Phylicia Rashad stars as Dr. Vanessa Young, the head of the neurosurgery department, in NBC's new drama "Do No Harm." Dr. Young is a strong and determined woman who leads by example.

Rashad became a household name for her portrayal of Claire Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" for over two decades. She went on to perform in a number of on and off Broadway projects, including "Jelly's Last Jam," "Into the Woods," "Dreamgirls," and Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" at Lincoln Center. Rashad received a Drama Desk Award and a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance as Lena Younger in Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun."

Offstage, Rashad teaches masters classes at Howard University, The Julliard School and Carnegie Mellon University. Well-respected in the academic world, Rashad has received the Denzel Washington Chair in Theatre from Fordham University. Rashad also holds honorary doctorates from Fordham University, Carnegie Mellon University, Howard University, Providence College, Morris Brown College, Clark Atlanta University, Barber Scotia College, St. Augustine's College, and Brown University.

Rashad currently serves on the advisory board of the PRASAD Projects, the True Colors Theatre, Broadway Inspirational Voices, the Actors Center, the Center for African American Studies at Princeton University and the ADEPT Center. Rashad is the mother of two adult children.