CCH Pounder | |
|---|---|
 Pounder in 2010 | |
| Born | Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder (1952-12-25)December 25, 1952 (age 73) |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Spouse | [1] |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | cchpounder |
Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder (born December 25, 1952)[2] is a Guyanese actress based in the United States. She is best known for portrayingClaudette Wyms on the American police drama seriesThe Shield (2002–08), Mo'at in theAvatar franchise (2009–present), and medical examiner Dr.Loretta Wade onNCIS: New Orleans (2014–21). She has received fourPrimetime Emmy Award nominations for her roles inThe X-Files (1994),ER (1994–97),The Shield, andThe No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (2009).
Pounder portrayed recurring roles on television such as Irene Frederic inWarehouse 13 (2009–14) and District Attorney Tyne Patterson inSons of Anarchy (2013–14). Pounder was also the voice ofAmanda Waller in the animated seriesJustice League Unlimited (2004–06), a role that she has reprised in various laterDC Comics media.
In film, she appeared inAll That Jazz (1979),Go Tell It on the Mountain (1984),Prizzi's Honor (1985),Bagdad Cafe (1987),Postcards from the Edge (1990),Psycho IV: The Beginning (1990),Benny & Joon (1993),Demon Knight (1995),Face/Off (1997),End of Days (1999),Orphan (2009),Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), andThe Naked Gun (2025).
Pounder was born inBritish Guiana (nowGuyana)[3] on December 25, 1952.[4] Her full name of Carol Christine Hilaria was given in honor of her grandmothers and godmothers.[3] She was raised on asugar plantation that her father Ronald Arlington Pounder managed.[3] Her mother Betsy Enid Arnella (née James) worked at theUnited States Embassy while the family lived in London, England.[5] Pounder attended aCatholic boarding school inSussex, England.[5]
Pounder enrolled atHastings College of Arts and Technology where she studied painting, but dropped out in her first year after moving to the United States.[6] Her family had already settled inNew York while she was attending school.[6] Pounder graduated fromIthaca College in 1975.[7] Pounder stated her parents did not support her choice to be an actress, with her mother instead wanting Pounder to be a newscaster.[3]
Pounder made her film debut inBob Fosse's musical dramaAll that Jazz (1979).[8] She continued her career in New York City theater,[9] where she starred inShakespeare in the Park productions ofCoriolanus[10] andThe Mighty Gents in 1979,[11] and the Broadway playOpen Admissions in 1984. She moved to Los Angeles in 1982.[12] She starred in the filmBagdad Café,[13] and has made smaller appearances in many other films.
Pounder focused primarily on her television career. In the early 1980s, she first appeared in guest roles onHill Street Blues, and then on several shows (The Cosby Show,L.A. Law,The X-Files,Living Single, andQuantum Leap) before landing a long-running recurring role asDr. Angela Hicks onER from 1994 to 1997. She also co-starred in theTales From the Crypt feature filmDemon Knight (1995). She then returned to guest appearances on other shows, includingThe Practice,Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,Millennium,The West Wing (where she was considered for the role ofC. J. Cregg), and the short-lived sitcomWomen in Prison.
From 2002 to 2008, she starred as DetectiveClaudette Wyms in theFX police dramaThe Shield.[14] For this role she was nominated for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2005 and anNAACP Image Award.[12] She had previously been nominated for an Emmy in 1995 for guest starring inThe X-Files and in 1997 for her supporting role onER. She has also lent her voice to several video games and animated projects, includingAladdin and the King of Thieves,True Crime: Streets of LA,Gargoyles as Desdemona and Coldfire, andJustice League Unlimited as government agentAmanda Waller, which role she reprised for the animated film adaptation of the comic bookSuperman/Batman: Public Enemies[15] as well as the video gameBatman: Arkham Origins, its sequelBatman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, and another animated film that takes place in continuity with the games,Batman: Assault on Arkham.
Pounder was also one of the readers for theHBO filmUnchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narrative (2003). She appeared on theSyfy seriesWarehouse 13 from 2009 until its finale on May 19, 2014. Pounder also was one of the stars ofFox's cancelled 2009 sitcomBrothers. Pounder was nominated for theEmmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her appearance in theBBC/HBO seriesThe No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. She had a recurring role as DA Thyne Patterson on the FX crime drama seriesSons of Anarchy (2013–14).[16] She co-starred inThe Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013). In Disney'sThe Lion Guard she voices Kongwe, the wise old turtle.
