Clair Huxtable

Born Clair Olivia Hanks, Clair is a graduate of the fictional Hillman College located in Virginia, the same school attended by her eventual husband Dr. Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable.{{Cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YX_daEhlnbsC&q=clair&pg=PA211 |title= Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2d ed. |last= Terrance |first= Vincent |publisher= McFarland |year=2008 |isbn= 978-0786486410 |location= United States |pages= 211 |via=Google Books}} Clair is the matriarch of the upper middle class Huxtable family.{{Cite web |url= http://www.museum.tv/eotv/cosbyshowt.htm |title= THE COSBY SHOW – U.S. Situation Comedy |last= Hunt |first=Darnell M. |author-link= Darnell Hunt |website= Museum of Broadcast Communications |access-date= January 16, 2016}} A lawyer, Clair is the mother of five children, Sondra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa and Rudy, whom she raises alongside husband Cliff, an obstetrician,{{Cite web|url=http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2007/07/issue-4-reaching-back-to-move-forward-phylicia-rashad/|title=Issue 4: Reaching Back To Move Forward – Phylicia Rashad|website=Clutch|publisher=Sutton New Media LLC|access-date=January 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118032157/http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2007/07/issue-4-reaching-back-to-move-forward-phylicia-rashad/|archive-date=January 18, 2017|url-status=dead}} in a brownstone in Brooklyn, New York.{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Cosby-Show|title=The Cosby Show|date=December 28, 2016|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc|access-date=January 16, 2016}} Clair's home address is 10 Stigwood Avenue, Brooklyn Heights, New York.{{Cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/article/1992/05/01/cosby-show-comes-end/#2|title=The Cosby Show comes to an end|last=Schwarzbaum|first=Lisa|date=May 1, 1992|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|publisher=Time Inc|access-date=January 17, 2017}} Episodes typically revolve around Clair and Cliff dealing with everyday situations and problems as they pertain to a standard household during the 1980s.{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Oe4fDAAAQBAJ&q=Carrie+Hanks+ethel+ayler&pg=PT76|title=TV Finales FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Endings of Your Favorite TV Shows|last1=Tropiano|first1=Stephen|last2=Buren|first2=Holly Van|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|year=2015|isbn=9781495046063|location=United States|chapter=One Last Dance – The Cosby Show Waltzes off the Air|via=Google Books}} Although both Clair and Cliff counsel, admonish and oftentimes outwit their children together, dividing their parental responsibilities equally, Clair tends to serve as primary disciplinarian{{Cite web|url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/gallery/24-favorite-tv-lawyers/#&gid=1&pid=15|title=The Cosby Show|last=Vo|first=Alex|date=September 29, 2015|website=Rotten Tomatoes|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326145138/http://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/gallery/24-favorite-tv-lawyers/|archive-date=March 26, 2016|access-date=January 16, 2017|url-status=dead}} to her children – and occasionally to Cliff as well.{{Cite web|url=http://www.biography.com/news/the-cosby-show-cast-where-are-they-now-20814793|title=The Cosby Show Cast: Where Are They Now?|last=Pak|first=Eudie|date=April 30, 2012|website=Biography|access-date=January 14, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2009/05/the-best-tv-moms-of-the-last-20-years.html|title=The Best TV Moms of the Last 20 Years|last1=Maddux|first1=Rachael|last2=Jackson|first2=Josh|date=May 10, 2009|access-date=February 19, 2017|last3=Kiefer|first3=Kate|last4=Ray|first4=Austin L.}} Of the couple, Clair is typically the parent who offers advice and guidance to her children, in addition to administering suitable punishments for misbehavior.{{Cite web|url=http://preserve.lehigh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1821&context=etd|title=The Cosby Show and its role in breaking stereotypes|last=Ferguson|first=Anson|date=2003|website=Lehigh University|pages=6–25|access-date=January 16, 2017}}

Clair's family eventually expands to include Sondra's and Denise's love interests, husbands Elvin Tibideaux and Martin Kendall, respectively. Sondra and Elvin eventually have children of their own, twins Winnie and Nelson,{{Cite news|last=Johnson|first=Robert E.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=764DAAAAMBAJ&q=russell+and+anna+huxtable+cosby+show&pg=PA56|title='The Cosby Show' Still A Hit In Its 5th Season|date=November 28, 1988|work=Jet|access-date=January 18, 2016|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|pages=56–59|author-link=Robert E. Johnson (editor)|via=Google Books}} named after South African activists Winnie and Nelson Mandela, making Clair a grandmother for the first time. Meanwhile, Martin brings with him Olivia, a young daughter from his previous marriage. Denise's stepdaughter, Olivia ultimately becomes Clair's step-granddaughter.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theroot.com/12-life-lessons-we-learned-from-cliff-huxtable-1790877107|title=12 Life Lessons We Learned From Cliff Huxtable|last=Evans|first=Erin E.|date=September 19, 2014|website=The Root|publisher=Gizmodo Media Group|access-date=January 17, 2017}} Clair's teenage cousin Pam eventually moves in with her family in the show's seventh season. Also, Clair's in-laws, Russel and Anna Huxtable, make regular appearances throughout the series, as do her own parents Al and Carrie Hanks, albeit to a lesser extent.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M7NkAAAAMAAJ&q=Carrie+Hanks+ethel+ayler|title=Encyclopedia of Television Subjects, Themes and Settings|last=Terrace|first=Vincent|publisher=McFarland & Company|year=2007|isbn=9780786424986|location=United States|pages=257|via=Google Books}}

Professionally, Clair works as an attorney at the Bradly, Greentree & Dexter law firm in New York City, and eventually makes partner.{{Cite web|url=http://excessofdemocracy.com/blog/2015/4/fictional-attorney-of-the-month-clair-huxtable|title=Fictional Attorney of the Month: Clair Huxtable|last=Muller|first=Derek|date=April 30, 2015|website=Excess of Democracy|access-date=January 16, 2016}} She mostly works in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, some corporate litigation, as well as a Legal Aid attorney.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/09/20/arts/tv-review-cosby-in-nbc-series-on-a-new-york-family.html|title=TV Review; Cosby in NBC Series On a New York Family|last=O'Connor|first=John|date=September 20, 1984|website=The New York Times|access-date=January 18, 2017}} She occasionally represents her own children in legal disputes, for example helping Theo successfully obtain a refund for several unwearable T-shirts purchased from an untrustworthy salesman. Similarly, Clair defends Sondra when a dishonest mechanic attempts to scam her.

File:Camille Cosby.jpg, Cosby's real-life wife, who convinced Cosby to change Clair's profession from a plumber to a lawyer.|alt=Television producer Camille Cosby, comedian Bill Cosby's wife, upon whom Clair Huxtable is loosely based.]]

Clair was created for The Cosby Show by series creator, comedian Bill Cosby.{{Cite news|last=Johnson|first=Robert E.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AtkDAAAAMBAJ&q=Phylicia+Ayers-Allen+cosby+show&pg=PA29|title=TV's Top Mom & Dad|date=February 1986|work=Ebony|access-date=January 14, 2017|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|pages=29–34|author-link=Robert E. Johnson (editor)|via=Google Books}} Cosby pitched a series about a detective who solves crime using wit and humor; Clair's earliest incarnation resembled his character's girlfriend, who is depicted as "a strong woman with her own career."{{Cite book|last=Smith|first=Ronald L.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MJGHQpfyYYIC&q=cosby+%22I+would+solve+crimes+with+my+wits%2C+as+Columbo+once+did%22&pg=PA175|title=Cosby|publisher=SP Books|year=1993|isbn=9781561712052|location=United States|pages=175|via=Google Books}} Networks were not interested in developing the program, prompting Cosby to opt for a more autobiographical approach. Cosby eventually based The Cosby Show on his stand-up comedy film Bill Cosby: Himself (1983), which heavily features jokes about his wife and their relationship with their children.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cbr.com/tv-legends-revealed-clair-huxtable-was-originally-a-female-ricky-ricardo/|title=TV Legends Revealed! Clair Huxtable was originally a female Ricky Ricardo|last=Cronin|first=Brian|date=October 14, 2013|website=Comic Book Resources|access-date=January 13, 2017}} Clair is based on Cosby's real-life wife Camille.{{Cite web|url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/frenchrevolution/2015/07/06/camille-cosbys-dismissal-of-victims-claims-shows-true-face-of-feminism/|title=Camille Cosby's Dismissal of Victims Shows True Feminism|last=French|first=Nancy|date=July 6, 2015|website=Patheos|access-date=January 23, 2018}} Although the role of the show's parents evolved dramatically from The Cosby Show{{'}}s inception to production, the concept of a strong career woman was one of the few ideas retained from Cosby's detective series.

