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Cicely Tyson was born in Harlem, New York City, where she was raised by her devoutly religious parents, who had come from the Caribbean island of Nevis. Her mother Theodosia was a domestic worker and her her father William was a carpenter and painter. Tyson was discovered by a fashion editor at Ebony Magazine, and with her stunning looks she quickly rose to the top of the modeling industry. In 1957 she began acting in Off-Broadway productions. She had small roles in feature films before she was cast as Portia in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968). Four years later, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her sensational performance in the critically-acclaimed film Sounder (1972). In 1974, she went on to portray a 110-year-old former slave in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974), which earned her two Emmy Awards. She also appeared in the television miniseries Roots (1977), King (1978), and A Woman Called Moses (1978). While Cicely has not appeared steadily onscreen because of her loyalty to solely portraying strong, positive images of Black women, she is definitely one of the most talented, beautiful actresses who ever graced stage or screen.- Actress
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Taraji Penda Henson is an American actress and singer. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in Baby Boy (2001). She played a prostitute in Hustle & Flow (2005), for which she received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture nomination; and a single mother of a disabled child in David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), for which she received Academy Award, SAG Award and Critics Choice Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. In 2010, she appeared in the action comedy Date Night, and co-starred in the remake of The Karate Kid.- Actress
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Spencer is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, which she claims is the proverbial buckle of the Bible belt. She's the sixth of seven siblings and holds a BS in Liberal Arts from Auburn University. A "closet" lover of acting, this practical Alabamian knew that she'd someday work in the film industry, but never dreamed it would be in front of the camera. In 1995, acclaimed director Joel Schumacher changed all that by giving her a small part opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit film A Time to Kill, and Spencer was on her way. In 1996, she teamed up with Bullock again in Bullock's directorial debut of Making Sandwiches, a short film that premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.
Spencer made her stage debut in Los Angeles and originated the role of "LaSonia" (pronounced lasagna) in famed writer/director Del Shore's, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, starring opposite veteran actors Beth Grant, Dale Dickey and David Steen (2003). The play garnered Spencer and her fellow cast mates critical acclaim and a bevy of awards. Since then, Spencer has continued to see success as an actor in both film and television, working alongside Hollywood's elite. In February 2009, she was lauded by Los Angeles Times publication: The Envelope, for her brief but memorable performance in the Will Smith drama Seven Pounds.- Actress
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Stunning pop culture icon, Hollywood leading lady and three-time NAACP award winner Nia Long returns to the big screen this fall in the highly anticipated Universal Pictures sequel The Best Man Holiday (in theaters November 15th) where she reunites with original castmates Taye Diggs ("Private Practice"), Terrence Howard (Hustle & flow), Morris Chestnut (The brothers) and Harold Perrineau ("Lost"). Additionally in Spring 2014, Long will star in Tyler Perry's Single mom's club alongside Wendi McLendon- Covey (Bridesmaids), Tyler Perry (Madea) and Amy Smart (Crank).
Early this year, Long joined the all-star cast of Showtime's "House of Lies" alongside Golden Globe Award winner Don Cheadle & Kristen Bell as "Tamara," a business school classmate and former flame of Marty's (Don Cheadle) who has been hired by the same consulting firm Galweather Stearn after taking time off to raise a family.
Long made her film debut in the poignant film portraying the social problems in inner-city Los Angeles, Boyz n the hood , and continued on to star in Friday, alongside Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, as well as Love Jones, which won the prestigious Audience Award at Sundance. Other notable film roles include Soul Food, Alfie opposite Jude Law, The Best man, Are We There Yet?, Big Momma's House 1 & 2 opposite Martin Lawrence, Stigmata, the Broken Hearts Club and Made in America.
On the small screen, Long's portrayal of "Officer Sasha Monroe" on NBC's hit crime drama "Third Watch" awarded her two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Drama series. Long's other TV accomplishments include "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Boston Legal," "Judging Amy," and "Big Shots." Long also voiced "Roberta" in the first season of the Fox hit "the Cleveland Show."
Making her directorial debut on Ashanti's music video "Baby" and Yolanda Adam's "This Too Shall Pass," Nia continues her work behind the camera and is developing a feature film that centers on renowned world champion boxer and trainer Ann Wolfe.
In addition to her film and TV work, Long's passion lies in serving her community. With her family roots planted in Trinidad, Grenada, and Barbados, Long's long term goals are to connect women in the US to those of the islands and to mentor young girls to regain their self-esteem. Additionally, Long lends her support to Black Girls Rock, an organization that promotes the arts for young women of color and encourages dialogue on the ways women of color are portrayed in the media. In 2012 she was named an official surrogate to the Barack Obama reelection campaign.
Nia was born in Brooklyn, to Talita (Gillman), a teacher and printmaker, and Doughtry Long, a high school teacher and poet. She now calls Los Angeles home where she lives with her 12 year old son, Massai, 14 month old son, Kez and partner Ime Udoka, an Assistant Coach for the San Antonio Spurs. Long loves to cook organic farmers market fresh meals adding a twist of her Trinidadian heritage. When she's not juggling between her career and motherhood, she enjoys staying active by doing pilates, boxing, hiking, and horseback riding. Long also finds pleasure in traveling and experiencing different cultures throughout the world. One of her favorite locations to visit is Jamaica, a place she calls her second home where she can reflect and refuel.- Actress
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Captivating, gifted, and sensational, Angela Bassett's presence has been felt in theaters and on stages and television screens throughout the world. Angela Evelyn Bassett was born on August 16, 1958 in New York City, to Betty Jane (Gilbert), a social worker, and Daniel Benjamin Bassett, a preacher's son. Bassett and her sister D'nette grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida with their mother. As a single mother, Betty stressed the importance of education for her children. With the assistance of an academic scholarship, Bassett matriculated into Yale University. In 1980, she received her B.A. in African-American studies from Yale University. In 1983, she earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the Yale School of Drama. It was at Yale that Bassett met her husband, Courtney B. Vance, a 1986 graduate of the Drama School.