In 1996, Pounder served as a guest judge for the 1996 Miss USA Pageant, in South Padre Island, Texas.
As one of the founders of Artists for a New South Africa, Pounder has energized awareness ofpost-apartheid andHIV/AIDS issues.[17] In an interview, she said about the pandemic: "When it's this massive disease, and it's affecting things in 5,000 different ways, it requires great strength and power – and there is power in numbers. So we need to involve as many people as we can, like we do with ANSA. I call it my little engine that could. It is a remarkable, tiny organization with a huge outreach. We use actors and artists with the biggest voices so they can use every opportunity to talk about AIDS."[18]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | All That Jazz | Nurse Blake | |
| Coriolanus | Valeria | ||
| 1980 | Union City | Mrs. Lewis | |
| 1982 | I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can | Anne | |
| 1984 | Go Tell It on the Mountain | Deborah | |
| 1985 | Prizzi's Honor | 'Peaches' Altamont | |
| 1987 | Bagdad Café | Brenda | |
| 1990 | Postcards from the Edge | Julie Marsden | |
| 1992 | The Importance of Being Earnest | Miss Prism | |
| 1993 | Benny & Joon | Dr. Garvey | |
| RoboCop 3 | Bertha | ||
| Sliver | Lt. Victoria Hendrix | ||
| 1995 | Demon Knight | Irene | |
| 1996 | Aladdin and the King of Thieves | The Oracle (voice) | |
| 1997 | Face/off | Hollis Miller | |
| 1998 | Melting Pot | Lucinda Davis | |
| Blossoms and Veils | – | Short | |
| 1999 | Funny Valentines | Ethel B. | |
| The Big Day | Pearl | ||
| End of Days | Det. Marge Francis | ||
| 2001 | Things Behind the Sun | Judge | |
| 2002 | Tét Grenné | Sally | |
| Baby of the Family | Nurse Bloom | ||
| 2003 | Unchained Memories | Reader | |
| 2008 | Rain | Ms. Adams | |
| Breaking the Maya Code | Narrator | Documentary | |
| 2009 | Orphan | Sister Abigail | |
| Superman/Batman: Public Enemies | Amanda Waller (voice) | [19] | |
| Avatar | Mo'at | ||
| 2010 | My Girlfriend's Back | Constance | |
| 2012 | Home Again | Dulsay Mooreland | |
| 2013 | The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones | Madame Dorothea | |
| 2014 | Batman: Assault on Arkham | Amanda Waller (voice) | [19] |
| 2019 | Godzilla: King of the Monsters | Senator Williams | |
| 2022 | Avatar: The Way of Water | Mo'at | |
| 2023 | Rustin | Anna Arnold Hedgeman | |
| 2025 | The Naked Gun | Chief Davis | |
| Avatar: Fire and Ash | Mo'at |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Hill Street Blues | Jasmine | Episode: "The Second Oldest Profession" |
| 1982 | Hill Street Blues | Wilna Tucker | Episode: "Little Boil Blue" |
| 1984 | Booker | Jane | Television film |
| 1985 | American Playhouse | Deborah | Episode: "Go Tell It on the Mountain" |
| The Atlanta Child Murders | Venus Taylor | 2 episodes | |
| 1986 | If Tomorrow Comes | Ernestine Littlechap | Episode: "Episode #1.1" |
| Resting Place | Ada Johnson | Television film | |
| As Summers Die | Priscilla | ||
| Valerie | Mrs. Davis | Episode: "Full Moon" | |
| Cagney & Lacey | Timmons | Episode: "Disenfranchised" | |
| Hill Street Blues | Ms. Jones | Episode: "Amazing Grace" | |
| 1986–92 | L.A. Law | Judge Roseann Robin | Recurring cast (season 1), guest (season 5–6) |
| 1987 | The Line | Anna Mae Demesy | Television film |
| On the Edge | – | ||
| 1987–88 | Women in Prison | Dawn Murphy | Main cast |
| 1988 | Run Till You Fall | Janice | Television film |
| Leap of Faith | Roberta | ||
| 1989 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Renee Cook | Episode: "My Past Is My Own" |
| 227 | Lucinda Markle | Episode: "Babes in the Woods" | |
| Third Degree Burn | Julie Cartwright | Television film | |
| Miami Vice | Yvonne | Episode: "Too Much, Too Late" | |
| No Place Like Home | Prue | Television film | |
| 1990 | Murder in Mississippi | Fannie Lee Chaney | |
| Common Ground | Rachel Twymon | Episode: "Part I & Part II" | |
| Quantum Leap | Mama Harper | Episode: "Black on White on Fire" | |
| Psycho IV: The Beginning | Fran Ambrose | Television film | |
