Oprah Winfrey

as Mattie Michael

Mary Alice

as Fannie Michael

Olivia Cole

as Miss Sophie

Robin Givens

as Kiswana / Melanie Browne

Moses Gunn

as Ben

Paula Kelly

as Theresa

Lonette McKee

as Lorraine

Barbara Montgomery

as Miss Eva Turner

Phyllis Yvonne Stickney

as Cora Lee

Leon

as Abshu

Cicely Tyson

Lynn Whitfield

as Ciel

Paul Winfield

as Sam Michael

William Allen Young

as Eugene

Cicely Tyson

as Mrs. Browne

Bruce Beatty

as Crony

William Frankfather

as Judge

Clark Johnson

as Butch Fuller

Homeselle Joy

as Betina

Eugene Lee

as Basil

Bebe Drake

as Cleo

Glenn Plummer

as C.C. Baker

Roxanne Reese

as Alfreda

Douglas Turner Ward

as Reverend Woods

Samm-Art Williams

as Cecil Garvin

Jonathan 'Fudge' Leonard

as Brucie

Maya Leonard

as Diedre

Phill Lewis

as Bottom

Bee-Be Smith

as Hippolyta

Larenz Tate

as Sammy

Geoffrey Thorne

as Theseus