Background
Dillard was born in New York City.
Dillard was born in New York City.
She is best known for her co-starring role as Janelle Cooper in the American Broadcasting Company sitcom Spin City. She began performing at the age of five with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. She worked with the company until she was eighteen, appearing in such productions Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera.
Then she went on tour in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Mickey Rooney.
Dillard"s most notable television role was as Janelle Cooper in the American Broadcasting Company sitcom Spin City. She stayed on the show for three seasons before leaving in 2000.
Her other television credits include Star Trek: The Next Generation, Seinfeld, Roc, Los Angeles Law, Chicago Hope, Martin, Moesha, Family Law, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and other series. Some of her film credits include Coming to America (1988), Deep Cover (1992), The Glass Shield (1994), Internal Affairs (1990), Out-of-Sync (1995) and Ricochet (1991) playing the wife of Denzel Washington"s character.
Her most recent film role was as Betty Shabazz in the 2001 film Ali.
In 1988, Dillard was in Playboy in the article Sex In Cinema 1988. Dillard currently lives in New York City. She dances in her free time and writes screenplays and plays for the stage.
Dillard was the long-time girlfriend of actor Laurence Fishburne beginning in 1992 when the two met on the set of the film Deep Cover.