| Cop Rock | Willa Phelan | Recurring cast | |
| 1991 | Lifestories | Roxanne Tevis | Episode: "Darryl Devis" |
| True Colors | Judge Fallows | Episode: "Presumed Guilty" | |
| 1992 | Home Improvement | Assistant | Episode: "What About Bob?" |
| The Cosby Show | Clair's friend | Episode: "Clair's Reunion" | |
| 1993 | The Ernest Green Story | Daisy Bates | Television film |
| For Their Own Good | Naomi Brinker | ||
| Lifepod | Mayvene | ||
| The Disappearance of Christina | Detective Davis | ||
| Return to Lonesome Dove | Sara Pickett | Main cast | |
| New Year | Eudora Kellogg | Television film | |
| 1994 | Birdland | Nurse Lucy | Main cast |
| South Central | Dr. LeBrock | Episode: "Co-op" | |
| Biker Mice from Mars | Stonecutter | Episode: "Stone Broke" | |
| The X-Files | Agent Lucy Kazdin | Episode: "Duane Barry" | |
| Robin's Hoods | Vivian Castro | Episode: "Unto Thyself Be True" | |
| 1994–95 | Sweet Justice | Judge Addison | 2 episodes |
| 1994–97 | ER | Dr. Angela Hicks | Supporting cast (season 1–4) |
| 1995 | Zooman | Ash | Television film |
| White Dwarf | Nurse Shabana | ||
| Living Single | Nina Shaw | Episode: "Mommy Not Dearest" | |
| Jack Reed: One of Our Own | Mrs. Harris | Television film | |
| 1995–96 | Gargoyles | Desdemona | Voice, 3 episodes[19] |
| 1996 | All She Ever Wanted | Dr. Marilyn Tower | Television film |
| If These Walls Could Talk | Nurse Mrs. Ford | ||
| 1996–98 | Millennium | Dr. Cheryl Andrews | Recurring cast |
| 1997 | Things That Go Bump | Harriet Napolean | Television film |
| House of Frankenstein | Dr. Shauna Kendall | 2 episodes | |
| 1998 | Final Justice | Danielle Kline | Television film |
| Little Girl Fly Away | Dr. Geddes | ||
| Histeria! | Harriet Tubman | Voice, episode: "General Sherman's Campsite"[19] | |
| Ghost Cop | Detective | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 1999 | Batman Beyond | Anchorwoman | Voice, episode: "Rebirth"[19] |
| NetForce | FBI Director Sandra Knight | Television film | |
| Detention | Miss Powers | Voice, episode: "The Contest" | |
| A Touch of Hope | Lily Keyes | Television film | |
| 1999–2000 | Rocket Power | Officer Shirley | Voice |
| 2000 | The West Wing | Deborah O'Leary | Episode: "Celestial Navigation" |
| Rude Awakening | Stacey | Episode: "Plastered" | |
| The Outer Limits | Stranger | Episode: "Decompression" | |
| Cora Unashamed | Ma Jenkins | Television film | |
| Disappearing Acts | Mrs. Swift | ||
| 2000–01 | Static Shock | Mayor | Voice, 2 episodes[19] |
| 2001 | The Practice | Elaine Washington | 2 episodes |
| Crossing Jordan | Libby Bell | Episode: "Mortality" | |
| Boycott | Jo Ann Robinson | Television film | |
| Strong Medicine | Libby Bell | Episode: "Mortality" | |
| The District | Eilen Carmicheal | Episode: "To Serve and Protect" | |
| 2001–10 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Carolyn Maddox | Recurring cast |
| 2002 | For the People | Millie Towns | Episode: "To DNA or Not to DNA" |
| 2002–08 | The Shield | Claudette Wyms | Main cast |
| 2003 | Jackie Chan Adventures | Miss Kimber | Voice, episode: "The Shadow Eaters" |
| 2004 | Girlfriends | Dr. Myers | Episode: "Prophet & Loss" |
| Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story | Winnie Mandela | Television film | |
| 2004–06 | Justice League Unlimited | Amanda Waller | Voice, recurring role[19] |
| 2005 | Numb3rs | Lieutenant Lee Havercamp | Episode: "Vector" |
| 2006 | W.I.T.C.H. | Queen Kadma | Voice, recurring cast (season 2) |
| 2007 | American Masters | Narrator | Voice, episode: "Novel Reflections: The American Dream" |
| 2008 | The Tower | Evie | Television film |
| 2009 | The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency | Mrs. Curtin | Episode: "The Boy with an African Heart" |
| Brothers | Adele Trainor | Main cast | |
| 2009–14 | Warehouse 13 | Mrs. Irene Frederic | Recurring cast |
| 2011 | Revenge | Warden Sharon Stiles | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Perception | FBI Psychiatrist | Episode: "Warrior" |
