ABOUT

Denise Woods, celebrated as the 'voice behind the voice,' has spent over twenty years shaping the performances of a remarkable array of actors. Her work includes coaching the Netflix feature films A Jazzman’s Blues, a pivotal creation by Tyler Perry, and The Harder They Fall, featuring Idris Elba. As the creative consultant for Halle Berry’s directorial debut Bruised, Denise played a critical role in enhancing the authenticity of Berry's performance.

A vocal coach of distinction, Denise has been instrumental in Mahershala Ali’s Oscar and Golden Globe-winning role in Green Book and his performance in the third season of HBO’s True Detective. She has guided luminaries like Don Cheadle in the acclaimed Showtime series Black Monday, Oscar-winning actor Common, Golden Globe winners David Oyelowo and Idris Elba, as well as Academy Award nominees Will Smith in his title role in Ali and Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai.

Her expertise has shone on Broadway, where she worked with Audra McDonald on her fourth Tony Award-winning performance in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Denise also served as Zoe Saldana's dialect coach in the biopic Nina and contributed her dialect coaching skills to the 20th Century Fox film Hidden Figures, featuring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae, and Focus Features' film Harriet, starring Cynthia Erivo. Most recently, she completed work on the highly anticipated Sony Pictures Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody, featuring Naomi Ackie, and coached David Oyelowo’s powerful portrayal of Bass Reeves in Paramount+'s Lawmen, produced by Taylor Sheridan.

Currently, she is coaching Mr. Oyelowo for the Apple TV series Government Cheese.

Denise's talents extend beyond the entertainment industry; she has served as a public speaking coach for prestigious law firms and Fortune 500 companies nationwide. She has been featured in articles in The Wall Street Journal, The London Times, The Los Angeles Times and The New Yorker magazine. Woods has also been a featured guest on CBS Sunday Morning, the daytime talk show, Harry Connick, Jr. Show and a number of podcasts. She has facilitated workshops for McKinsey & Company, CHIEF, US Borax, UPS, and Bear Stearns. She has coached broadcast journalists at NBC Nightly News, CNBC, Bloomberg News, The Today Show, CNN, and many more. Denise has empowered elite athletes from the NBA and NFL to transition into successful broadcasting careers.

Throughout her illustrious career, Denise has been privileged to work with numerous high-profile clients, such as Jessica Chastain, Amber Heard, Anthony Mackie, Phylicia Rashad, Ellen Burstyn, Soledad O’Brien, Morris Chestnut, Queen Latifah, Taye Diggs, Paul Rodriguez, David Alan Grier, Victoria Rowell, Kellan Lutz, Ray Liotta, Portia De Rossi, Rachel Weisz, Mekhi Phifer, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeffrey Wright, and Mike Myers.

Fueled by a passion for amplifying disenfranchised voices, Denise is dedicated to providing the courage and tools for individuals to express their thoughts and stories in transformative ways, dismantling barriers of fear, shame, and trauma. Her first book, The Power of Voice, published by HarperOne in January 2021, encapsulates her mission. A proud graduate and the first African-American female faculty member of The Juilliard School’s Drama Division, she has also held the position of Department Chair of Speech in the School of Theater at California Institute of the Arts.

JUILLIARD SCHOOL ALUMNA
JUILLIARD SCHOOL FACULTY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS FACULTY
FOUNDER OF THE WOODS INSTITUTE