When Cosby pitched The Cosby Show to NBC, it revolved around a blue-collar couple; Clair was envisioned as a plumber while the character's husband Cliff, portrayed by Cosby himself, was a limousine driver.{{Cite web|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/56559/20-things-you-might-not-know-about-cosby-show|title=20 Things You Might Not Know About 'The Cosby Show'|last=Kovalchik|first=Kara|date=May 8, 2014|website=Mental Floss|access-date=January 13, 2017}} Eventually, the idea of Clair working as a plumber was discarded and the character was briefly re-written into a Dominican housewife. Inspired by Ricky Ricardo from the sitcom I Love Lucy, of whom Cosby was a fan,{{Cite web|url=http://www.zimbio.com/30+Things+You+Probably+Didn't+Know+About+'The+Cosby+Show'/articles/38JSQwx-gH3/Bill+Cosby+fan+Love+Lucy|title=30 Things You Probably Didn't Know About 'The Cosby Show' – 15. Bill Cosby was a fan of 'I Love Lucy.'|website=Zimbio|access-date=January 14, 2016}} much of the show's humor would have been directly derived from Clair's tendency to revert to her native language Spanish when upset or agitated. Describing the concept as "the reverse of [I Love] Lucy," Cosby explained that instead the husband "would be the person that didn’t understand when she spoke Spanish" as opposed to the wife.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theroot.com/views/exclusive-talk-bill-cosby|title=An Exclusive Talk with Bill Cosby|last=Olopade|first=Dayo|date=September 17, 2009|website=The Root|pages=1–2|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104043350/http://www.theroot.com/views/exclusive-talk-bill-cosby|archive-date=January 4, 2013|access-date=January 13, 2017}}

Camille and executive producers Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner eventually convinced Cosby that the series should feature a family that resembled their own more closely, specifically headed by a pair of successful parents with white-collar professions. Thus, Cosby relented and re-wrote Clair and Cliff into a lawyer and doctor, respectively. Clair's Dominican heritage was abandoned before the pilot was filmed.{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/cosby-show-turns-30-30-things-show/story?id=25605293|title='The Cosby Show' Turns 30: 30 Things You May Not Have Known About the Show|last=Fisher|first=Luchina|date=September 20, 2014|website=ABC News|access-date=January 14, 2017}} However, the character still speaks some Spanish in the first episode and continues to speak the language periodically throughout the series, albeit not as frequently as Cosby had envisioned. Cosby borrowed several names from his real-life family for his fictional one; Clair's maiden name is Hanks, which she shares with Camille.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mentalfloss.com/article/18406/5-mysteries-surrounding-cosby-show|title=5 Mysteries Surrounding The Cosby Show|last=Kovalchik|first=Kara|date=April 9, 2008|website=Mental Floss|publisher=Mental Floss, Inc|access-date=January 14, 2016}} The second season explores each character gaining more responsibility, none more-so than Clair, who is deliberately provided with more storylines and emotions to experience in terms of her relationship with her husband and children.

Clair is portrayed by American actress Phylicia Rashad.{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pLADAAAAMBAJ&q=Phylicia+Ayers-Allen+cosby+show&pg=PA58|title=Bill Cosby and Phylicia Ayers-Allen: Introduce Nightclub Act|date=May 6, 1985|work=Jet|access-date=January 14, 2017|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|pages=58–60|via=Google Books}} In addition to appearances on both television and Broadway, Rashad had a recurring role as Courtney Wright on the soap opera One Life to Live before Cosby personally selected her to play his character's wife.{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Phylicia-Rashad|title=Phylicia Rashad|last=Moredock|first=Janet|date=January 21, 2016|website=Encyclopædia Britannica Online|access-date=January 14, 2017}} Several actresses auditioned for the role, the majority of whom tended to resort to angrily yelling and gesturing when scolding the child actors auditioning to play the character's children. However, Rashad's subtle interpretation differed from her competition; when the actress screen tested opposite actor Malcolm Jamal-Warner, who would ultimately portray son Theo, Rashad simply paused, stared silently and offered him "a look" instead of immediately scolding the character that, according to Cosby, meant "four or five things ... and none of them were good." At the end of Rashad's audition, Cosby announced to Carsey "[Rashad is] Clair". Additionally, because Clair was still intended to be of Dominican heritage at the time, Rashad's own bilingualism and fluency in Spanish benefited her successful casting. Cosby told Rashad she won the role because she acted "with a knowing look in [her] eye."

Observing similarities between the character and herself, Rashad described Clair as "a warm, loving mother"; the actress is also similar in appearance and personality to Camille. Rashad's acting had always been more straight-faced to counter Cosby's humor,{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/26/sports/football/with-tv-proposal-ahmad-rashad-married-sport-and-pop-culture.html|title=With TV Proposal, Ahmad Rashad Married Sport and Pop Culture|last=Weintraub|first=Robert|date=November 25, 2015|website=The New York Times|access-date=January 14, 2017}} typically playing straight woman to Cosby's antics.{{Cite web|url=http://www.today.com/id/38789428/ns/today-today_entertainment/t/robbed-surprising-emmy-nominees-whove-never-won/#.WHz0B_krLIU|title=Robbed! Surprising Emmy nominees who've never won|last=Dawn|first=Randy|website=Today|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305011516/http://www.today.com/id/38789428/ns/today-today_entertainment/t/robbed-surprising-emmy-nominees-whove-never-won/#.WHz0B_krLIU|url-status=dead}} In preparation for the second season, Cosby decided to offer Rashad more comedic material upon learning the actress is "capable of handling comedy on her own–without Cliff." Jet{{'}}s Robert E. Johnson observed that Rashad portrays her character using "soft, sophisticated humor". The sixth season episode "Off to See the Wretched", in which Clair yells at Vanessa for traveling to Baltimore to see a rock concert against her parents' orders, features Rashad's most "uncontrolled" performance as the character. Speaking fondly of his co-star, Cosby said "There's nobody whom I can be more thankful about than Phylicia." In the aftermath of a highly publicized article published in TV Guide before the series premiered that labeled Cosby "one of the most arrogant celebrities",{{Cite web|url=http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/television/Creating_a_sitcom_to_show_viewers_the_real_Bill_Cosby.html|title=Creating a sitcom to show viewers the real Bill Cosby|last=Smith|first=Ronald L.|date=November 19, 2014|website=Philly.com|publisher=Philadelphia Media Network (Digital), LLC|access-date=January 14, 2017}} Rashad took over the majority of the show's promotional appearances herself.{{Cite web|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/1984/1123/112350.html|title=Phylicia Ayers-Allen: getting beyond the race question. 'Cosby Show' star sees acting as 'touching people's hearts'|last=Unger|first=Arthur|date=November 23, 1984|website=The Christian Science Monitor|access-date=January 14, 2017}} Rashad also defended Cosby against the accusations, calling him "one of the most intelligent people I have ever known." In addition to being a few years younger than Clair was intended to be,{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1993/08/08/phylicia-rashad-afteroo-clair-huxtable/|title=Phylicia Rashad: afteroo Clair Huxtable|last=Green|first=Blake|date=August 8, 1993|website=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=January 16, 2017|quote=But if there's something that annoys [Rashad] -- besides the suggestion that Clair was a little too perfect and, maybe, one-dimensional ...}} Rashad is only 10 years older than actress Sabrina LeBeauf, who portrays eldest child Sondra. Meanwhile, actress Ethel Ayler, who portrays Clair's mother Carrie, is only 14 years her senior.{{Cite web|url=http://ca.complex.com/pop-culture/2014/09/15-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-cosby-show/|title=15 Things You Didn't Know About "The Cosby Show"|last=Hoyte|first=Nikeita|date=September 20, 2014|website=Complex|access-date=January 14, 2017}} Actress Clarice Taylor auditioned for the role of Carrie,{{Cite web|url=http://www.accesshollywood.com/articles/clarice-taylor-known-for-grandmother-roles-on-the-cosby-show-sesame-street-dies-at-93-101991/|title=Clarice Taylor, Known For Grandmother Roles On 'The Cosby Show,' 'Sesame Street,' Dies At 93|date=June 2, 2011|website=Access Hollywood|publisher=NBCUniversal, Inc|access-date=January 18, 2016}} deliberately making herself over in attempt to look young enough to play Rashad's mother before Cosby ultimately cast her as his own character's.{{Cite web|url=http://globalnews.ca/news/129468/clarice-taylor-known-for-grandmother-roles-on-the-cosby-show-sesame-street-dies-at-93/|title=Clarice Taylor, known for grandmother roles on 'The Cosby Show,' 'Sesame Street,' dies at 93|date=June 17, 2011|website=Global News|access-date=January 18, 2017}}

