Houston, Texas native Chandra Wilson began performing in musicals at the age of five with Theatre Under the Stars. She attended Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and later went on to acquire her BFA in Drama from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts through which she spent four years at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institut...
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Houston, Texas native Chandra Wilson began performing in musicals at the age of five with Theatre Under the Stars. She attended Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and later went on to acquire her BFA in Drama from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts through which she spent four years at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. Chandra's first series regular job was on ABC's Bob Patterson (2001) in the role of Claudia Hopper. She has made numerous other television appearances including guest-starring and recurring roles. She has also appeared in national television commercials for Blockbuster Video, Burger King, Scope, and the United Negro College Fund as well as numerous radio commercials.Aside from film and television, she has several New York stage credits. Her portrayal of Bonna Willis in the production of "The Good Times are Killing Me" by Lynda Barry (both at the Second Stage and Minetta Lane Theatres) won her a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance.Some of her other stage credits include "Paper Moon: The Musical" at the Papermill Playhouse, "The Family of Mann" by Theresa Rebeck, "Believing" for the Young Playwright's Festival and the Broadway production of "On the Town" directed by George C. Wolfe. Show less «
I cannot get into cottage cheese, and I've tried a lot. Yogurt is hard for me to eat, too. I have to...Show more »
I cannot get into cottage cheese, and I've tried a lot. Yogurt is hard for me to eat, too. I have to hold my nose to get it down. There's something wrong with that. Show less «
I'm fortunate enough to have learned not to waste time getting frustrated with my kids, or co-worker...Show more »
I'm fortunate enough to have learned not to waste time getting frustrated with my kids, or co-workers, or friends and family for not doing everything I wish they would. If someone doesn't respond to me the way I want them to, I understand that it doesn't have anything to do with me. Show less «
I wanted a good relationship with my mother, and I realized I had a choice: Either I could spend all...Show more »
I wanted a good relationship with my mother, and I realized I had a choice: Either I could spend all my time angry that she didn't give me the hugs I thought I needed, or I could understand that she hugs differently. It's not a spread-open-the-arms, 'come here' hug. She hugs by sheltering me from her worries. Show less «
Our happiness is certainly mixed in with the tragedies of life. You have to find the lemonade. You h...Show more »
Our happiness is certainly mixed in with the tragedies of life. You have to find the lemonade. You have to find the silver lining in the middle of everything that happens in life. Show less «
When the time came for me to go to college, there was only one scholarship that my high school offer...Show more »
When the time came for me to go to college, there was only one scholarship that my high school offered at the time and I didn't win that one, but that didn't stop me. I went on to college anyway. I worked my way through it and paid my student loans for 11 years. Show less «
I'm excited to flex my Broadway muscles - it keeps you alive as an actor.
I'm excited to flex my Broadway muscles - it keeps you alive as an actor.
Starting at age four, my mom decided that she was not going to have an idle child in the house. So I...Show more »
Starting at age four, my mom decided that she was not going to have an idle child in the house. So I started taking dance lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and then I was in acting classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and I was also modeling on Saturdays. And that was my childhood. Show less «
My first show was 'The King and I' when I was five.
My first show was 'The King and I' when I was five.
I keep getting amazing things to bring to life. There's always something to discover with 'Dr. Baile...Show more »
I keep getting amazing things to bring to life. There's always something to discover with 'Dr. Bailey,' something that brings her home to the audience, something that makes people say, 'I know that woman. I work with that woman.' It's incredibly flattering and I'm still finding new things with her all the time. Show less «
The only thing that I know is that, growing up, I came across stumbling blocks, and I always said to...Show more »
The only thing that I know is that, growing up, I came across stumbling blocks, and I always said to myself, 'If I ever get into a position to do something about this, I would like to, so that somebody does not deal with what I went through.' Show less «
If I want to know how I'm doing at work, I don't wait for a pat on the back; I ask the people who wi...Show more »
If I want to know how I'm doing at work, I don't wait for a pat on the back; I ask the people who will give me a clear, objective opinion. When I need a real, arms-wrapped-around-me hug, I go to someone who does that. I stopped getting disappointed by my expectations from non-huggers. Show less «
I was an only child for 16 years. I didn't realize it at the time, but that experience definitely tu...Show more »
I was an only child for 16 years. I didn't realize it at the time, but that experience definitely turned me into a people pleaser. I always tried to do what was expected of me, and I constantly sought reassurance from the adults around me that I was doing a good job. Show less «
Before 'Grey's Anatomy,' I was doing musicals, plays, commercials, you name it.
Before 'Grey's Anatomy,' I was doing musicals, plays, commercials, you name it.
I'm a big cook and prefer to make meals at home when I can. I'm either cooking, or we're going to a ...Show more »
I'm a big cook and prefer to make meals at home when I can. I'm either cooking, or we're going to a drive-through somewhere. I'm really proud of my homemade sweet potato pie. At Thanksgiving I make five of them because they go quick. Show less «