| 2013–14 | Sons of Anarchy | District Attorney Tyne Patterson | Recurring cast (season 6–7) |
| 2014 | NCIS | Dr. Loretta Wade[20] | Episode: "Crescent City" |
| Beware the Batman | MayorMarion Grange | Voice, 2 episodes[19] | |
| 2014–21 | NCIS: New Orleans | Dr. Loretta Wade | Main cast |
| 2015 | Archer | Claudette Kane | Voice, episode: "The Kanes" |
| 2018 | The Lion Guard | Kongwe | Voice, episode: "The Wisdom of Kongwe"[19] |
| 2021 | The Good Fight | Vinetta Clark | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | Full Circle | Savitri Mahabir | Miniseries |
| 2024 | 3 Body Problem | Secretary General Lilian Joseph | 2 episodes |
| 2025 | Chicago Med | Dr. Eleanor Hess | Episode: "In the Wake" |
| Year | Title | Voice role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Fallout | Head Scribe Vree | [19] |
| 2003 | True Crime: Streets of LA | Chief Wanda Parks | [19] |
| 2013 | Batman: Arkham Origins | Amanda Waller | |
| Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate | |||
| 2014 | Skylanders: Trap Team | Golden Queen | [21] |
| 2015 | Skylanders: SuperChargers | Uncredited | |
| 2016 | Skylanders: Imaginators | [22] |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Androcles and the Lion | The Lion | Cumston Hall, Monmoth | Understudy | [10] |
| King Lear | Goneril | [10] | |||
| The Comedy of Errors | Courtesan | [10] | |||
| Adriana | Understudy | [10] | |||
| 1976 | The Sunshine Boys | Registered Nurse | Actors Theatre of Louisville, Louisville | [10] | |
| 1978 | S.S. Glencairn | Reel | Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven | [23] | |
| 1979 | Coriolanus | Valeria | Delacorte Theater, New York | Shakespeare in the Park | [10] |
| The Mighty Gents | Rita | [11] | |||
| 1984 | Open Admissions | Mrs. Brewster | Music Box Theatre, New York | [24] | |
| 1987 | Antony and Cleopatra | Charmian | Los Angeles Theatre Center, Los Angeles | [11] | |
| 1988 | Generations of the Dead in the Abyss of Coney Island Madness | Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles | [11] |
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| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | The X-Files | Nominated | |
| 1996 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | ER | Nominated | |
| 1997 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| Audie Award | Inspirational/Spiritual | Grow Old Along with Me, the Best Is Yet to Be | Won | ||
| Multi-Voiced Performance | Nominated | ||||
| Grammy Award | Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Album | ||||
| 1998 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | ER | Nominated | |
| Audie Award | Multi-Voiced Performance | Women in the Material World | Won | [25] | |
| Nonfiction, Abridged | |||||
| 2002 | Black Reel Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Television Movie | Boycott | Nominated | |
| NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Nominated | ||
| 2003 | Satellite Award | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | The Shield | Won | |
| NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated | |||
| 2004 | Satellite Award | Best Actress – Television Series Drama | Won | ||
| Black Reel Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Television Movie | Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story | Won | ||
| 2004 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | The Shield | Nominated | |
| 2005 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| 2006 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | Nominated | ||||
| 2008 | Nominated | ||||
| 2009 | Nominated | ||||
| Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series | The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Brothers | Nominated | |
| Audie Awards | Audiobook of the Year | Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales | Won | [26][27] | |
| Multi-Voiced Performance | |||||
| 2017 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | NCIS: New Orleans | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Nominated |