Credited as Phylicia Ayers-Allen, Rashad eventually adopted the surname of her third husband, sportscaster Ahmad Rashad, whom she married during the show's third season. During the wedding ceremony, Rashad was "given away" to Ahmad by television husband Cosby, by whom the couple had first been introduced. Cosby assured Rashad that she would be allowed to remain on the show should she and Ahmad decide to have a baby, joking, "We'll just add another Huxtable". Rashad became pregnant with their child during season three. To avoid having to add an infant to the main cast, extreme tactics were used to conceal the actress' pregnancy onscreen, such as confining Clair to bed or having her be out of town for several episodes at a time. Scooped out,{{Cite web|url=http://parade.com/340428/jerylbrunner/the-cosby-show-turns-30-surprising-facts-about-the-hit-series/|title=The Cosby Show Turns 30! Surprising Facts About the Hit Series|last=Brunner|first=Jeryl|date=September 18, 2014|website=Parade|publisher=AMG/Parade|access-date=January 20, 2017}} the bed's mattress was specially constructed to prevent Rashad's growing stomach from being visible underneath the covers but ultimately resulted in the actress suffering a pinched nerve in her back. Rashad would also hide behind props such as kitchen tables, counters and jackets.{{Cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1878293_1878320_1878350,00.html|title=Top 10 Pregnant Performers – But Didn't Dr. Huxtable Deliver Babies?|magazine=Time|date=10 February 2009 |publisher=Time Inc|access-date=January 14, 2017}} In the episode "Vanessa's Rich", Rashad uses a large teddy bear to hide her pregnancy while seated on the living room sofa, but the toy's origin and purpose within the episode remains unexplained. After giving birth to daughter Condola Rashad in 1986, Rashad managed to lose the weight she had gained while pregnant by the time season four premiered. Rashad's sister, actress Debbie Allen, appeared in an episode of The Cosby Show as Clair's personal trainer.{{Cite web|url=http://www.okayplayer.com/news/phylicia-rashad-clair-huxtable-cosby-show-top-10-favorite-moments.html/3|title=Throwback Thursday: Clair Huxtable's Greatest Hits|last=Phunk|first=Dee|date=2012|website=Okayplayer|pages=1–11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203160823/http://www.okayplayer.com/news/phylicia-rashad-clair-huxtable-cosby-show-top-10-favorite-moments.html|archive-date=February 3, 2017|access-date=January 20, 2016}} Additionally, Cosby enlisted Rashad to choreograph the Huxtables' performance of Ray Charles' "Night Time Is the Right Time".{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/cosbyhislifetime0000whit_p0e6|url-access=registration|quote=keshia.|title=Cosby: His Life and Times|last=Whitaker|first=Mark|publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=2014|isbn=9781451697971|location=United States|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cosbyhislifetime0000whit_p0e6/page/332 332]|via=Internet Archive}}

Rashad enjoyed working with both Cosby and the young cast, claiming that the actors very much became like a real family as early as the first episode, although her real-life relationship with the child actors more-so resembled that of friends as opposed to mother. Clair believes that playing a serious mother on television has helped her have more fun in real life, explaining that she realized the bedroom of her own son, Billy, was merely "typical" in comparison to that of Theo's.{{Cite web|url=http://people.com/archive/the-cosby-show-1984-1992-vol-53-no-25/|title=The Cosby Show: 1984-1992|date=June 26, 2000|website=People|access-date=February 15, 2018}} Rashad said, "I think Bill and I are great role models as far as our TV professions are concerned. Kids learn by example, and I think we're very good ones." Second to Cosby himself, Rashad is the series' most regular cast member, appearing in a total of 212 episodes.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/cosby/cast/100456|title=The Cosby Show – Cast|website=TV Guide|publisher=CBS Interactive Inc|access-date=January 17, 2016}} In response to television personality Oprah Winfrey quoting a common critique of the series – "How is it realistic to have a doctor and a lawyer in the same house?" – Rashad defended, "I grew up in Houston, Texas, in Third Ward, and it was very realistic. … I guess it just depends on who you know and what you know."{{Cite web|url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-do-the-huxtables-our-favorite-tv-family-compare-to-the-average-u-s-family/|title=How Do the Huxtables, Our Favorite TV Family, Compare to the Average U.S. Family?|last=Chalabi|first=Mona|date=June 12, 2014|website=FiveThirtyEight|access-date=January 18, 2017}}{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kL2cDQAAQBAJ&q=How+is+it+realistic+to+have+a+doctor+and+a+lawyer+in+the+same+house%3F&pg=PA71|title=The Lived Experience of African American Women Mentors: What it Means to Guide as Community Pedagogues|last=Gamble-Lomax|first=Wyletta|publisher=Lexington Books|year=2016|isbn=9781498514637|location=United States|pages=71|chapter=I Am Who I Am|via=Google Books}}

Representing "the exemplary good wife and mother", Clair is depicted as both composed and maternal. Described as "graceful but assertive, dignified but devoted" by Encyclopædia Britannica, Clair is an eloquent, elegant and intelligent character,{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebump.com/a/the-best-tv-moms|title=The Best TV Moms|last=Yang|first=Sarah|website=TheBump.com|date=30 January 2017 |access-date=February 19, 2017}} and appears to be as street as she is book smart.{{Cite web|url=http://www.parents.com/parenting/celebrity-parents/moms-dads/best-tv-moms/view-all/|title=15 Best TV Moms|last=Besich|first=Bekka|website=Parents|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726203202/https://secure.parents.com/common/profile/regStep1.jsp?regSource=7464&returnURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.parents.com%2Fparenting%2Fcelebrity-parents%2Fmoms-dads%2Fbest-tv-moms%2Fview-all%2F|archive-date=July 26, 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=February 18, 2017|url-access=registration }} US Weekly said that the character possesses a "sly" sense of humor.{{Cite web|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/pictures/15-best-tv-moms-201395/30477|title=15 Best TV Moms!|date=May 10, 2013|website=US Weekly|access-date=February 19, 2017}} A proficient debater who always speaks her mind,{{Cite web|url=https://mom.me/kids/14822-6-things-i-learned-about-motherhood-clair-huxtable/|title=6 Things I Learned About Motherhood From Clair Huxtable|last=Blades|first=Nicole|date=September 18, 2014|website=mom.me|access-date=January 20, 2016}} she rarely loses arguments. Writing for For Harriet, Tracey Michae'l described the character as "elegantly tough, eloquent, and engaging".{{Cite web|url=http://theculture.forharriet.com/2015/04/the-18-best-black-female-tv-characters.html|title=The 18 Best Black Female TV Characters of All Time|last=Michae'l|first=Tracey|date=April 7, 2015|website=For Harriet|access-date=January 18, 2017}} Usually depicted as the smartest character in any given room,{{Cite web|url=https://www.vox.com/xpress/2014/9/19/6537495/clair-huxtable-feminist-new-york-times|title=Without Clair Huxtable, there would be no Olivia Pope|last=Williams|first=Lauren|date=September 19, 2014|website=Vox|access-date=January 14, 2017}} Clair often uses her skills attained as a lawyer to uncover the truth when other characters, particularly her children, are lying,{{Cite web|url=http://www.wetpaint.com/clair-huxtable-best-tv-mom-1489517/|title=5 Reasons Why Clair Huxtable Is the Mom Everyone Wanted|last=Augustine|first=Afiya|date=April 28, 2016|website=Wetpaint|publisher=FunctionX, Inc.|pages=1–6|access-date=January 16, 2016|quote=Clair was quite possibly one of the best moms on TV}} on one occasion getting Theo to admit (through a family "trial") that he had made cracks about an overweight fast food restaurant employee, which she overheard, resulting in his expulsion from track by the irate coach. Robert E. Johnson of Ebony observed that Clair's legal background "equipped her with rapid, razor-sharp retorts to counter" Cliff's humor. Clair is also shown to be a talented singer – she performs a duet with musician Stevie Wonder in the episode "A Touch of Wonder" – dancer and multilinguist, capable of speaking Spanish and Portuguese in addition to English. Passionate about her African American heritage and culture, Clair wins painter Ellis Wilson's – her "great uncle" in the series – original painting Funeral Procession at an auction, which she purchases for $11,000 and proudly hangs in her living room for the remainder of the series.

File:Bill Cosby 1965.JPG plays Dr. Cliff Huxtable, Clair's husband who is marginally less stern than she is as a parent.|alt=A black and white image of comedian Bill Cosby, who portrays Clair's husband Cliff.]]

New Jersey 101.5 believes "Strong, loving and warm" to be "three of the best ways to describe Clair".{{Cite web|url=http://nj1015.com/top-10-coolest-tv-moms/|title=Top 10 Coolest TV Moms|date=May 10, 2013|website=New Jersey 101.5|access-date=April 7, 2018}} MeTV described Clair's parenting style as "firm, yet loving."{{Cite web|url=http://www.metv.com/lists/the-top-10-tv-moms-of-all-time|title=The Top 10 TV Moms of All Time|date=May 6, 2016|website=MeTV|access-date=February 18, 2017}} Writing for NPR, Eric Deggans observed that Clair uses a "loving-yet-sardonic" approach to parenting, demonstrated by her line "I was a beautiful woman once, before the children came".{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/09/19/349847465/examining-bill-cosbys-legacy-as-the-cosby-show-turns-30|title=Examining Bill Cosby's Legacy As 'The Cosby Show' Turns 30|last=Deggans|first=Eric|date=September 19, 2014|website=NPR|access-date=January 18, 2016}} Considered to be the stricter of the two parents, Clair is humorous and sarcastic about the frustrations and challenges of parenting, often joking about killing or abandoning her children but at the same time making sure they do not take her exaggerated threats too seriously by demonstrating "obvious loving indulgences".{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ascXLyN1E7QC&q=I+was+a+beautiful+woman+once%2C+before+the+children+came+cosby&pg=PA104|title=The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined All Women|last1=Douglas|first1=Susan|last2=Michaels|first2=Meredith|publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=2005|isbn=9780743260466|location=United States|pages=104–106|chapter=Threats from Without|via=Google Books}} She prefers to use "a no-nonsense ... approach to maintaining" her family, except for rare situations in which nonsense is required.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/happy-mother-day-top-10-best-working-moms-tv-article-1.3157411|title=Happy Mother's Day to the top 10 best working moms on TV|last=Desantis|first=Rachel|date=May 12, 2017|website=New York Daily News|access-date=February 16, 2018|quote=Clair remains a vital slice of pop culture history - they don't call it the 'Huxtable Effect' for nothing.}} In the pilot, Clair responds to Theo's last minute breakfast request for scrambled eggs after she had already prepared sunny side up eggs for him by using her spatula to "scramble" them. According to The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined All Women author Susan Douglas, Clair sometimes makes the mistake of alternating between stern and overindulgent too abruptly. Equally successful in their respective professions, Clair's relationship with Cliff deliberately mirrors the real-life relationship of Cosby and his wife Camille. Clair occasionally raises her voice but seldom yells or loses her temper, demonstrating calmness and a sense of humor as a "remedy for the trials and tribulations of motherhood."