Bassett first appeared in small roles on The Cosby Show (1984) and Spenser: For Hire (1985), but it was not until 1990 that a spate of television roles brought her notice. Her breakthrough role, though, was playing Tina Turner, whom she had never seen perform before taking the role, in What's Love Got to Do with It (1993). Bassett's performance earned her an Academy Award nomination and a Golded Globe Award for Best Actress.- Actress
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Actress-dancer-director Jasmine Guy has enjoyed a diverse career in television, theatre and film. She began her professional career at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. Jasmine starred on Broadway in the original productions of Beehive and Leader of the Pack, and reprised hit productions of 'Grease', 'The Wiz' and 'Chicago' (as Velma Kelly). After years on Broadway and touring the globe, Jasmine landed the role of Whitley Gilbert on the Cosby Show spin-off 'A Different World'. She won six consecutive N.A.A.C.P. Image Awards for her portrayal of the pretentious but funny southern belle. Her other television performances include: 'Melrose Place' (with Heather Locklear); 'NYPD Blue' (with Jimmy Smits); 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air' (with Will Smith) and 'Living Single' (with Queen Latifah). One of her favorite roles was that of Roxy, the grim reaper meter maid on Showtime's hit series 'Dead Like Me' (with Mandy Patinkin.) Her most recent role as Grams on the popular series 'Vampire Diaries' can be seen on the C.W. Network. Jasmine has also worked with these great performers and directors in these films and miniseries: Spike Lee's 'School Daze'; Eddie Murphy's 'Harlem Nights'; Alex Hailey's 'Queen', and Debbie Allen's 'Stompin' at the Savoy'. She can be seen currently in the film 'October Baby'. Jasmine has worked extensively in theatre with Kenny Leon, Susan Booth, Andrea Frye and Pearl Cleage. She has starred in or directed many productions, including: 'For Colored Girls Who have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf; 'Miss Evers' Boys'; 'Blues for an Alabama Sky'; 'The Colored Museum'; 'The Fourposter'; 'The Nacirema Society'; 'Broke-ology'; 'Fool For Love', and most recently, 'God of Carnage' at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre, where she also directed the world premiere of the opera 'I Dream', celebrating the life and journey of Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1991, she released her self-titled album on Warner Bros. Records, featuring the hit single 'Try Me'. 'Try Me' was produced by Full Force and features Xcape with Candy Burgess. The song shot up the R & B charts quickly to Gold status, and fueled the success of the album's second and third chart singles 'Another Like My Lover' and 'I Just Wanna Hold You'. In 2004, Jasmine penned the biography 'Evolution of a Revolutionary' (Atria Books), which chronicles the life and journey of Afeni Shakur - Black Panther, activist and mother of slain rapper Tupac Shakur. As a frequent motivational public speaker, Jasmine is called upon to share her story openly with those who may benefit from her trials and triumphs. Her continuing desire to blend balance and discipline with ambition and service continues to fuel her passion for the arts. She has traveled throughout the U.S. and appeared at more than a hundred speaking engagements, addressing diverse audiences at colleges, universities, conventions, corporations, affinity groups, churches, high schools and countless charitable and fund-raising events.- Actress
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Viola Davis is a critically revered actress of film, television, and theater and has won rave reviews for her multitude of substantial and intriguingly diverse roles. Audiences across the United States and internationally have admired her for her work- including her celebrated, Oscar-nominated performances in The Help (2011), Doubt (2008), and her Oscar winning performance in Fences (2016). In 2015, Davis won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for her work in ABC's How To Get Away With Murder, making her the first black woman in history to take home the award. In addition to acting, Viola currently produces alongside her husband and producing partner, Julius Tennon, through their JuVee Productions banner. Together they have produced award-garnering productions across theater, television, and film.- Actress
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Zendaya (which means "to give thanks" in the language of Shona) is an American actress and singer born in Oakland, California. She began her career appearing as a child model working for Macy's, Mervyns and Old Navy. She was a backup dancer before gaining prominence for her role as Rocky Blue on the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up (2010) which also includes Bella Thorne, Kenton Duty and Roshon Fegan. Zendaya was a contestant on the sixteenth season of the competition series Dancing with the Stars. She went on to produce and star as K.C. Cooper in the Disney Channel sitcom K.C. Undercover (2015) She made her film breakthrough in 2017, starring as Michelle "MJ" Jones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and as Anne Wheeler in the musical drama film The Greatest Showman (2017) alongside actors such as Tom Holland, Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron. Besides acting, singing and dancing she is an ambassador for Convoy of Hope. She has written a book, launched her own clothing line (Daya by Zendaya) and proved herself to be a great role model for young girls all around the world.- Actress
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Vanessa Bell Calloway was born on 20 March 1957 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Coming to America (1988), What's Love Got to Do with It (1993) and Daylight (1996). She has been married to Tony Calloway since 3 September 1988. They have two children.- Actress
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Equally at home on stage and on screen, award-winning actress Loretta Devine has created some of the most memorable roles in theatre, film and television.
Devine first captured national attention in the role of Lorrell, one of the three original "Dreamgirls" in Michael Bennett's classic award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. She followed that performance with a fiery portrayal of Lillian in Bob Fosse's critically acclaimed stage production "Big Deal." Subsequent work in George C. Wolfe's "Colored Museum" and "Lady Day at Emerson Bar and Grill," cemented Devine's status as one of the most talented and versatile stage actresses.
Film roles soon followed including a poignant turn as a single mother opposite Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett and Gregory Hines in Waiting to Exhale (1995) which earned Devine her first NAACP Image Award for 'Best Supporting Actress.' Devine also won an NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Penny Marshall's The Preacher's Wife (1996). Devine received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress for her work in "Women Thou Art Loosed." Devine was featured in the Academy Award-winning film "Crash" and the hit movie of "Dreamgirls." Some of her additional film credits include appearances in the successful "Urban Legend" franchise, "I Am Sam" opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Sean Penn, "Kingdom Come," "What Women Want," "Punks," "Hoodlums," "Down in the Delta" and "Stanley and Iris."
