Four-time Emmy Award winner Alfre Woodard joins the cast of "My Own Worst Enemy" as Mavis Heller, the hard-hitting and intelligent boss at JANUS headquarters.

Most recently, Woodard wrapped production on Tyler Perry's feature film "A Family That Prays," opposite Kathy Bates. Before that, she starred in "Pictures of Hollis Woods" co-starring Sissy Spacek, and alongside Antonio Banderas in "Take the Lead." Her additional recent film credits include: "Something New," "The Water Is Wide," "Beauty Shop," "The Forgotten," "Radio" and "K-PAX."

Woodard recently played Betty Applewhite on "Desperate Housewives." She received her first Emmy in 1994 for her performance as the grieving mother of a child killed by a police officer in the acclaimed NBC series "Hill Street Blues." She also received Emmys for a role in "L.A. Law" and "Miss Ever's Boys," a role that earned her an Outstanding Actress in a Television Miniseries or Movie award. Most recently, she received an Emmy in 2003 for her guest-starring performance on "The Practice."

Woodard also starred in the film "How to Make an American Quilt" and Spike Lee's family drama, "Crooklyn." She starred in the USA cable movie "The Member of the Wedding," and had starring roles in the films "Star Trek: First Contact" and "Primal Fear," opposite Richard Gere. Woodard's performance in "The Piano" earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Emmy nomination. In 1984, she was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in Martin Ritt's "Cross Creek."

Woodard has an extensive background in the theater, as her credits include Broadway's "Drowning Crow," the New York Shakespeare Festival productions of "Map of the World," and "A Winter's Tale." Woodard has starred in "A Christmas Carol" and "Leander Stillwell" at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles; "Horatio" and Edward Bond's "Saved" at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.; "Me and Bessie" on Broadway, and at San Francisco's "Act" and "Split Second" at the Mayfair Music Hall. She also appeared in the long-running Los Angeles production of "Love Letters" and executive produced "East Texas Hot Links" at the Met Theater.