In comparison to Cliff, Clair is usually the tougher and more sensible parent, offering her children legitimate advice that they can actually apply to their everyday lives; it remains clear to audiences that Clair runs the household. AskMen's Geoffrey Lansdell agreed that the character "rel[ies] on a sly maternal quality that fed off of Bill Cosby’s silly paternal playfulness". However, there are occasionally times when Clair resorts to the "wait till your father gets home" method of disciplining her children.{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ascXLyN1E7QC&q=I+was+a+beautiful+woman+once%2C+before+the+children+came+cosby&pg=PA104|title=The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined All Women|last1=Douglas|first1=Susan|last2=Michaels|first2=Meredith|publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=2005|isbn=9780743260466|location=United States|pages=104–105|chapter=The Mommy Myth|via=Google Books}} Clair generally accepts her children's decisions and ever-changing ambitions, specifically in regards to schooling, marriage and careers.{{Cite web|url=https://mic.com/articles/48089/5-reasons-claire-huxatable-is-the-ultimate-feminist-mom#.MsPryvyNN|title=5 Reasons Claire Huxatable is the Ultimate Feminist Mom|last=Galo|first=Sarah|date=June 17, 2013|website=Mic|access-date=January 14, 2017}} Both Clair and Cliff value the importance of proper education in their children's lives, appearing proudest when they do well in school, but delivering the most serious punishments when they underperform academically. On one occasion, Theo rebels against his parents' high expectations of him, arguing, "Because of what you two have achieved, the whole world expects a lot more from us than other kids. Let’s face it, there’s nowhere else left for us to go but down," a statement Clair immediately reprimands him for making.{{Cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2014/09/the_cosby_show_30th_anniversary_a_look_back_at_the_very_special_episodes.html?wpsrc=sp_all_article_storypromo|title=When The Cosby Show Got "Very Special"|last=Harris|first=Aisha|date=September 18, 2014|website=Slate|access-date=January 17, 2016}} When it comes to parenting, Clair usually maintains "an allure of cool, calm confidence ... exhibit[ing] a strong but gentle parenting stance, one that wasn’t seen on television by a woman of color" at the time, according to Global Grind's Desire Thompson.{{Cite web|url=https://globalgrind.com/3905724/the-most-influential-african-american-women-television-tv-list/|title=The Top 20 Most Influential African-American Women Television Has Ever Seen (LIST)|last=Thompson|first=Desire|date=2014|website=Global Grind|publisher=Interactive One|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327064120/https://globalgrind.com/3905724/the-most-influential-african-american-women-television-tv-list/|archive-date=March 27, 2017|access-date=January 18, 2016}} Clair practices disciplining her children without ever punishing them physically, often delivering punishments "with a calm charm",{{Cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/gallery/20-tv-moms-we-love/clair-huxtable-phylicia-rashad/|title=20 TV Moms We Love|date=May 6, 2016|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=February 18, 2017}} and raises her four daughters to love and respect themselves. However, she is also known for ranting at her children when she loses her temper, one of her most recognizable of which is the one she gives Vanessa when she attends a concert in Baltimore against her parents' wishes. In the Season 3 episode "The Shower", Denise hosts a wedding shower for a close friend who gets pregnant on purpose to blackmail her parents into letting her marry her fiancé as soon as possible. When Denise broaches the subject of how she would handle a similar situation, Clair sternly – but rather comically – insists that she will never find herself in a similar situation. Despite her seriousness and disciplinarian status, Clair seldom shies away from laughing and participating in fun activities alongside her family as opposed to simply observing them from the sidelines. The character is also fond of relaxing and taking time to herself away from her children whenever necessary.

The Cosby Show is famous for rarely discussing political or controversial topics;{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-armstrong/the-cosby-show-one-of-the_b_2884003.html|title=The Cosby Show: One of the Most Feminist Shows of All Time?|last=Armstrong|first=Jennifer|date=March 26, 2013|website=The Huffington Post|access-date=January 16, 2016}} it spends significantly more time openly addressing Clair's role as "a woman who 'has it all'", maintaining a successful career while raising a family,{{Cite web|url=https://tcnjjournal.pages.tcnj.edu/2014/09/30/5-feminist-tv-characters-old-and-new-you-should-be-watching/|title=5 Feminist TV Characters — Old and New — You Should Be Watching|last=Ippolito|first=Amanda|date=September 30, 2014|website=TCNJ Journal|access-date=January 18, 2017}} than it does the race of its characters.{{Cite web|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/television/2014/09/clair_huxtable_feminist_hero_the_cosby_show_wife_revisited_on_30th_anniversary.html|title=The Other Huxtable Effect|last=Bailey|first=Jason|date=September 18, 2014|website=Slate|access-date=January 14, 2017}} The series seldom shies away from discussing gender equality. Despite never referring to herself as feminist within the show, Clair proudly embodies several feminist themes and beliefs,{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VTlggJal12YC&q=clair+huxtable&pg=PT61|title=Beyond Black: Celebrity and Race in Obama's America|last=Cashmore|first=Ellis|publisher=A & C Black|year=2012|isbn=9781780931470|location=United Kingdom|pages=51|chapter=A Black Family That TV Hadn't Seen Before|quote=The one character in the show who ... emerged untouched by criticism was Clair Huxtable|via=Google Books}} remaining, according to The Daily Dot{{'}}s Nico Lang, "an outspoken advocate for equality in her household, fighting sexism while setting an example for her daughters."{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailydot.com/via/its-time-to-kill-the-cosby-show/|title=Is it time to kill 'The Cosby Show'?|last=Lang|first=Nico|date=November 24, 2014|website=The Daily Dot|access-date=January 14, 2017}} From the sitcom's earliest stages, Cosby had always intended for Clair to reflect the ever-changing work and family dynamic,{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hy1MAgAAQBAJ&q=my+wife+could+do+the+cooking+and+I+could+be+the+guy+on+the+sofa+who+just+says%2C+%E2%80%98Let+your+mother+handle+this.%E2%80%99&pg=PA364|title=Screen Couple Chemistry: The Power of 2|last=Nochimson|first=Martha P.|publisher=University of Texas Press|year=2010|isbn=9780292788008|location=United States|pages=364|via=Google Books}} explaining, "If this was 1964 ... my wife could do the cooking and I could be the guy on the sofa who just says, ‘Let your mother handle this.’ But today a lot of things have changed and I want the show to reflect those changes." According to Rotten Tomatoes' Alex Vo, Clair represents "the rapidly changing gender and household roles from the 1980s and onward." MeTV agreed that Clair is "the '80s response to the '50s housewife." Although feminism was hardly a new concept to sitcoms by the time The Cosby Show premiered, feminist television characters remained scarce during the early 1980s. The Huffington Post{{'}}s Dr. Mlsee Harris observed that, during this time, "The stereotypical role of the black woman on television ... had been that of a financially struggling, single woman with dysfunctional relationships, trying to get her life together with no distinct direction", stereotypes Clair worked to defy. Sarah Galo of Mic observed that Clair demonstrates that motherhood and having a career are not "separate entities".

The New York Daily News{{'}} Rachel Desantis believes that the character's "'woman who has it all' mentality towards motherhood and her career as an attorney represented the shifting idea of what it meant to be not just an American mother in the 1980s, but a black American mother." According to Vox writer Lauren Williams, the character reinforces "that pursuing such a demanding career and having a family were not mutually exclusive", seldom hesitating to challenge anyone who doubts her ability to maintain both. For example, in the season one episode "How Ugly Is He?", Clair responds to a sexist statement made by Denise's then-boyfriend David about Clair's decision to work as opposed to remaining home to raise the children with "Why don’t you ask Dr. Huxtable that question?" This exchange would serve as a preface to future, more prominent confrontations Clair would have with Sondra's chauvinistic boyfriend Elvin, who is introduced in the following season in the episode "Cliff in Love", during which Elvin wrongly perceives Clair offering him and Cliff a cup of coffee as an act of servitude. Clair promptly corrects Elvin in the form of a rant that explains the equal roles of a married husband and wife; Jason Bailey of Slate compared Clair's speech to Gloria Stivic arguing about feminist politics with her father Archie Bunker in the sitcom All in the Family. However, when Cliff voices his preference for Daryl, a young man competing for Sondra's affection, over Elvin due to the former's more progressive opinions about women, Clair defends Elvin, reminding Cliff that he once shared Elvin's views and ideas before Clair ultimately changed him for the better. Despite their differences, Clair is willing to accept Elvin with confidence that his primitive opinions about women will eventually change, and is never shown to be mistreating him. Bailey concluded, "If The Cosby Show’s racial politics were merely implied, its gender politics were clear, pointed, and decidedly progressive."

