Alfre Woodard as Mariah Dillard
Alfre Woodard plays Mariah Dillard, a corrupt Harlem politician and also Stokes' cousin. Woodard lives in Harlem and she told Time Magazine that she was really impressed by Coker's treatment of it.
"He traces the roots it took and the branches that have reached out across the world in terms of influence. The reason Luke Cage succeeds is that even though Luke has superpowers, it’s grounded in that reality," she said.
Woodard is a four-time Emmy winner, has a Golden globe and was nominated for an Oscar in 1984 for Cross Creek. Her recent credits include Memphis Beat, True Blood, Steel Magnolias, 12 Years A Slave and The Last Ship. This is really her second role in the MCU, as she also played Miriam Sharpe in Captain America: Civil War. (Myles Aronowitz/Netflix)