Anne Marie Johnson
Actress
Los Angeles–born actress Anne-Marie Johnson began honing her craft early, graduating from John Marshall High School before enrolling in UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and Television in 1978. She earned her B.A. in Acting and Theatre in 1982.
Johnson first appeared on television as a contestant on several game shows, including “Card Sharks,” “Child’s Play”, and the pilot of “Body Language” in 1984. That same year, she landed her first major acting role as Aileen Lewis on the NBC comedy “Double Trouble,” followed by guest appearances on “Diff’rent Strokes” and “Hill Street Blues.”
In 1985, after a guest spot on “Hunter,” Johnson was cast as Nadine on the sitcom “What’s Happening Now!!,” where she remained for three seasons. She then took on memorable comedic roles in two cult classics—playing Lydia/Willie Mae/Hooker #5 in Robert Townsend’s “Hollywood Shuffle” (1987) and Cherry in Keenen Ivory Wayans’ “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.”
Johnson became widely known for her portrayal of Althea Tibbs on the long-running NBC/CBS drama “In the Heat of the Night” (1988–1993). During her hiatuses, she appeared in several feature films, including “Robot Jox,” “The Five Heartbeats,” “True Identity,” and “Strictly Business.” After leaving the series, she joined the final season of Fox’s “In Living Color,” appearing in 24 episodes and showcasing her talent for celebrity impressions, including Oprah Winfrey, Mary Tyler Moore, and Whitney Houston.
Her television career continued with roles such as Alycia Barnett on “Melrose Place” (1995–1996) and Representative Bobbi Latham on “JAG” (1997–2002). Johnson has also guest-starred on numerous series, including “That’s So Raven,” “Living Single,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Leverage,” “Ally McBeal,” “Girlfriends,” “The Parkers,” “Dharma & Greg,” “CSI,” “NCIS,” “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Beyond her acting work, Johnson served as First National Vice President of the Screen Actors Guild from 2005 to 2010. She continued her television momentum with roles in NBC’s “The InBetween” (2019), OWN’s “Cherish the Day” (2020), and ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder” (2020).
Johnson currently stars in the powerful new film “The Addiction of Hope,” directed by her husband Martin A Gottlieb, playing November 14–20, 2025, at the Laemmle Monica on 2nd St. in Santa Monica. A special screening will also be held at the Laemmle NoHo in North Hollywood on November 17th at 7:30 p.m., followed by a lively audience Q&A.