Clair's beliefs and endeavors as a working wife and mother are wholeheartedly supported by her family. Additionally, when Clair is at work, Cliff willingly assumes traditionally female household responsibilities such as cooking and cleaning. Both Clair's professional and personal lives operate alongside each other rather smoothly with little conflict. However, despite being a full-time lawyer, she is seldom shown at work in the courtroom; audiences see the character at home more often than anywhere else. According to Women Watching Television: Gender, Class, and Generation in the American Television Experience author Andrea L. Press, Clair's role demonstrates "the hegemonic view that families need not change to accommodate working wives and mothers", believing that the show mostly depicts Clair at home to avoid exploring the everyday conflicts working women endure in their daily lives. One of the series' more political moments, Clair refuses to be exploited as "the token black woman" on a morning talk show discussing the Great Depression during the episode "Mrs. Huxtable Goes to Kindergarten", a position she accepts under the impression that she would be appreciated for her experience as a lawyer. When Clair learns that her all-white male co-panelists only want to hear opinions from the perspective of a black woman, Clair delivers a speech that reads, "I am also a human being, who is an attorney, a mother of five, and somewhat knowledgeable about history ... But when you look at me, this is all you see in me, a black woman?"

The show's only main character to have been spared harsh criticism, Clair has garnered very positive reviews from critics, by whom she continues to be venerated frequently.{{Cite web|url=http://www.trulytafakari.com/black-ish-will-never-cosby-show-thats-ok/|title=Black-ish Will Never Be The Cosby Show…and That's Perfect|date=October 28, 2015|website=truly tafakari|access-date=February 19, 2017|quote=We would be hard-pressed to find the oft-venerated Claire Huxtable in this model of modern woman.}} Critics and journalists often celebrate the character's "outspoken, womanist views".{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QsEtDwAAQBAJ&q=the+clair+huxtable+effect&pg=PT53|title=The Evolution of Black Women in Television: Mammies, Matriarchs and Mistresses|last=Cheers|first=Imani M.|publisher=Routledge|year=2017|isbn=9781315511238|location=United Kingdom|via=Google Books}} Blake Green of The Baltimore Sun described the character as "the perfect wife and mother of five who also practiced law and dressed to the nines." Jezebel's Hillary Crosley Coker hailed Clair as a "career-driven matriarch that kicked ass at home and at work."{{Cite web|url=http://jezebel.com/if-you-had-told-me-five-years-ago-or-ten-or-fifteen-1637040535|title=Let Us Celebrate Clair Huxtable, Feminist Icon, and The Cosby Show|last=Coker|first=Hillary Crosley|date=September 19, 2014|website=Jezebel|access-date=January 14, 2016}} Writing for Complex, Nikeita Hoyte described Clair as "A hard-ass mom who radiates the beauty of a goddess", while the Chicago Tribune wrote that "Clair was one big beacon of gorgeous in the Huxtable household." AfterEllen.com's Jill Guccini called Clair "divine". Including her on her list of "Diverse TV Ladies That Can Help Young Girls Learn How to Kick Ass", she hailed her relationship with Cliff as "something that young girls—gay or straight—really need to see", while praising her occasional use of Spanish.{{Cite web|url=http://www.afterellen.com/tv/101541-study-says-tv-hurts-girls-self-esteem|title=Study says TV hurts girls' self-esteem|last=Guccini|first=Jill|date=July 31, 2012|website=AfterEllen.com|access-date=August 7, 2017}} In a retrospective review of The Cosby Show in 2014, Daily Life writer Ruby Hamad highlighted Clair as the "one thing about the show that is as good now as it was then".{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailylife.com.au/dl-people/dl-entertainment/four-times-clair-huxtable-was-a-badass-feminist-20140912-3fga9.html|title=Four times Clair Huxtable was a badass feminist|last=Hamad|first=Ruby|date=September 15, 2014|website=Daily Life|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721180531/http://www.dailylife.com.au/dl-people/dl-entertainment/four-times-clair-huxtable-was-a-badass-feminist-20140914-3fga9.html|archive-date=July 21, 2015|access-date=January 16, 2017|url-status=dead}} In terms of the character's best episodes, Joe Reid of The Atlantic cited Clair's unimpressed reaction to her husband allegedly confusing a cherished memory of her with that of an old love interest in the sixth season episode "Isn't It Romantic?" as a personal favorite, specifically lauding Rashad's pronunciation of "tacky barrette" and "her hairpin turn when Cliff's real gift is revealed that shows that next dimension that always pushed Clair to the top of the heap." Meanwhile, Kevin O'Keefe, writing for the same publication, selected Clair's enraged monologue to Vanessa in season six's "Off to See the Wretched", followed by the character's dismay upon learning that Sondra has decided not to return to law school, as his favorites, enjoying the way in which Clair adopts an "attack mode" in both circumstances. Reviewing the character's conversation about pregnancy and marriage with Denise in season three's "The Shower", Slate{{'}}s Aisha Harris wrote "written realistically and delivered beautifully by Rashad, the moment attains a level of artistry that spot-on TV lessons rarely reach." When the show aired, both middle and upper-class working women responded well to Clair.{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DFmJmzdeDPoC&q=clair&pg=PA45|title=Women Watching Television: Gender, Class, and Generation in the American Television Experience|last=Press|first=Andrea L|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|year=1991|isbn=9780812212860|location=United States|pages=80–81|chapter=Middle-Class Women Discuss Television|via=Google Books}} However, some few reviewers have occasionally accused the character of being too perfect and one-dimensional, while others found her to be too aggressive, outspoken, lacking in maternity and overly controlling towards both her children and husband. Additionally, some feminist critics did not appreciate the fact that Clair rarely struggles with everyday situations that working mothers typically encounter in real life.

Rashad has also garnered critical acclaim for her performance. Writing for AARP, Allan Fallow wrote that Rashad charmed audiences "with her wholesome brand of comedy."{{Cite web|url=http://www.aarp.org/entertainment/television/info-2016/famous-tv-moms-where-are-they-now-photo.html#slide3|title=Top TV Moms: Where Are They Now?|last=Fallow|first=Allan|date=April 29, 2016|website=AARP|access-date=February 19, 2017}} Robert Weintraub of The New York Times hailed Rashad as "America’s mom, dispensing tough love with a straight face opposite Cosby’s comic mugging". Jason Bailey of Slate wrote that Rashad portrayed her character "majestically", while The Huffington Post{{'}}s Mlsee Harris praised the actress for playing Clair "with class and poise from 1984 through 1992."{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-misee-harris/beseeching-the-return-of-_b_5552744.html|title=Where Is This Generation's Clair Huxtable?|last=Harris|first=Dr. Mlsee|date=July 2, 2014|website=The Huffington Post|access-date=January 16, 2017}} Writing for the same publication, Jennifer Armstrong dubbed Rashad "a great ranter". Nick Hartel of DVD Talk reviewed that she "perfectly ... captures some of his best caricatures of [Cosby's] own wife, Camille."{{Cite web|url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/64070/cosby-show-seasons-1-2-the/|title=The Cosby Show: Seasons 1 & 2|last=Hartel|first=Nick|date=March 11, 2014|website=DVD Talk|access-date=February 5, 2017}} However, Time television critic Richard Zoglin criticized the actress for being "too young by a decade".{{Cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,967576,00.html|title=Video: Prime Time's New First Family|last=Zoglin|first=Richard|date=May 6, 1985|magazine=Time|access-date=August 13, 2017}} Rashad has won numerous awards and accolades for her performance over the course of two decades,{{Cite web|url=http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Tony-Winner-Phylicia-Rashad-Named-2017-Women-in-the-Arts-Honoree-at-Steppenwolf-Theatre-20161221|title=Tony Winner Phylicia Rashad Named 2017 Women in the Arts Honoree at Steppenwolf Theatre|date=December 21, 2016|website=Broadway World|access-date=March 30, 2017}} including two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Although she never won, Randee Dawn of Today felt that Rashad's performances during the show's first and last seasons were most deserving. Dawn elaborated, "While it seems hard to imagine today, in 1984, finding a tough-minded, super smart, middle-class black woman on TV was all but unheard of, much less finding one who could contend with and occasionally upstage a legendary comedian." Following her 1986 nomination, Rashad would remain the last African American actress to be nominated for an Emmy Award in that particular category for 30 years, until 2016.{{Cite web|url=http://www.upworthy.com/tracee-ellis-ross-didnt-win-an-emmy-but-she-won-our-hearts-and-made-history-anyway|title=Tracee Ellis Ross didn't win an Emmy. But she won our hearts and made history anyway.|last=Barron|first=Alicia|date=September 18, 2016|website=Upworthy|access-date=February 19, 2016}}{{Cite web|url=http://abc7chicago.com/entertainment/first-black-woman-in-30-years-to-be-nominated-for-best-comedy-actress-emmy/1510324/|title=Tracee Ellis Ross is first black woman in 30 years to be nominated for the Best Comedy Actress Emmy|date=September 15, 2016|website=ABC 7 Chicago|access-date=February 19, 2017}} At the 15th People's Choice Awards in 1989, Rashad won in the category of Favorite Female TV Performer.{{Cite web|url=http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/awards/nominees/?year=1989|title=Nominees & Winners – 1989|website=People's Choice Awards|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426035623/http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/awards/nominees/?year=1989|archive-date=April 26, 2016|access-date=March 23, 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u70DAAAAMBAJ&q=phylicia+Rashad+people%27s+choice+award&pg=PA52|title=Cosby, Phylicia Rashad Take Peoples' Choice Honors|date=March 27, 1989|work=Jet|access-date=March 23, 2017|page=53|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996|via=Google Books}} Rashad also won two NAACP Image Awards.{{Cite web|url=http://www.workingmother.com/25-most-memorable-working-mothers-in-tv-history#page-24|title=25 Most Memorable Working Mothers in TV History|last=Keefer|first=Amanda|date=November 4, 2016|website=Working Mother|access-date=March 16, 2017}} Former South African President Nelson Mandela once personally thanked Rashad for her contributions to The Cosby Show, which he claimed to have watched while imprisoned on Robben Island.{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeryl-brunner/the-cosby-show-turns-30-s_b_5854800.html|title=The Cosby Show Turns 30! Surprising Facts About the Hit Series|last=Brunner|first=Jeryl|date=September 22, 2014|website=The Huffington Post|access-date=January 20, 2017}}