Devine's more recent film credits include co-starring roles in "This Christmas" and "First Sunday" both of which opened Number 1 at the box office. Devine voiced the character of "Delta" in Disney's "Beverly Hills Chihuahua." She appeared with Chris Rock in Sony Screen Gems remake of "Death at a Funeral" and "Lottery Ticket" for Alcon/Warner Brothers. Devine portrayed "The Woman in Green" in Tyler Perry's adaptation of Ntozake Shange's "For Colored Girls." In 2011, Devine starred in two leading roles in the film "Jumping the Broom" with Paula Patton, Laz Alonso and Angela Bassett and in the Tyler Perry directed film "Madea's Big Happy Family," both films earned top spots at the box office, respectively. Devine followed up her box office hits with a strong lineup of independent films including Robert Townsend's "In The Hive" which earned Devine a NAACP Image Award nomination for "Best Actress in a Motion Picture", "You're Not You" alongside Hilary Swank, James Franco's "The Sound and the Fury" and the Kristen Wiig dramedy, "Welcome to Me."
On television, Devine became a critical darling in her Emmy award-winning role as "Adele" on ABC's hit medical drama "Grey's Anatomy." Devine's credits include numerous series roles on shows such as "The Cosby Show" spin-off "A Different World," Eddie Murphy's stop-motion animated series "The PJs," David E Kelly's "Boston Public," ABC's "Eli Stone" and alongside Jennifer Love-Hewitt on Lifetime's "The Client List." She most recently starred on NBC's critically acclaimed sitcom "The Carmichael Show" and co-starred in the 3rd season of BET's "Being Mary Jane" as the titular character's main antagonist, "Cece." Devine continues to voice "Hallie the Hippo" on Disney Channel's Peabody Award-Winning animated series, "Doc McStuffins," and will next star in the Netflix family series, "FAMILY REUNION" which will feature an all-black cast and crew.
With a career spanning three decades, Devine has earned much praise and accolades for her work on both the big and small screen. For her work as "Adele" on "Grey's Anatomy," Devine earned both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, a Gracie Allen Award for "Outstanding Female Actor in a Featured Role," a nomination for "Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series" from the Critics' Choice Television Awards and a NAACP Image Award and a NAACP Image Award nomination. In total, Devine has won nine NAACP Image Awards and has received a record twenty-four nominations. Devine has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from both the Pan African Film Festival and the NAACP Theatre Awards and the Thespian Award from the LA Femme International Film Festival.
Devine graduated from the University of Houston and later received a Master of Fine Arts from Brandeis University. She also received a Doctorate of Humane Letters as well as a Distinguished Alumni Award from The University of Houston.
She currently resides in Los Angeles.- Actress
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With roots leading back to Louisiana southern aristocracy, lovely leading lady Lynn Whitfield was born in 1953, the eldest of four children and a third-generation BFA graduate from Howard University. Her dentist father was instrumental in developing Lynn's initial interest in acting as he was a prime figure in forming community theater in her native Baton Rouge. She is of African American and Native American descent, specifically Cherokee.
First garnering attention on the stage by studying and performing with the Black Repertory Company in Washington, D.C, she married one of the company's co-founders and pioneers of black theatre, playwright/director/actor Vantile Whitfield in 1974. She eventually moved to New York and appeared off-Broadway in such shows as "The Great Macdaddy" and "Showdown" before earning acclaim in the 1977 Los Angeles production of the landmark black play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide...When the Rainbow Is Enuf" co-starring Alfre Woodard. Lynn eventually became a force to be reckoned with intelligent and principled roles on quality film and TV as well
Lynn's Hollywood career unfolded under a talent development program at Columbia Pictures in 1979. Appearing on such established TV shows as "Hill Street Blues" and in a 1982 PBS version of her "For Colored Girls..." stage hit, she made her film debut with Doctor Detroit (1983) and doled out a number of support roles in other popular films as well such as Silverado (1985), The Slugger's Wife (1985), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), and Dead Aim (1987). It was TV, however, that garnered her the most attention, working her way into top lead and co-star roles. The topical social dramas The George McKenna Story (1986) co-starring Denzel Washington, Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI (1986) opposite Howard E. Rollins Jr. and Oprah Winfrey's historical miniseries The Women of Brewster Place (1989) were her early highlights. In addition, she found some steadier work on series TV playing classy professionals, including two for ABC (a doctor in Heartbeat (1988) and a news anchorwoman in Equal Justice (1990).)
The peak of her acclaimed career arguably came in the form of highly popular but deeply troubled Follies Bergere headliner-turned civil rights activist Josephine Baker. In the HBO biopic The Josephine Baker Story (1991), Lynn played the legendary entertainer with Emmy-winning gusto, a role that stretched her to the limits as she played the role from age 18 to 68. Earning an NAACP Image Award in 1992 for her role in the miniseries Stompin' at the Savoy (1992), she later appeared in Pauly Shore's comedy In the Army Now (1994) and went back to series TV alongside Bill Cosby in the short-lived The Cosby Mysteries (1994).
Lynn had an upsurge in the late 90s with roles in the films A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) with Martin Lawrence and Gone Fishin' (1997) with "Silverado" co-star Danny Glover. She also earned excellent reviews for her supporting work in Eve's Bayou (1997), a role that drew on her Louisiana heritage. More quality TV came her way when she starred as Sophie in Sophie & the Moonhanger (1996), a mini-movie that focused on the relationship of the wife of a Klansman and her longtime black housekeeper. She kept up the momentum with an unsympathetic role in the Oprah Winfrey miniseries The Wedding (1998), where she again had to cover a long life span, this time from 19 to 47.
Into the millennium, Lynn has continued to find prolific work both on film and TV. Big screen credits include a co-starring role as a party advisor in the Chris Rock/Bernie Mac political comedy Head of State (2003), written and directed by Rock; star/writer/director Tyler Perry's romantic comedy Madea's Family Reunion (2006); the urban film Redemption (2004) starring Jamie Foxx that chronicles the turbulent life of (now) imprisoned L.A. Crips gang founder Stan "Tookie" Williams; a featured part in an updated version of Clare Boothe Luce's The Women (2008) headed by Meg Ryan and Annette Bening; a co-starring role opposite singer/songwriter Ciara in the family musical drama Mama I Want to Sing (2011); another co-star role opposite another musical artist, rapper/songwriter 50 Cent, in the sports drama All Things Fall Apart (2011); a starring role as a woman who loses her police officer son and takes in a young parolee Crawford Wilson in the social drama King's Faith (2013); and the Sean Astin action comedy Espionage Tonight (2017).
