Phylicia Rashad to Star as Series Regular in CBS Drama FOR JUSTICE

Variety reports that Phylicia Rashad has signed on to be a series regular in the CBS' drama series FOR JUSTICE. The Broadway actress will portray Georgina Howe, a gay black woman. "Selma's" Ava DuVernay is set to helm the pilot episode.

Rashad's character is described as "a savvy Washington player who has faced discrimination for her race and sexual orientation, and fights to protect the independence and integrity of her high-profile Civil Rights Division."

Based on James Patterson's novel "The Thomas Berryman Number," the series will follow "a female FBI agent working in the Criminal Section of the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division who finds herself caught between her radical real family and her professional family."

Rashad portrayed "Claire Huxtable" on The Cosby Show. She has also starred in the role of Dr. Vanessa Young in the NBC series, Do No Harm. She has also been a force on the stage in projects that showcase her musical talent shown in "Jelly's Last Jam," "Into The Woods," "Dreamgirls," and "The Wiz".

Rashad has performed on Broadway in August Osage County, in Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, in August Wilson's Gem Of The Ocean, and in Shakespeare's Cymbeline at Lincoln Center. She received both the Drama Desk and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her riveting performance in the Broadway revival of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun.

Phylicia made her directorial debut at the Seattle Repertory Theater with August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean.

Among her many awards and honors are several NAACP IMAGE AWARDS and the Pan African Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award.