Clair is widely regarded as one of the greatest mothers in television history by several media publications.{{Cite web|url=http://rollingout.com/2016/05/06/mom-goals-10-tv-mothers-love/7/|title=Mom goals: 10 TV mothers we love|last=Hawkins|first=R.|date=May 6, 2016|website=Rolling Out|access-date=February 19, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/cosby-show-gallery-1.91634?pmSlide=1.93745|title=The Cosby Show: Where are they now? – Phylicia Rashad – Claire Huxtable|website=New York Daily News|date=June 2011 |access-date=July 27, 2017|quote=Considered one of the all-time best TV moms ...}}{{Cite web|url=http://kxan.com/2014/05/09/survey-clair-huxtable-best-tv-mom-of-all-time/|title=Survey: 'Clair Huxtable' Best TV Mom of All Time|last=Vega|first=Jackie|date=May 9, 2014|website=KXAN.com|access-date=March 10, 2018}} Time dubbed Clair "America's favorite TV mom". People{{'}}s Jane Hall hailed the character as America's "No. 1 wife and mom" while crowning Rashad "TV's Reigning Mom" in 1987.{{Cite web|url=http://people.com/archive/tvs-reigning-mom-phylicia-rashad-and-her-football-hero-ahmad-revel-in-a-match-made-by-bill-cosby-vol-28-no-20/|title=TV's Reigning Mom, Phylicia Rashad, and Her Football Hero, Ahmad, Revel in a Match Made by Bill Cosby|last=Hall|first=Jane|date=November 16, 1987|website=People|access-date=March 19, 2017}} Hayley Krischer of Salon agreed that Clair is "everyone’s favorite" and "undoubtedly the best TV mom", despite being "too calm, too gorgeous, too successful" to be realistic.{{Cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/2014/02/09/where_are_the_realistic_tv_moms/|title=Where are the realistic TV moms?|last=Krischer|first=Hayley|date=February 9, 2014|website=Salon|publisher=The Associated Press|access-date=January 18, 2016}} The Daily Beast wrote, "Clair Huxtable was not only the perfect mom, but also a great role model as someone who never sacrificed either her career as a high-power lawyer or her family life."{{Cite web|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/tvs-best-and-worst-moms-veep-game-of-thrones-and-more|title=TV's Best and Worst Moms: 'Veep,' 'Game of Thrones,' and More|date=May 11, 2014|website=The Daily Beast|access-date=July 25, 2017}} Praising the character for transcending both racial and generational barriers, Patrice Evans of Jezebel described Clair as "the perfect professional mom".{{Cite web|url=http://jezebel.com/5846120/the-clair-huxtable-code|title=The Clair Huxtable Code|last=Evans|first=Patrice|date=October 4, 2011|website=Jezebel|publisher=Patrice|access-date=January 14, 2017}} The author went on to claim that while other famous television mothers such as June Cleaver, Carol Brady and Edith Bunker have gradually suffered a loss in "potency" over time, Clair instead remains a relevant maternal figure every television mother created since can only aspire to be like. Laura Miller of JetMag.com agreed that Clair has always been "the mother to aspire to. She was Black, she was a professional, had a working husband, and a boat load of children. She had it all", but also acknowledged that her portrayal "isn’t a complete reality either".{{Cite web|url=https://www.jetmag.com/talk-back-2/marriage-gender-roles-perceptions/|title=Claire Huxtable, Not June Cleaver|last=Miller|first=Laura|date=August 16, 2016|website=JetMag.com|access-date=April 7, 2018}} As a "family-balancing professional African American woman", Clair has had a profound influence on The Cosby Show{{'}}s viewers.{{Cite web|url=http://celebedition.com/15-life-lessons-clair-huxtable-taught-us/|title=15 Life Lessons Clair Huxtable Taught Us|last=Daniels|first=Jibari|date=2014|website=Celeb Edition|access-date=January 16, 2017}} According to Susan Douglas, author of The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined All Women, Clair was "the first African American mother on television ... with whom white women identified and wanted to emulate." US Weekly recognized Clair as "one of TV's first working mothers", while NewNowNext's Brian Juergens credits the character with making the 1980s a "boom time for great sitcom moms" by "breaking the mold in an essential way".{{Cite web|url=http://www.newnownext.com/best-tv-moms/05/2014/|title=12 of the Best TV Moms Ever|last=Juergens|first=Brian|date=May 8, 2014|website=NewNowNext|access-date=February 19, 2017}} SheKnows contributor Cynthia Boris recognized Clair as a mother television audiences had "never seen before -- a beautiful, successful, working mom who was an African American" and "a positive role model ... every young woman could aspire to."{{Cite web|url=http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/803312/the-top-tv-moms-of-all-time/page:20|title=The top 25 TV moms of all time|last=Boris|first=Cynthia|date=April 2, 2008|website=SheKnows|access-date=February 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729193121/http://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/803312/the-top-tv-moms-of-all-time/page:20|archive-date=July 29, 2014|url-status=dead}} Sharifa Daniels of Vibe concluded "No other TV mom has left such of an effect on viewers as Clair Huxtable ... an exemplary example of a wife, mother, and friend" in an article recognizing "10 Life Lessons Clair Huxtable Taught You".{{Cite web|url=https://www.vibe.com/2014/06/10-life-lessons-clair-huxtable-taught-you-2/|title=10 Life Lessons Clair Huxtable Taught You|last=Daniels|first=Sharifa|date=June 19, 2014|website=Vibe|access-date=July 25, 2017}} According to Cetusnews, Clair and Rashad's performance are responsible for "chang[ing] the perception of working mothers" as one of the first working mothers on television.{{cite web|title=From June Cleaver to Claire Dunphy, we picked the best TV mom from every decade|url=http://www.cetusnews.com/life/From-June-Cleaver-to-Claire-Dunphy--we-picked-the-best-TV-mom-from-every-decade.SkeOf4qXxW.html|website=Cetusnews|access-date=March 9, 2018|date=May 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310074216/http://www.cetusnews.com/life/From-June-Cleaver-to-Claire-Dunphy--we-picked-the-best-TV-mom-from-every-decade.SkeOf4qXxW.html|archive-date=March 10, 2018|url-status=dead}} Lisa Respers France of CNN wrote that Clair was "As beloved as Cosby's Dr. Huxtable", describing her as "a strong, Black feminist in a television landscape with few."{{Cite web|last=France|first=Lisa Respers|date=July 1, 2021|title=Phylicia Rashad's support of Bill Cosby highlights division in the Black community|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/01/entertainment/phylicia-rashad-bill-cosby-black-community/index.html|access-date=July 5, 2021|website=CNN}}