On the TV front, Lynne has made guest appearances in such regular programs as "Boston Public," "Strong Medicine," a recurring role in "Without a Trace," "Shark," "Flash Forward," How to Get Away with Murder," "Hit the Floor," "Mistresses" and, more recently, as Lady Belle Greenleaf, the matriarch of a rich, unscrupulous Southern Baptist, mega-church family in the dramatic series Greenleaf (2016).
Divorced from Vantile Whitfield in the late 70s, Lynn later married British director Brian Gibson in 1990, by whom she has a daughter, Grace. They parted ways in 1992.- Actress
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Deborah Joy Winans was born on 6 September 1983 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for Greenleaf (2016), The Final Say (2023) and Don't Waste Your Pretty (2021). She has been married to Terrence Willams since 2013. They have one child.- Actress
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Novi Brown was born in Berlin, Germany. She is an actress and producer, known for NCIS (2003), Sistas (2019) and Sleeping with My Student (2019).- Actress
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Taja V. Simpson is a Louisiana native of West African and European decent and her colorful background allows her to constantly bring new characters to life. She fell in love with acting when she was seven years old when she and her cousins would 'play pretend'. They would watch movies, learn all the lines and then act them out for fun. Her favorite movie at that time was Berry Gordy's "The Last Dragon" and to this day she can still recite all the lines in the movie. "Who's The Master? Sho-Nuff!"
Although she loved acting at a young age, there weren't any programs or schools in Lake Charles, LA that would help cultivate that skill set. She went on to graduate from McNeese State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mass Communication and an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism. From there, she was on the path of being a News Reporter/Anchor.
After College, she moved to Houston, TX but there was a still small voice in her that kept saying, 'you should try acting,' so she did. She enrolled in acting workshops and ended up winning three awards for her performances. (Best Actress, Best Overall Performance and People's Choice) Now, she was bit by the acting bug and there was no turning back. She would have never thought that 'playing pretend' with her family as a young child would also be what she ultimately would do for a living.
Versatility is Taja's greatest accomplishments which is what lead her to guest star in multiple roles on some of the most popular television shows of our time. She received her first breakout role in The Bold & The Beautiful as Adele which she recurred on the show for over two years. Since then some of the shows she has appeared in are; Grey's Anatomy, NCIA, The Thundermans, NCIS:LA, The Soul Man, KC Undercover, and Lethal Weapon. Taja was widely known for her role as the fun and sassy wife opposite legendary Actor and Director Tyler Perry; in Lionsgate's "Tyler Perry's Boo2! A Madea Halloween," and can be seen as Priscilla Owen in BET's newest drama, Tyler Perry's "The Oval."
Taja is also a film director with over 40 plus productions under her belt from stage plays to music videos and short films. Next up is directing television and her first feature.
She can be seen in Christopher Nolan's "My Online Valentine" on Amazon where she leads this film down the dating woes in this hilarious Romantic Comedy. Next up, a Christmas film, "London Mitchell's Christmas" slated for December 2019 along with 3 additional films in the pipeline. You can also see her in other films on Netflix, Amazon & iTunes.
In her new book,"Cracking The Acting Code: A Practical Step By Step Guide To Becoming A Professional Actor", Taja shares her unique story and expertise from moving from a small town in Louisiana, making it on the big screen in Hollywood, and becoming one of the most trusted names in the entertainment business.
Taja's hobbies include: writing, watching and studying films, learning new words and cooking. Her personal interests involve, spending time with her two dogs, working out, boxing, traveling and always being open to learn new things.
In order to succeed in the entertainment industry its important to be multi-talented both on and off screen. From behind the scenes to being in front and center, Actor, Author, Director and Keynote Speaker Taja V. Simpson has proven just that.- Edwina Findley Dickerson is an award-winning film, television, and theatre actress, praised by critics as "A marvel to watch." She made her prime-time debut as 'Tosha Mitchell' on HBO's hit TV series The Wire, followed by roles in such popular shows as Fear The Walking Dead, Veep, Black Lightning, If Loving You Is Wrong, Chicago Med, HBO's Treme, and Shots Fired, from The Woman King director, Gina Prince Bythewood and Reggie Bythewood.
Edwina can now be seen opposite Oscar-nominee Toni Collette in Amazon's global thriller, The Power, and is currently filming Shonda Rhimes' highly-anticipated Netflix series The Residence, set in the White House.
A vibrant and versatile actress, Edwina garnered critics' attention for her role as 'Rosie' in director Ava Duvernay's Sundance award-winning feature Middle of Nowhere, and earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for what the New York Times described as a "skin prickling performance" as 'Melva Neddy' in Jake Mahaffy's Venice-winning movie Free In Deed. Comedically, Edwina gave a hilarious turn as Kevin Hart's wife, 'Rita,' in the Warner Bros' hit comedy Get Hard with Will Ferrell, and can now be seen in the new Apple TV+ comedy Life By Ella, and in AMC+'s suspense thriller Rogue Agent.
On stage, Edwina has performed at Juilliard, The Kennedy Center, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Center Theatre Group, Atlantic Theatre Company, Baltimore Centerstage, Cleveland Playhouse, and more. Edwina was nominated for an NAACP theatre award for Eclipsed, written by Black Panther's Danai Gurira, and received a Barrymore Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress for her role as 'Sadie' in Gee's Bend.
Edwina studied theatre and music at the renowned Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, and is an alumna of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. She is a member of the Television Academy, and the co-founder of AbundantLifeU, a faith-based non-profit organization inspiring youth and young adults to discover their purpose and change the world. - Actress
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Jasmine Burke is an award-winning American Actress, Filmmaker, Singer, Author from Atlanta, Georgia. Attended Kennesaw State University on full scholarship as well as Harvard University. Jasmine grew up in musical theatre, performing in a myriad of stage productions at esteemed playhouses. Curious what film and television had to offer she transitioned enjoying feature roles in; The Secret Life of Bees, Tyler Perry's Meet The Browns, Army Wives, Ride Along, The Vampire Diaries, to name a few. After years of head work, Jasmine landed series regular roles in Bounce TV's #1 series Saints and Sinners playing the beautiful and mischievous Dr. Christie, and in Fox's hit series Star playing the lovable salon stylist Danielle. Jasmine continues to grow starring in the BET's romcom Angrily Ever After as well as starring in and producing TvOne's Skinned.
