'Color Purple' Star Margaret Avery's Rarely-Seen Daughter Is Her Exact Copy — Meet Aisha

American actress Margaret Avery is famous for playing Shug Avery in "The Color Purple" and has a daughter, Aisha Hunt. she is most proud of - meet her.

American actress Margaret Avery was born on April 15, 1944, in Mangum, Oklahoma. Raised in San Diego, California, Avery attended San Francisco State University, earning a degree in education in 1965.

In her teens, Avery was passionate about acting, although she ultimately pursued the teaching profession. After graduating from the university, she joined the public school system as a substitute teacher.

However, she never lost her passion for acting. She started auditioning for commercials and ventured into stage acting and singing jobs. In the early 1970s, she appeared in stage plays like "Revolution," "The Sistuhs," and "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?"

These roles earned her rave reviews and showcased her skills to the world, helping her to move into other television roles. She appeared on many television series in the 1970s and 1980s.

These included "The New Dick Van Dyke Show," "Murder, She Wrote," "Miami Vice," and many more. She remained consistent as an actress despite challenges and snagged many more roles.

Avery is best known for portraying Shug Avery in the 1985 period drama movie "The Color Purple." That role earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

When the famous film turned 30 in 2015, Avery relived some of the memories. In a chat with Essence, she revealed she was the last actress to be cast and had to fight to be seen.

Spielberg put her up with a trainer, and she was really pushed to get into the right condition to play Shug.

Her agent initially tried to get her to audition for the role but was told she was not the right fit for it as they wanted a singer and not an actor. However, Avery knew Ruben Cannon, who was casting at the time and wrote him a note.

She told him she had read the book and felt drawn to Shug's character. Cannon allowed her to put her reading for the role on tape. Hence, the film's director, Steven Spielberg, was able to see her work. She auditioned for the role and left a great impression.

After getting the role, Avery put in the work to be in perfect shape and had to gain 30 pounds in 30 days. Spielberg put her up with a trainer and had to push to get into the right shape to play Shug.

Before portraying Shug in "The Color Purple," Avery had not acted in a film for nearly five years. The actress could not buy a job and almost abandoned the profession.

In a chat with Jet after playing Shug, Avery said the movie had given her a lot more zest and appreciation for who she is.

When Aisha was younger, she accompanied her mom to various events.

Since 2000, Avery has starred in films like "Waitin' to Live, "Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins," "Meet the Browns," "Proud Mary," and the BET series, "Being Mary Jane."

In January 1974, Avery married Robert Gordon Hunt. The couple shares a daughter named Aisha Hunt. However, they divorced in 1980.

Since divorcing her ex-husband, Avery has remained single and dedicated to the entertainment industry. She has also been a doting mom to her daughter, who maintains a low profile and is hardly seen in the spotlight.

When Aisha was younger, she accompanied her mom to various events and posed with her for photographs. In 1986, the mother-daughter duo was among the over 1700 persons who attended the annual Whitney Young Jr. Award Dinner.

The award dinner was in honor of Quincy Jones, who produced "The Color Purple." Avery looked stunning in her plunging neck sleeveless dress, while Aisha wore a long-sleeved gown with floral embroidery on the chest region.

Avery and her daughter were all smiles as they posed for the picture, showing off their striking resemblance to each other.

In 1990, Aisha also accompanied her mom to the L.A.'s Directors Guild screening of the television movie, "Heatwave," which the actress co-starred in.

On the night, Avery wore an off-the-shoulder floral dress while her daughter wore a black sleeveless gown and carried a leather bag.

Aisha tied a belt around her waist and accessorized her look with a necklace and earrings. Again, the close resemblance between mom and daughter was clear to see.

Avery loves posting about her daughter on social media. On December 23, 2015, the proud mom shared a lovely picture of Aisha in her teenage years and captioned it:

"My WCW today is my daughter. Photo: age 14. Yesterday I received a most beautiful Xmas gift by phone. My adult child thanked me for having taught her values and morals."

In the concluding part of the post, Avery urged parents, particularly single parents, who are challenged and making endless sacrifices for their kids in an amoral world not to quit but hang in there.

She said a day would come when such parents who never quit raising their kids right will shout in joyous appreciation to God for always being there.

On August 2, 2018, Avery shared a nude black and white snap, showing her and Aisha when she was a baby. In the snapshot, mother and daughter smiled as they posed, showing off their resemblance. Avery captioned the post:

"TBT: 1974 The "special" bond of mother and child. Still my baby❤️. #Godislove. #family #life."

On May 15, 2021, Avery celebrated Aisha's 47th birthday by posting a photo of them on Twitter. In the snap, the iconic actress kissed her daughter on the cheek while she smiled.

In the tweet, Avery wished Aisha a happy birthday and prayed that her day would be filled with happiness and love. She also prayed her wishes and dreams would be fulfilled on her special day.

Besides doting over her daughter, Avery also teases her on social media. In March 2016, she shared a picture of her and actor Michael Ealy posing for a snap during an event and captioned it:

"My daughter is going to be jealous over this one! I met the talented @MichaelEaly at the #MilesAhead premiere."

Besides gushing about Aisha or teasing her, Avery also posts their cute moments on social media. For example, on Mother's Day in 2019, she shared a video of her, Aisha, and Aisha's adorable lookalike granddaughter.

In the video, Avery, her daughter, and granddaughter wished everyone a happy Mother's Day. Avery urged mothers worldwide to keep praying for their daughters even when they give their problems. She also wished Gabrielle Union a happy first Mother's Day.

On February 18, 2018, Avery shared a video showing her, Aisha, and a friend in Atlanta. She detailed their experiences in the city and said she hoped to be back there soon.

The proud grandma shared a video showing her adorable grandson playing with his toy before smiling sweetly. She captioned the post,

"Who, me???? #grandbaby #family ♥️♥️♥️♥️."

Besides sharing her family's beautiful moments, Avery also tweets words of wisdom about motherhood occasionally. In February 2017, she said a mother can have it all and should be believed when sharing the fact. She also tweeted that even moms have to cherish their dreams.

Although Avery is unmarried, she has an elderly boyfriend named Arthur, who stays with her. Avery and Arthur found themselves in the news in May 2018 after she got into a problem with her neighbor.

Avery accused her neighbor of terrorizing the block after they got into an argument over parking spaces. She expressed worry that the feud with the neighbor was affecting the then-75-year-old Arthur, who had a bad heart and could not handle the stress.

Avery said she just wanted to live in peace, and her neighbor could not bully her. She further said she was entitled to live in peace in her house, which she had owned for over 40 years. Luckily for the actress, her request for a temporary restraining order against her neighbor was granted.