LaChanze Biography: Age, Husband, Daughters, Height, Net Worth, Parents, Broadway, Movies & TV Shows
LaChanze, born Rhonda LaChanze Sapp, is an American actress, singer, dancer and Broadway producer.
She rose to prominence on Broadway after originating the role of Ti Moune in Once on This Island and later won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for The Color Purple.
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She has also built a successful screen career and become an award-winning Broadway producer.
| LaChanze | |
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Real Name: | Rhonda LaChanze Sapp |
| Stage Name: | LaChanze |
| Born: | December 16, 1961 (age 64 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | St. Augustine, Florida, USA |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity: | African American |
| Height: | 168 cm (5 ft 6 in) |
| Religion: | Christianity |
| Parents: | Mr. Walter Sapp, Mrs. Rosalie Sapp |
| Spouse: | Calvin J. Gooding (1998–2001), Derek Fordjour (2005–2014) |
| Relationship: | Divorced |
| Children: | Celia Rose Gooding, Zaya LaChanze Gooding |
| Occupation: | Actress, Singer, Dancer, Producer |
| Net Worth: | $5 million |
Early life and education
LaChanze was born on December 16, 1961, in St. Augustine, Florida, to Walter and Rosalie Sapp. Her family later moved to Connecticut, where her mother encouraged her interest in singing and dancing.
Her stage name, LaChanze, was inspired by her grandmother.
She attended Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where she performed in the school production of Damn Yankees. She later studied drama at Morgan State University before transferring to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she studied theatre and dance.
Career
LaChanze began her professional theatre career as a tap dancer in Uptown… It’s Hot! and made her Broadway debut in 1986. She subsequently appeared in productions including Dreamgirls, Company, Ragtime and Funny Girl.
In 1990, she originated the role of Ti Moune in Once on This Island, earning her first Tony Award nomination.
Her major breakthrough came in 2005 when she originated the role of Celie in the Broadway musical The Color Purple. Her performance earned her the 2006 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
She later starred in If/Then, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, A Christmas Carol and Trouble in Mind, receiving additional Tony recognition.
LaChanze has also established herself as a screen actress, appearing in The Cosby Show, Hercules, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Help, The Night Of, The Good Fight, The Blacklist, The Underground Railroad and East New York.
As a producer, she has been involved in major Broadway productions including Topdog/Underdog, Kimberly Akimbo, Here Lies Love, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, The Outsiders and Purpose. Her producing work has earned multiple Tony Awards.
Awards and honors
- Theatre World Award — 1991, Once on This Island
- Tony Award nomination — Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Once on This Island, 1991
- Obie Award — Performance, Dessa Rose, 2005
- Tony Award — Best Actress in a Musical, The Color Purple, 2006
- Broadway.com Audience Awards — Favorite Actress in a Musical and Favorite Diva Performance, 2006
- Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award — Individual Excellence on Camera, Handel’s Messiah Rocks, 2010
- Broadway.com Audience Award — Favorite Featured Actress in a Musical, If/Then, 2014
- AUDELCO Award — Lead Actress in a Musical, The Secret Life of Bees, 2019
- Outer Critics Circle Award — Outstanding Actress in a Play, Trouble in Mind, 2022
- Tony Award — Best Musical, Kimberly Akimbo, as producer, 2023
- Tony Award — Best Revival of a Play, Topdog/Underdog, as producer, 2023
- Tony Award — Best Musical, The Outsiders, as producer, 2024
- Tony Award — Best Play, Purpose, as producer, 2025
Personal life
LaChanze is 64 years old. She married securities trader Calvin J. Gooding in August 1998. They had two daughters, Celia Rose Gooding and Zaya LaChanze Gooding.
Gooding was killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks while working at Cantor Fitzgerald in the World Trade Center, when LaChanze was eight months pregnant with Zaya.
She married filmmaker and businessman Derek Fordjour in 2005, but the marriage ended in divorce in 2014. Her daughter Celia Rose Gooding followed her into the entertainment industry and became a successful Broadway actress, making LaChanze and Celia one of the notable mother-daughter pairs to perform on Broadway.
LaChanze is also active in theatre advocacy and serves as president of Black Theatre United. Her height is 168 cm (5 ft 6 in).
Net worth
LaChanze has an estimated net worth of $5 million. Her wealth has been built from a career spanning nearly four decades across Broadway, television, film, music and theatre production.
Her Tony-winning acting career, television appearances and successful producing work on award-winning Broadway productions have all contributed to her financial success.
Social media
- Instagram: @mslachanze
Filmography
- My New Gun — 1992
- Leap of Faith — 1992
- For Love or Money — 1993
- David Searching — 1997
- Hercules — 1997
- Heartbreak Hospital — 2002
- Breaking Upwards — 2009
- The Help — 2011
- Side Effects — 2013
- Diane — 2018
- Melinda — 2018
- Knights in Newark — 2018
- Birth/Rebirth — 2023
- Genie — 2023
- Highest 2 Lowest — 2025
- By Any Means — 2026
- The Cosby Show — 1988–1989
- The Cosby Mysteries — 1994
- New York Undercover — 1996
- Total Security — 1997
- Hercules: The Animated Series — 1998
- Sex and the City — 1999
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — 2000–2022
- One Life to Live — 2011
- Person of Interest — 2016
- The Night Of — 2016
- The Village — 2019
- The Good Fight — 2019–2020
- The Blacklist — 2021
- The Underground Railroad — 2021
- East New York — 2022–2023
- Firebuds — 2022–2024
- Gossip Girl — 2023
- Dee & Friends in Oz — 2024
What People Ask
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