Exercising her many talents, in 2009 Jasmine wrote, executive produced and directed her first film, a comedy, Lucky Lotto. Lucky Lotto went on to become a winner at the 2010 Women in Film and Television International Short Film Showcase. Jasmine also won an achievement for directing Lucky Lotto at the 2010 WIFTA's.
Jasmine's philanthropy extends to global organizations such as The Boys&Girls Club of America, Girls Inc., The Miss Black Teen Atlanta Scholarship Pageant, C.A.S.A (Court Appointed Special Advocate), 500 Songs for Kids.- Actress
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Miriam A. Hyman is an American actress. She was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and raised in Philadelphia. Hyman is a BFA graduate from University of the Arts and a MFA graduate from the Yale School of Drama. From bringing diverse, impactful characters to life on the screen and stage, to writing and recording brazen, vulnerable hip-hop lyrics, award-winning actress/lyricist Hyman aka Robyn Hood has emerged in the entertainment industry as a powerful force to be reckoned with. She's a recipient of both the prestigious Princess Grace Award and Leonore Annenberg Fellowship for Performing Arts. In television this year, Hyman lit up screens as the new US Attorney, Stacy Marks on Starz's latest hit new series Power Book IV: Force(renewed for a 3rd season) as well as returning for season 6 as Dre in Showtime's critically acclaimed series "The Chi".- Shannon Thornton was born on 24 July 1987 in Hartford, Connecticut, USA. She is an actress, known for P-Valley (2020), Power (2014) and Dynasty (2017).
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Antoinette Robertson is known for The Blackening (2022) and Dear White People (2017).- Actress
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Loren Lott is a California girl from San Diego. At a young age Loren's family knew she would entertain because she would line up stuffed animals, toys and her twin brother, at the bottom of her tree house and give grand performances. Loren dreamed of entertaining, but her mother, Sharian Lott, told her at age 7 she wouldn't be able to go to Knott's Berry Farm if she were famous so Loren decided to pursue other things, but Sharian did tell Loren that at 13 she could ask her again. To Sharian's surprise when Loren turned 13 the only gift she wanted was a subscription to backstage.com so she could start submitting herself for auditions and Sharian accepted. After sending hundreds of bold messages to agents Loren finally got one in Hollywood along with a manager a month later. After pursuing her dreams in California for several years, Loren moved to Atlanta where she received a BA in Mass Media Arts with a concentration in radio/TV/film from Clark Atlanta University. Loren continued acting while in Atlanta appearing live in Shrek the Musical at the Alliance Theatre and on several Television shows including Greenleaf, The Game, Tales, Fatal Attraction, Powers, a feature film called Tag, and several independent projects. While in Atlanta Loren also got cast for season 14 of American idol where she made it to Top 16! After American Idol Loren started her higher theatre career, landing the role of Gladys Night in Motown the Musical understudying Diana Ross, in the National tour as well as the Broadway company in New York. After taking a year off Broadway Loren returned when she booked the job of a swing in Once On This Island. Loren then appeared live as CeCe Winans in Born For This the Musical in Boston making her leading lady debut before returning to Once of this Island two months later, where she then got bumped up temporarily to star in Once On This Island as Timoune. Aside from professional acting Loren enjoys making internet content and has managed create and collaborate several videos that have racked up millions of views across her social media platforms. Loren considers herself very blessed to be continuously working and gaining support. She adores her family and is grateful for all of the sacrifices they have made for her dreams. Loren's ultimate goal is to be a Disney Princess and leave a legacy of inspiring the next generation, as well as to become a Superhero. Loren's dream is to inspire people to Love God and love their neighbor as they love themselves. @LorenSharice on Instagram/twitter , www.Facebook.com/LorenSharice- Actress
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Cassi Davis was born on 31 July 1964 in Holly Springs, Mississippi, USA. She is an actress, known for A Madea Family Funeral (2019), Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016) and Boo 2! A Madea Halloween (2017). She has been married to Kerry Patton since 2017.- Actress
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Born in Stockton California, Jazz began performing at just two years old. Her mother owned a dance studio where she developed her onstage skills, studying an array of dance styles from salsa to ballroom, and modern to African. She booked her first commercial at just six years old, and landed her feature film debut appearing as Angela Basset's daughter in the classic "Waiting to Exhale." As she started her career in film and television, Jazz's talents in dance were also accelerating as she joined the prestigious Joe Tremaine Teen Dance Company at eight years old lead by Michael Rooney and Marguerite Derricks. She went on to dance with the Boston Ballet and the School of American Ballet before landing a full scholarship to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Jazz continued balancing her dance career with her education, graduating two years early in the top 5% of the country's high school students. Just ahead of her 18th birthday while a soloist and the face of Columbia City Ballet, Jazz sustained an injury that would change the course of her career and future. She pivoted to her love of bringing characters to life on screen, and she has been working steadily ever since. As an actor Jazz has trained with The Lee Strasberg Institute in Los Angeles and New York, Stella Adler in New York, Janet Alhanti, Lesly Kahn, and John Rosenfeld Studios in Los Angeles just to name a few.
Jazz Raycole is currently in the adaptation of Michael Connelly's books and Netlfix show created by David E. Kelley, "The Lincoln Lawyer." Also in television, Jazz was seen in the NBC/Jerry Bruckheimer drama series "Council of Dads," and is often recognized for her breakout role as Allison Hawkins in the post-apocalyptic drama "Jericho." Additional credits include starring opposite Niecy Nash and Cedric the Entertainer as Lyric Ballentine on the TV Land sitcom "The Soul Man," emerging opposite Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose on BET's "The Quad," appearing as Stanley Hudson's daughter on "The Office," and holding roles in "Vanity," "Everybody Hates Chris," "Bones," "Rizzoli & Isles," "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," "New Girl," "Suburgatory," "Monk," "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," and "My Wife and Kids."- Actress
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April Parker Jones was born on 6 March 1976 in Durham, North Carolina, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Spider-Man 3 (2007), Jericho (2006) and The Defenders (2010). She has been married to Joseph J. Jones since 30 June 2007. They have two children.- Kyanna Simone was born on 28 March 1997 in Decatur, Georgia, USA. She is an actress, known for Chambers (2019), Project Power (2020) and White Boy Rick (2018).
