Brenda Braxton

Brenda Braxton is an American actress, singer, choreographer, and stage director born on August 7, 1956, in the Bronx, New York City. She trained at the High School of Performing Arts and built a Broadway career spanning from 1976 to 2008.

Braxton entered Broadway as a replacement performer in the 1976–77 production of Guys and Dolls, marking the beginning of a career that would include But Never Jam Today, Reggae, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music, Dreamgirls, Cats, Legs Diamond, and Jelly's Last Jam. In 1995, her performance in Smokey Joe's Cafe earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She has also received an NAACP Theatre Award, a Jefferson Award, and a Grammy Award.

Beginning in 2003, Braxton took on the role of Velma Kelly in Chicago, a part she performed across eight stints totaling more than 1,200 performances. That record makes her the actress who has played Velma Kelly on Broadway more times than any other in the production's history. Beyond performing, Braxton served as choreographer and director for productions of Dreamgirls in both 2001 and 2007.

Her screen work began with a 1979 PBS filmed musical production of When Hell Freezes Over, I'll Skate, in which she appeared opposite Cleavant Derricks, followed by a 1981 television adaptation of Purlie. Her television credits include guest appearances on The Cosby Show, Third Watch, Smash, and Nurse Jackie. From 2019 to 2022, she held a recurring role as Madeline Gilford on the legal drama series The Good Fight. Braxton is married to fitness trainer Anthony Van Putten, and as of 2006 the couple owns a men's grooming salon in Harlem.