Todd had the female leading roles in films Moving (1988) opposite Richard Pryor, and Lean on Me (1989) with Morgan Freeman. She was married to film producer-director Kris Keiser. Their son, Malik Smith, died on March 20, 1989 at age 18 after being severely beaten at a teen youth center (no alcohol served or allowed) while on spring break. She did not appear regularly on the screen during the 1990s, and returned to acting in 2002, with a recurring role in the HBO series, Six Feet Under. In 2004, she appeared as Don Cheadle's character's mother in the critically acclaimed film, Crash. In 2007, she reunited with Morgan Freeman (who co-starred with her in Lean On Me), in the comedy-drama film, The Bucket List. Todd also had supporting roles in the independent films The Lena Baker Story (2008) and I Will Follow (2011). On television, Todd guest starred on House, The Closer and Grey's Anatomy, and, in 2012, had the recurring role in the NBC daytime soap opera, Days of Our Lives as Celeste Perrault, the mother of Lexie Carver (Renée Jones).