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Raised in Jamaica, Queens and East New York, Brooklyn the rising star is commonly referred to as a young Diahann Carroll. Born to a Jamaican father and Filipina mother, this JamaicanAsian sensation breaks all of the rules and pursues acting strictly for the love and art.
A professional actor since adolescence, Chyna Layne has done over 30 independent films, two national commercials and makes her HBO debut in the made-for-television movie, Life Support, directed by George Nelson and executive produced by Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah.
As a child, it was through her late Uncle Neville that she was first introduced to her true love: acting. Whether it was a story from back home in Jamaica or an impersonation of Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind, his skill of storytelling, was a gift that, out of all his nieces and nephews, he would only pass on to Chyna. Indeed, it was love at first sight.
The starlet first began her professional training with the CityKids Repertory Company where she has performed with and for the biggest names in Hollywood including Robin Williams, Jasmine Guy, Salt n Pepa and Demi Moore - to name a few. She then went on to receive a full scholarship at the Black Spectrum Theatre where she led the company in an Audelco Award win for Best Ensemble in the musical, A Trip to Nowhere. Chyna further honed her craft with the African American Theater of Harlem, Negro Ensemble Company under the late O.L. Duke and the Atlantic Acting School.
Known for her fearlessness and raw, uninhibited style, each character she embodies is different, unique and unforgettable. Well respected and extremely professional on set, her work ethic is intense. Whether the camera is on her or not, this actress is available, prepared and works hard for her scene partners. She is, in fact and inarguably, an actor's actor.
Two of her most familiar works are the hilarious national commercials for Dr. Miracle hair relaxer. She gained nationwide recognition when she competed in TNT's Dramatic Auditions Competition. Thousands of actors from across the US competed.
Skilled in martial arts, the Asian temptation studies a form of her native land's martial arts, eskrima, also known as Filipino stick fighting. She also studies the Chinese martial arts form, wushu. Solidifying her status as an action star, she has flexed her muscles and performed her own stunts in four action features: Shaolyn Jones, The Black Pearl, Brooklyn Knights and The Chyna Layne Chronicles. With her acting partner, Rayan Lawrence, Chyna recently formed Lawrence Layne Productions. The romantic feature, A Deeper Love, directed and executive produced by Darrell Smith will be the first film released in association. Lawrence Layne Productions' first sole project to be released is the thriller short, Blue Mountain Lake, in which she will make her screenwriting debut and Rayan Lawrence will make his directorial debut.
A leader, Chyna takes the obstacles facing our youth very seriously. She has volunteered in her community and comes from a family that is very devoted to empowering the community to get involved by voting, volunteering, educating and taking action. In addition to being a role model to the kids in her East New York neighborhood, she organized and operated a dance team at the Brownsville Recreation Center called NSC (No Self Control) for the young girls in the community. Not only was this group a competitive dance troupe but also a sisterhood. With this extremely talented and beautiful group of precocious girls, the teacher often became the student. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of her life. Her ultimate dream is to build a full, high-tech community center in East New York that would be free to the community and provide jobs, childcare, education and a safe place for kids to hang.- Grace Byers (born Grace Lillis Gealey) was born in Butler, PA and moved to the Cayman Islands at Age 2. She moved back to America to attend the University of South Florida in Tampa, where she received a B.A. in Theater Arts. Upon graduating from college, Byers was accepted into the University of California Irvine's graduate program and obtained her M.F.A in Acting. A successful showcase took her from Los Angeles to New York City, where Byers performed professionally. Several theater productions, short films and national commercials led her to Chicago, where she was cast as Anika Calhoun in Fox's Empire. This marked Byers' network television debut.
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Ashani Roberts is a formally trained actress specializing in complex characters that exemplify Stanislavski's famous quote that "there are no small parts, only small actors." Bringing depth and humanity to every role she inhabits, Ashani has had memorable turns playing a diverse range of characters, from a steely, overprotective sister in a biblical anthology series to a troubled heroin addict in a 1970s period drama.
Trained at Ivana Chubbuck and Speiser Sturges, two of LA's finest acting schools, Ashani is a master of nuance, imbuing her performances with the kind of detail and authenticity that resonates with audiences. Flexibility is her calling card, and she counts Viola Davis, Taraji P. Henson, and Halle Berry among her influences.
Recent credits include a series regular spot on Bounce TV's prime time soap Saints & Sinners and a recurring guest starring role on STARZ's gritty drama P-Valley. Ashani has also made appearances in dozens of TV series, spanning comedy, drama, sci-fi, action, and more.
As an experienced stunt performer, Ashani has doubled for prominent actresses including Tyra Banks and Issa Rae. She is also the founder of ASHANI Inc, a corporation providing professional coaching services for actors and organizing charitable events that support the community.- Actress
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Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe, the star of Precious (2009), was born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother, Alice Tan Ridley, is a former special education teacher who gave up her career and became a street performer/singer, while her father, Ibnou Sidibe, is a cab driver. Her mother is African-American and her father is Senegalese. Her parents split when she was a youngster and Gabby grew up in Harlem. Though she was cast in school plays as a child, Sidibe had no interest in acting. She had witnessed her mother's financial struggles as a street singer and wanted the security that an education and a desk job would give her. After attending local colleges, Gabby pursued a degree in psychology at Mercy College. She was in the middle of preparing for an exam when a friend phoned her about an audition for the newest effort from Lee Daniels, Precious (2009).
