maria}} Category:Living people Category:American film actresses Category:American television actresses Category:American stage actresses Category:Actresses from North Carolina Category:20th-century African-American actresses Category:20th-century American actresses Category:21st-century African-American actresses Category:21st-century American actresses Category:Winston-Salem State University alumni Category:People from Gastonia, North Carolina Category:Year of birth missing (living people)