Clair was voted "best TV Mom" in a 2004 poll conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4892882 |title=Claire Huxtable named best TV mom |date=May 4, 2004 |website=Today |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307175457/http://www.today.com/id/4892882/ns/today-entertainment/t/claire-huxtable-named-best-tv-mom/ |archive-date=March 7, 2016 |access-date=November 3, 2015 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2004/may/09/on-the-tube-she-was-the-mother-of-all-mothers/|title=On the tube, she was the mother of all mothers|date=May 9, 2004|website=The Spokesman-Review|access-date=March 9, 2018}} Access Hollywood selected Clair as the second greatest television mother "Of All Time", praising her pioneering role as a "family-balancing professional".{{Cite web|url=https://www.accesshollywood.com/galleries/access-top-20-tv-moms-of-all-time-2258/#19|title=Access' Top 20 TV Moms Of All Time|date=2011|website=Access Hollywood|access-date=February 18, 2017}} Parents ranked the character third out of their "15 Best TV Moms". Describing her as "the chic '80s mom who taught us we can have it all", Entertainment Weekly included Clair at number four on their "20 TV Moms We Love" ranking; MeTV also ranked the character fourth. According to SheKnows in 2008, Clair is the sixth best television mother of the past 60 years. In 2009, she was included in the Top 5 Classic TV Moms by Film.com.{{cite web|url=http://www.film.com/tv/top-10-favorite-tv-moms |title=Top 10 Favorite TV Moms |last=Wilson |first=Stacey |date=May 8, 2009 |website=Film.com |publisher=MTV Networks |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722021159/http://www.film.com/tv/top-10-favorite-tv-moms |archive-date=July 22, 2015 |access-date=June 17, 2012 |url-status=dead }} In May 2012, Clair was one of the 12 moms chosen by users of iVillage on their list of "Mommy Dearest: The TV Moms You Love".{{cite web|url=http://www.ivillage.com/favorite-tv-moms/1-b-152904#152906 |title=Mommy Dearest: The TV Moms You Love |last=Garfinkel |first=Jacki |date=May 10, 2012 |website=iVillage |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104095204/http://www.ivillage.com/favorite-tv-moms/6-b-152904 |archive-date=November 4, 2014 |access-date=June 17, 2012 |url-status=dead }} Unranked, the New York Daily News included Clair among the publication's 10 "coolest small-screen moms".{{Cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/top-10-tv-mothers-time-article-1.2214112|title=Top 10 TV mothers: Lucy Ricardo, Carol Brady and Marge Simpson among coolest small-screen moms|last=Ramisetti|first=Kirthana|date=May 8, 2015|website=New York Daily News|access-date=February 18, 2017}} Similarly, New Jersey 101.5 ranked Clair the second "coolest" television mother, identifying "her role as a pioneering, family-balancing professional" as "a positive one in a sea of dysfunctional TV families." Similarly, Paste recognized Clair as one of "The Best TV Moms of the Last 20 Years" in 2009. According to Paste, Clair is the second "Funniest TV Mom"; recognizing her "flawless" insults, author Anita George described her famous rants as "the stuff of comedy legend", explaining, "it’s not just because the words themselves are elegant and witty. No, Phylicia Rashad had this lyrical, rapid-fire delivery, that made anything that came out of Clair’s mouth sound like a particularly saucy Aaron Sorkin-monologue."{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2013/05/the-10-funniest-tv-moms.html|title=The 10 Funniest TV Moms|last=George|first=Anita|date=May 12, 2013|website=Paste|access-date=February 19, 2017}} Hearitfirst.com ranked the character the ninth "Most Respected" television mother of all time.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hearitfirst.com/news/10-most-respected-tv-moms-of-all-time|title=10 Most Respected TV Moms Of All Time|date=August 24, 2014|website=Hear It First|access-date=February 15, 2015}} AskMen included Clair among the website's "Top 10: Hot Sitcom Moms", ranking her fourth.{{cite web|url=http://ca.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/top-10-hot-sitcom-moms_4.html|title=Top 10: Hot Sitcom Moms – 4. Clair Huxtable|author=Lansdell|first=Geoffrey|date=September 27, 2008|website=AskMen|access-date=August 12, 2017}} The A. V. Club recognized Clair among the greatest fictional mothers of all-time.{{Cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/best-fictional-moms-malory-archer-sophie-zawitowsk-218940|title=The best fictional moms, from Malory Archer to Sophie Zawitowski|last1=Adams|first1=Erik|last2=Alston|first2=Johsua|date=May 7, 2015|website=The A. V. Club|access-date=July 14, 2017|last3=Anthony|first3=David|last4=Eakin|first4=Marah|last5=Ihnat|first5=Gwen|last6=McLevy|first6=Alex|last7=Modell|first7=Josh|last8=PenzeyMoog|first8=Caitlin|last9=Ryan|first9=Kyle}} Ranking the character their favorite fictional mother, The Grio determined that the character "will always be remembered as the working mother that was strong, opinionated, unapologetic and compassionate."{{Cite web|url=https://thegrio.com/2012/06/19/slideshow-thegrios-top-10-favorite-ficitonal-moms/|title=Slideshow: theGrio's top 10 favorite fictional moms|date=June 19, 2012|website=The Grio|access-date=February 15, 2018}} The New York Daily News ranked her the eight best working mother on television. Despite her adoration as a mother, Lynn Neary of NPR observed that women dislike the character "because I think I could never be that patient, that fabulous, you know, five kids, holding it down like that."{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93787164|title=Legendary 'Mom' Phylicia Rashad On Life in the Arts|last=Neary|first=Lynn|date=August 20, 2008|website=NPR|access-date=February 15, 2018}}

{{rquote|left|As in serve your man? Let me tell you something Elvin. You see, I am not serving Dr. Huxtable, okay? That's the kind of thing that goes on in a restaurant. Now I am going to bring him a cup of coffee, just like he brought me a cup of coffee this morning, and that, young man, is what marriage is made of: it is give and take, fifty-fifty. And if you don't get it together, and drop these macho attitudes, you are never going to have anybody bringing you anything, anywhere, anyplace, anytime, ever.|Clair's famous "feminist rant" to Sondra's boyfriend Elvin about gender roles in marriage as it appears in "Cliff in Love", Season 2, Episode 4.}}

Clair has since been established as a feminist icon, often hailed by critics "as one of the biggest feminist icons in TV history" who "helped redefine the representation of working women in the media."{{Cite web|url=https://thoughtcatalog.com/cassandra-guerrier/2015/01/clair-huxtable-please-just-shut-the-fck-up/|title=Clair Huxtable, Please Just Shut The F*ck Up!|last=Guerrier|first=Cassandra|date=January 9, 2015|website=Thought Catalog|access-date=January 23, 2018}} Vox's Lauren Williams credits the character with teaching "me about feminism before I knew what it was". Writing for Jezebel, Hilary Crosley Coker crowned Clair "a Trojan Horse for" both feminism and black feminism. Dubbing the character "a bonafide feminist warrior", Daily Life Ruby Hamad praised Clair for teaching her "that a woman is no less of a woman, a mother and a wife for working." Slate critic Jason Bailey observed that, during The Cosby Show{{'}}s initial run, critics and audiences were too busy commenting on the race of the sitcom's main characters to notice that Cosby had imbued his series with "proud and vocal feminism" in the form of Clair. According to Bailey, The Cosby Show was not only successful because Clair "was a strong, liberated woman with a career"; she also "had a husband and family who supported and valued her endeavors." Dubbing Clair's influence on pop culture as "one of TV’s great feminists" the "Other Huxtable Effect", Bailey concluded that the character's impact remains indisputable despite Cosby's recent sexual assault allegations, and thus maintains that The Cosby Show{{'}}s legacy as a feminist series should not be discredited.

Conversely, in recent times Cosby's controversial history with women has caused some contemporary critics to question his intentions behind creating a character like Clair in the wake of a series of sexual assault allegations made against the comedian. In 2014, The Crunk Feminist Collective famously published an article entitled "Clair Huxtable is Dead: On Slaying the Cosbys" in which the author dismissed the character's progressive gender politics as "a sham", arguing that Clair must be forgotten to allow for a new generation of television heroines.{{Cite web|url=http://www.crunkfeministcollective.com/2014/10/23/clair-huxtable-is-dead-on-slaying-the-cosbys-and-making-space-for-liv-analise-and-mary-jane/|title=Clair Huxtable is Dead: On Slaying the Cosbys and Making Space for Liv, Analise, and Mary Jane|date=October 23, 2014|website=The Crunk Feminist Collective|access-date=January 16, 2016}} Nico Lang of The Daily Dot defended the character against such critics, writing that the show's legacy remains significant "to the Clair Huxtables of the world, both the real women she inspired and a generation of characters who owe a debt to her." Writing for Paste, in 2014 Shannon M. Houston maintains that Clair remains beloved as a "feminist hero" by the same people who now try to disassociate themselves from both Cosby and The Cosby Show.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2014/11/clair-huxtables-good-wife-effect.html|title=Clair Huxtable's Good Wife Effect|last=Houston|first=Shannon M.|date=November 11, 2014|website=Paste|access-date=January 15, 2016}} Kirthana Ramisetti of the New York Daily News agreed that Cosby "can’t detract from Clair’s enduring legacy." John Teti, contributing to The A. V. Club, agreed that "Clair Huxtable’s legacy remains intact" despite "the snowballing disgrace of its star has made The Cosby Show less of a wholesome memory than it once was". Rachel Desantis of the New York Daily News concluded, "No matter the off-screen drama surrounding her on-screen husband, Clair remains a vital slice of pop culture history". However, when Rashad defended Cosby and the show's legacy against the allegations made against him by encouraging critics to "forget these women", Thought Catalog{{'}}s Cassandra Guerrier wrote that the actress' comments reminded fans that "Rashad is NOT her character." In 2023, Entertainment Weekly{{'}}s Lester Fabian Brathwaite said the character's reputation "has remained almost unimpeachable", despite Cosby's crimes.{{Cite magazine |last=Brathwaite |first=Lester Fabian |date=June 29, 2023 |title=Keke Palmer clarifies Clair Huxtable 'uppity' comments, is more of an Aunt Viv person anyway |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |url=https://ew.com/tv/keke-palmer-clarifies-clair-huxtable-uppity-comments/ |access-date=December 28, 2023}}