Instead of attending class, she ended up being cast in the title role as Claireece "Precious" Jones, a taciturn, sixteen year-old who is pregnant for the second time after being raped by her father and is also on the receiving end of constant physical abuse by her mother. As grim as the subject matter is, Precious (2009) has become critical success and a source of inspiration for many. While her co-stars, Mo'Nique and Mariah Carey have both received a great deal of critical attention, it is Gabby who is the revelation as Precious, a character whose personality is quite different from her own. Anyone expecting a damaged young woman with no self-esteem is in for a shock after meeting the charming Sidibe. She hopes that her success in the film will motivate others to chase their dreams.
Precious (2009) has opened other doors for Sidibe. She has also completed shooting Yelling to the Sky (2011), a project from the Sundance Lab that also stars Zoë Kravitz and has other projects in the works.- Her career in the performing arts began at age 4 and persisted through her study at Spelman College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and in The Shakespearean Tradition at The Royal National Theatre and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. While at RADA, Jen was blessed to be tutored by Ian McKellen, Alan Rickman, Judi Dench, and Fiona Shaw as she prepared for what she still feels was the leading role of a lifetime: Titania/Hippolyta in A Midsummer Nights Dream at The Van Brugh Theatre in London and remounted here in the states for The Southern Shakespeare Festival in Florida. Other stage credits include: multiple roles for Jomandi, Horizon, Seven Stages the Alliance Theater, Theater in the Square, The Springer Opera House and Theatrical Outfit over the past 25 years. Her Television and Film work began as a featured extra in "Driving Miss Daisy" and led to a recurring co-star role, Dr Winona Day on "In the Heat of the Night" (14 episodes) along with recurring roles in the television series "I'll Fly Away" and "Savannah". Later, encouraged by then Director and friend, Carole Mitchell-Leon, she served as Assistant Director of "The New Jomandi Theater Co." and taught "On -Camera Acting" in the Jomandi Academy of Dramatic Arts (JADA). She and her partner teach "Acting for the Camera" workshops in Atlanta and Fort Valley, GA. Recent TV/Film credits include: The Vampire Diaries, Kill The Messenger, Drop Dead Diva, Survivors Remorse, Bound 2014 and is recurring as: Kelly's Mom, Linda, in "Born Again Virgins", Pat, in "Here We Go Again, Deacon Connie Sykes in Seasons 1 and 2 of the HARPO Studios Production, "Greenleaf". She will be seen in Tyler Perry's, "A Madea's Family Funeral" as Vianne; "Nappily Ever After" and as Judge Delores Mitchell in"Saints and Sinners". Jen is dedicated to: her craft as an Actor, her life as a Physician, striving for spiritual/physical fitness, and above all, she remains devoted to her Faith and Life Partner.
- Ebony Obsidian was born April 16, 1994 in New York. She briefly studied journalism before moving onto her studies at the William Esper Studio in Manhattan.
A string of independent projects would lead to her first series regular in the Daytime Emmy nominated digital show Tough Love. The 3 season storyline was picked up by TVOne in 2018 and now runs on their comcast channel Cleo.
Ebony is often recognized for her role as Michelle in the Thanksgiving episode of Netflix's Master of None Season 2. This particular episode won the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award in 2017.
If Beale Street Could Talk marked Ebony's first major motion picture as well as the first novel by James Baldwin to be adapted to film. She plays Adrienne Hunt, the eldest sister of Fonny, the male lead. The film has been nominated for over 130 awards, including 3 Oscars, 2 Golden Globes, 2 BAFTA'S, and 5 Critics' Choice Awards. - Actress
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Kaye Singleton is an American writer, producer, director, and actress that is well on her way to making her own footprint in the Entertainment industry. Through her production company, Road 106 Films, (https://road106films.com/) this multifaceted creative talent is committed to telling culturally authentic stories for, about, and that explore, the beautifully diverse experiences of Black Women.
To date, as an actress she has taken on a variety of roles on hit shows and films. She's best known for her series regular role beginning in Season 3 of Tyler Perry's The Oval on BET as Simone, the beautiful, smart, and cunning wife of the Vice President of the United States, and her Six Season recurring role as the long-suffering, loyal - but problematic - "Josie" on Saints & Sinners, BounceTV's #1 Show. She's also had memorable roles on Sistas (BET), Claws (TNT), Don't Waste Your Pretty (TV One), Tales (BET), American Soul (BET), and Dumplin (Netflix).
Kaye secured her first production deal as a first-time Showrunner and Creator for the highly-rated anthology series - "Covenant'' on AMC's allblk which debuted on October 14th, 2021. All 8 Episodes of Season One are streaming on allblk, Amazon, and SpectrumTV. Covenant's unique take on bible stories is a stand out for the network as it's quoted to "create a world of thrilling, suspenseful drama where characters and stories of the bible are thrust into a vicious dystopia of present-day, real-life situations. Each episode reimagines a classic story as it would take place in the modern world - challenging viewers to examine how sacred lessons of faith and love fit into today's society.- Actress
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Asia'h Epperson was born in Joplin, Missouri, USA. She is an actress, known for Greenleaf (2016), Straight Outta Compton (2015) and American Idol (2002).- Actress
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Katlynn Simone is an actress and singer born and raised in Houston Texas. Her first major role was on bet's the game playing Brittany Pitts she was on the show from 2011 to 2015. In 2017 Katlynn joined bet's the quad and it ended in 2018. In July 2018 Katlynn joined fox's empire playing treasure a new artist for empire. She was on empire from 2018 to 2020. In 2023 she returned to acting recurring in starz's Blindspotting playing Tina. You can watch her on empire on Hulu and listen to her music on Apple Music,Spotify and sound cloud.- Actress
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Tamera Darvette Mowry was born on July 6, 1978, two minutes before her twin sister, Tia Mowry, in Gelnhausen, Hesse, Germany, to Darlene Mowry and Tim Mowry, who was serving in the U.S. Army at the time of her birth and later became a custody officer/jailer with the City of Glendale Police Department, when the family moved to California. Her mother worked as a security guard and managed Tamera and Tia's acting careers. When the girls were 16, they discovered tremendous success with their hit TV series, Sister, Sister (1994), about twins who are separated at birth who learn of each other and come back together in their teen years which became a huge hit. After "Sister, Sister" ended in 1999, she was in many movies and shows such as Seventeen Again (2000), The Hot Chick (2002), Twitches (2005) and Double Wedding (2010). On May 15, 2011, she married her boyfriend of six years, Adam Housley, in Napa Valley, and the couple has two children.- Actress
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Kendra C. Johnson was born on 26 December 1976 in Hartford, Connecticut, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Phat Girlz (2006), The Game (2006) and Love Thy Neighbor (2013).- Actress
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As a bona fide star on the rise, Rhyon Nicole Brown is becoming well known in the entertainment industry as a triple threat; bringing complex, powerful characters to life on screen while also writing, recording, and performing her own original music. After a stellar performance as Maya throughout season 4 on FOX"s acclaimed hit drama series "Empire," (created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong) Brown has now joined the cast as a series regular with all-new episodes airing on September 26, 2018.
