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.
Career Liz Mikel has been performing on stage for more than twenty years, including extended runs with the Dallas Theater Center and Theater Three. In 2007, the Dallas Morning News described Mikel as "a fixture on the Dallas theater scene". She stepped in for Oprah Winfrey in a special 2008 performance of The Vagina Monologues.
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."
Liz starred on Broadway in Lysistrata Jones, for which the New York Times praised her performance as "commanding."
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. 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. D Magazine named Mikel "Best Actress" in their 2004 "Best of Big D" issue. 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.
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. 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.
Filmography Film 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 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:
Year(s)ProductionRoleLocationCategory 2010Give It Up! Hetaira Dallas Theater Center Regional 2011 Lysistrata Jones Transport Group Theatre Company Off-Broadway Lysistrata Jones Walter Kerr Theatre Broadway2022 1776 John Hancock American Repertory Theater Regional American Airlines Theatre Broadway 2023 Benjamin Franklin National Tour
References
External links Liz Mikel official website Liz Mikel official MySpace page