Why Nick Fury's Wife Priscilla From Secret Invasion Looks So Familiar

Contains spoilers for "Secret Invasion" Season 1, Episode 2 — "Promises"

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) rarely shares information about his personal life. Given the nature of his job, though, keeping that stuff private is probably for the best. He can't risk being put at any disadvantage by his enemies after all, especially when said foes are ruthless shapeshifting aliens like the Skrulls on "Secret Invasion" – a group that's more than happy to dispose of Fury's closest allies. That being said, the closing scenes of Episode 2 reveal that he's married, and some viewers might recognize the performer who plays his wife.

Priscilla Fury is brought to life by Charlayne Woodard, a veteran of the screen and stage whose talents transcend acting. In addition to being a successful actor, she's an award-winning playwright with an oeuvre that includes titles such as "Pretty Fire" and "In Real Life." However, connoisseurs of film and television will probably associate her with acting in hit TV shows and popular movies. 

Woodard's career dates back to the 1970s, and she's graced many movies and shows since then. Furthermore, some viewers might recall her working with Jackson long before "Secret Invasion" came to fruition. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the Priscilla Fury star's most notable credits.

"Secret Invasion" isn't the first superhero-themed project to unite Samuel L. Jackson and Charlayne Woodard on the same screen. Their first collaboration materialized in 2000's "Unbreakable," M. Night Shyamalan's sci-fi thriller about a security guard with superhuman abilities. The actors also reprised their characters in "Glass," the third film in the trilogy which also includes "Split."

Unlike "Secret Invasion," Woodard and Jackson aren't married in "Unbreakable" or "Glass." However, they do have a strong connection as their respective characters, Mrs. Price and Mr. Glass, are mother and son. Some viewers might not recognize Woodard in "Glass," though, as she spends most of the movie hidden behind layers of prosthetics in order to appear older. Furthermore, while she plays Jackson's mother in the "Unbreakable" franchise, Woodard is actually five years younger than him in real life.

Jackson and Woodard have a history of working together, but the former wasn't responsible for her landing a role on "Secret Invasion." In fact, Jackson was surprised when he found out that his old on-screen mom would be playing his wife on the Disney+ series. "When they told me that's who it was, I was like, 'It's gonna cause a stir in the Twitter-verse at some point,'" Jackson told The Hollywood Reporter. "But it's wonderful because Charlayne and I are great friends, and ... she was so happy to be in [the MCU]."

Television veterans showing up on police procedurals is almost a rite of passage. As such, Charlayne Woodard is no stranger to the genre. Between 2002 and 2011, she made sporadic appearances on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" as a nun named Sister Peg, and she gained plenty of fans as a result.

The character debuts in Season 3's "Silence" episode, which sees the "SVU" detectives investigate a murder in a church. Peg subsequently establishes a connection with the team, and she cooperates with them in other cases that require her insights. Of course, this is still "Law & Order: SVU" at the end of the day, meaning that Peg encounters her fair share of danger along the way; for example, she finds herself at the center of a disturbing abduction storyline in Season 6's "Pure" episode.  

Unfortunately, Peg was killed off in Season 12, and some fans weren't happy with the show's writers afterward. Peg's role was small in the grand scheme of things, but her kind nature made her a beloved character among "Law & Order: SVU" aficionados. There are even entire Reddit threads dedicated to the opinion that the character was given a raw deal in the end, and they reveal that many viewers wish that she got to stick around.

Charlayne Woodard has been part of some memorable projects throughout the years, but "Pose" is arguably one of the boldest of the bunch. The Ryan Murphy, Steven Canals, and Brad Falchuk-created series took the television world by storm when it premiered on FX in 2018 — and the drama went on to earn heaps of critical acclaim during its three-season run.

"Pose" examines New York City's LGBTQ ballroom culture throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with a particular focus on the Black and Latino communities. The story is set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic and the rise of Donald Trump's capitalist empire, but the main characters focus on succeeding in the city's underground dance culture. Woodard plays a character by the name of Helena St. Rogers, a renowned dance instructor who pushes her students to be the best performers they can be.

Originally, Tatiana Maslany was supposed to portray Woodard's character. However, Murphy decided to give the role to the veteran as he felt the show needed a performer with more experience. "'I felt, working with you young cast, that we needed an older figure in the world to be the dance teacher, someone who is of a different generation who is more of a mentor as opposed to a peer," he told Entertainment Weekly. The rest is, as they say, history.