Mic organized a list of "5 Reasons Claire Huxatable (sic) is the Ultimate Feminist Mom", and The Huffington Post crowned The Cosby Show "One of the Most Feminist Shows of All Time" due to individual contributions from both Clair and Cliff. Dubbed the "feminist rant" by media publications, Clair's speech to future son-in-law Elvin about gender roles and equality in marriage in the episode "Cliff in Love" is often lauded as one of the character's greatest moments,{{Cite web|url=http://www.thefrisky.com/2014-10-24/watch-clair-huxtable-school-us-all-on-gender-stereotypes-marriage-dynamics/|title=Watch Clair Huxtable School Us All On Gender Stereotypes & Marriage Dynamics|last=Claire|first=Hannum|date=October 24, 2014|website=The Frisky|access-date=January 23, 2018}} to which the studio audience responded with enthusiastic applause.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/09/celebrating-30-years-of-the-cosby-show-by-debating-four-key-cosby-questions/380668/|title=Celebrating 30 Years of 'The Cosby Show' by Debating Four Key 'Cosby' Questions|last1=Reid|first1=Joe|last2=O'Keefe|first2=Kevin|date=September 23, 2014|website=The Atlantic|access-date=January 14, 2017}} CNN ranked the rant their seventh favorite The Cosby Show moment.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/19/showbiz/tv/cosby-show-moments/|title='Cosby Show': Our 10 favorite moments|last=France|first=Lisa Respers|date=September 24, 2014|website=CNN|access-date=January 18, 2017}} Slate{{'}}s Jason Bailey hailed the scene as "Rashad’s finest moment on the show." The rant has proven so popular that it continues to be frequently quoted and referenced on the Internet and social media. Paste{{'}}s Shannon M. Houston believes that "If you’re a woman, and you work, and you identify as a feminist, there’s a 90 percent chance you or someone you know has posted that clip". Additionally, Houston believes that the scene remains so popular because the discussion about women in the workplace has hardly changed since the episode first aired 30 years ago. According to Nico Lang of The Daily Dot, Clair taught an entire generation "what a strong, successful woman looked like". Former United States First Lady Michelle Obama has constantly been compared to Clair, by which Obama admitted she is flattered because she considers the character to be an "American icon".{{Cite web|url=https://hellobeautiful.com/20261/part-ii-michelle-obama-on-being-the-fiercest-working-mom-in-america/|title=Exclusive: Michelle Obama On Being The Fiercest Working Mom In America, Part II|date=2009|website=HelloBeautiful|access-date=February 5, 2017}} Patrice Evans of Jezebel wrote that although "Michelle Obama might be taking the baton as the quintessential symbol of the professional black woman/doting mother ... she'll still need Barack to win a second term before she can approach the status of Clair Huxtable." However, Rashad herself has discredited the Clair-Obama comparisons. LGBT rights activist Janet Mock cites Clair as one of her biggest influences: "I wanted to be her; I wanted to be beautiful, be successful, and maybe have a great family and a brownstone in Brooklyn."{{Cite web|url=http://www.out.com/out-exclusives/out100-2013/2013/11/07/out100-janet-mock|title=Out100: Janet Mock|date=November 7, 2013|website=Out|access-date=January 16, 2017}}

Several critics have acknowledged Clair's influence on female African American lawyers Olivia Pope and Annalise Keating from the television dramas Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder, respectively. Clair's influence on fictional female lawyers in television, particularly Alicia Florrick's dual role as mother and lawyer in the legal drama The Good Wife, has been dubbed "the Clair Huxtable effect" by the media. Much like Clair, Alicia is often forced to defend her decision to work while raising her family. Paste{{'}}s Shannon M. Houston concluded, "because someone like Clair Huxtable shared her feminism in the home, someone like Alicia Florrick can now share it in the courtrooms". Crediting Clair with pioneering "the feminist, TV lawyer", the character's impact extends to include Diane Lockhart from The Good Wife and Abby Whelan from Scandal. Rainbow Johnson from the sitcom Black-ish is often compared to Clair.{{Cite web|url=https://culsire.com/a-review-ish-of-black-ish/|title=A Review-ish of Black-ish|last=Brown|first=Andy|date=September 25, 2014|website=CulSire|access-date=February 19, 2016}} In 2015, Elle dubbed Rainbow "the next Clair Huxtable";{{Cite web|url=http://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a25320/women-in-tv-2015-tracee-ellis-ross-black-ish/|title=Women in TV 2015: Tracee Ellis Ross in 'Black-ish'|last=Plattner|first=Seth|date=January 8, 2015|website=Elle|access-date=February 19, 2015}} the character often asks herself "What would Clair Huxtable do?" when struggling to parent her own children.{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-johnson-show-does-what-black-ish-does-best-it-ke-1798187557|title="The Johnson Show" does what Black-ish does best: It keeps it real|last=Ferguson|first=LaToya|date=April 28, 2016|website=The A. V. Club|access-date=February 19, 2017}} Conversely, in 2014 Dr. Mlsee Harris of The Huffington Post published an article asking "Where Is This Generation’s Clair Huxtable?", believing that characters like Clair continue to be scarce in modern-day television despite the character's success and popularity; The Daily Dot{{'}}s Nico Lang agreed that it is television's responsibility to "create 100 more women like [Clair], ones that won’t have to answer for their creator's sins."

Rotten Tomatoes placed Clair at number 15 on the website's ranking of their "25 Favorite TV Lawyers". TCNJ Journal ranked Clair first on its list of "5 Feminist TV Characters — Old and New — You Should Be Watching". For Harriet touted Clair "undoubtedly one of the most influential Black women characters in television history";{{Cite web|url=http://shine.forharriet.com/2014/04/7-brilliant-moments-from-clair-huxtable.html|title=8 Brilliant Moments from Clair Huxtable|last=Foster|first=Kimberly|date=April 30, 2014|website=For Harriet|publisher=Shine|access-date=January 18, 2017}} the same website placed the character at number five on its ranking of "The 18 Best Black Female TV Characters of All Time". Similarly, Global Grind ranked Clair first on their collection of "The Top 20 Most Influential African-American Women Television Has Ever Seen" for contributing to the overall success of The Cosby Show. AOL named Clair the ninth "Most Memorable Female TV Character".{{cite web|url=http://www.aoltv.com/2011/03/02/tvs-greatest-women-25-1/ |title=100 Most Memorable Female TV Characters |last=Potts |first=Kim |date=March 2, 2011 |publisher=TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702004219/http://www.aoltv.com/2011/03/02/tvs-greatest-women-25-1/ |archive-date=July 2, 2015 |work=AOL TV |access-date=July 20, 2012 |url-status=dead }} TVLine ranked Clair among "20 Trailblazing Female TV Characters".{{Cite web|url=http://tvline.com/gallery/strong-female-tv-characters-buffy-olivia-pope-photos/#!16/undefined/|title=20 Trailblazing Female TV Characters|date=March 8, 2017|website=TVLine|access-date=July 25, 2017}} In 2019, Rotten Tomatoes recognized Clair among television's 50 most fearless female characters, praising her for "represent[ing] a black middle-class too often overlooked in early television, entering the living rooms of people of every race as a model of both motherhood and career woman."{{Cite web|url=https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/the-most-fearless-female-characters-on-tv/|title=Than 50 of the Most Fearless Females on TV|date=March 30, 2019|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=March 1, 2020}} Additionally, Clair is regarded as a fashion icon.{{Cite web|url=http://www.refinery29.com/cosby-show-denise-clair-huxtable-fashion-face-off#slide|title=Denise Vs. Clair: It's A Huxtable Fashion-Off!|last=Wang|first=Connie|date=December 7, 2011|website=Refinery29|access-date=January 18, 2016}}>

Having portrayed the character for eight years, Rashad remains best known for her role as Clair;{{Cite web|url=http://www.biography.com/people/phylicia-rashad-12816787#synopsis|title=Phylicia Rashad Biography|website=Biography|publisher=A&E Television Networks, LLC|access-date=January 14, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2015/01/cosby_s_legacy_isn_t_the_issue_phylicia_rashad.html|title=Bye, Phylicia Rashad. Your Romanticizing of Cosby—and Cosby—Is Wrong|last=West|first=Kirsten|date=July 1, 2015|website=The Root|pages=1–2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723095223/http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2015/01/cosby_s_legacy_isn_t_the_issue_phylicia_rashad.html|archive-date=July 23, 2015|access-date=July 23, 2015|url-status=dead}} the actress established herself as a both household name and television icon during the 1980s for portraying "the working mom who had it all".{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/BeautySecrets/story?id=8474484|title=Phylicia Rashad and Debbie Allen Lose Weight Together|last1=Escherich|first1=Katie|last2=Ahuja|first2=Gitika|date=September 3, 2009|website=ABC|access-date=January 20, 2017}} In 1993, Blake Green of The Baltimore Sun wrote that Rashad and her character "appear to be inextricably entwined: Just as no one remembers Clair, the super-woman of The Cosby Show without thinking of the actress who played her, few think of Ms. Rashad without flashing on Clair". At the 42nd NAACP Image Awards in 2010, the organization dubbed Rashad "mother" of the African-American community.{{Cite web|url=http://thefw.com/cosby-show-then-and-now/|title=See the Cast of 'The Cosby Show' Then and Now|last=Taylor|first=Jeremy|date=April 18, 2013|website=The FW|access-date=March 16, 2017}} Rashad and Cosby's professional relationship continued beyond The Cosby Show. After The Cosby Show{{'}}s conclusion, Rashad would similarly portray Cosby's wife, Ruth Lucas, on his sitcom Cosby for four years. Cosby would again recruit Rashad to voice Little Bill Glover's mother, Brenda Glover, in Cosby's animated series Little Bill.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1999/11/28/cosbys-little-bill-sends-the-right-message-to-kids-critics-choice-television/|title=Cosby's 'Little Bill' sends the right message to kids|last=Zurawik|first=David|date=November 28, 1999|website=The Baltimore Sun|access-date=January 16, 2017}} In 2016, Esquire included Rashad on their list of "75 Greatest Women of All Time" for portraying "the perfect mother".{{Cite web|url=http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/g514/greatest-women-in-history/?slide=32&thumbnails=|title=The 75 Greatest Women of All Time|date=February 4, 2016|website=Esquire|access-date=July 25, 2017}}

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