On the film front Brown will star alongside Oscar-Award winner Gary Oldman and Jessica Alba in Goldfinch Studios' upcoming indie crime-action film "Killers Anonymous" [currently in post production]. She also recently wrapped production on the Tri Destined film "Throwback Holiday," which is slated for release on BET this fall.
In one of her most challenging roles to date, Brown portrayed renowned R&B artist Michel'le in the Lifetime biopic "Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge and Michel'le" Afterwards, she joined a star-studded cast in the hip-hop anthology series "Tales." By no means is Brown new to the entertainment industry, a few additional television and film credits include: ABC Family's award winning series "Lincoln Heights," Tyler Perry's "For Better or Worse," and 50 Cents' feature film "Get Rich or Die Tryin'."
Rhyon's passion for the arts and her dedication to education secured her a position in the prestigious USC School of Cinematic Arts where she majored in Film and Production. There, she refined her skills behind the camera and was selected to write a treatment and direct a music video for a song she happened to pen for a Columbia Records recording artist. As her passion for music grew she spent many of her college nights in dorm rooms writing, recording demos and performing covers.
Subsequently in the studio, she began working with the right producers and four years later with her degree in hand; she returned to the entertainment business and began merging acting, writing and music. Brown has recently teamed up with mega producer Harmony Samuels (Janet Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony) and as a result her debut EP "Pretty Girl" was birthed. The EP, set for release early in 2019, will showcase Brown's unique sound on original tracks featuring a mix of soul-searching ballads, and modern day R&B with a twist of pop all accompanied by an intriguing short film.
Brown's talents have also been the gateway to her philanthropic endeavors. Acting, writing and music are the instruments she uses as a platform to reach and inspire others to be comfortable in their skin and confident in who they are, so that they can find their true purpose in life, just as she has found hers. Her efforts caused McDonalds to honor her with the "Rising Star" Award at the 2018 Trumpet Awards, which recognizes those who work diligently to improve the lives of others and make a lasting impact on the community.- Actress
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Naturi Naughton is an American Actress/Singer best known for her performance as "Tasha St. Patrick" in the hit show "Power" on the Starz Network. She has won 2 NAACP Image Awards for her performance in this role. Many also remember her thrilling portrayal of "Lil Kim" in Fox Searchlight's film "Notorious". Naughton has starred in various other projects such as MGM's remake of the classic film "Fame", Lottery Ticket, The Playboy Club, Mad Men and The Client List. She also appeared on Broadway in the Tony Award winning musical, "Hairspray" for 3 years. Before her transition into film and television, Naughton was a member of the Platinum selling girl group 3LW. Born and raised in East Orange, NJ, she was greatly inspired by Whitney Houston as a child and knew by the age of 5 that she wanted to be a performer. Naughton continues to thrive in Hollywood as a respected actress who has been lauded for her ability to transform into any role she is given.- Actress
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Lovie Simone is having a very busy 2021/2022, positioning herself as One To Watch - as highlighted for the 2nd time in the prestigious Variety Power of Young Hollywood report 2020. It was recently announced she will be joining the cast in the Apple TV+ limited series Manhunt from Monica Beletsky who is also the showrunner and an executive producer.
She is a powerhouse in the feature and television space equally. In 2020, Lovie portrayed the leading role of Tabby in the Blumhouse/Sony reboot of The Craft: Legacy, and in 2021 as Davina in Power Book III: Raising Kanan on Starz.
Lovie received rave reviews for her layered and dynamic performance as 'Selah' in the Amazon feature Selah & the Spades directed by Tayarisha Poe. Selah garnered a great deal of buzz for Lovie especially by Variety out of Sundance 2019. For 5 seasons Lovie played 'Zora Greenleaf', the daughter of Kerissa (Kim Hawthorne) and Jacob Greenleaf (Lamman Rucker), on OWN's drama series Greenleaf.
Other film/television credits include A24's Share, Netflix's Monster (Sundance 2018), and the Netflix anthology series Social Distance opposite Asante Blackk in episode 8 by EP Jenji Kohan. (shot during the pandemic in 2020)
Born and raised in the Bronx, Lovie started her career in 2009, Orange is the New Black (Netflix), Blue Bloods (CBS), several commercials and voiceovers. In 2016 Lovie was named one of Variety's Youth Impact Report's "One to Watch'. Lovie is now based in Atlanta.
She is repped by Buchwald, Edge Entertainment, and Ryan Levine.- Actress
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Reign Edwards is an American Singer, songwriter, and actress known for her roles as Nicole Avant, the younger sister of Maya Avant, on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful (1987), Leanna Martin on the 2016 series reboot MacGyver (2016), and as Melody Wright on Snowfall. She was born on December 1 in Harfourd County, Maryland as one of three children including an older and younger sister. After debuting in a minor role in the romance drama Explicit Ills (2008), Edwards went on to guest star in series including The Thundermans (2013) and K.C. Undercover (2015) during 2015. In that same year she landed her first major role as Nicole Avant in The Bold and the Beautiful (1987). Further television credits include guest appearances on the drama series Snowfall (2017). Ms. Edwards also went on to make her first major film role debut in the 2018 horror feature Hell Fest (2018). Away from acting, Edwards enjoys shopping, dancing to lyrical hip-hop and creating music in the recording studio.- Actress
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Logan Browning was born on 9 June 1989 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and director, known for The Perfection (2018), Bratz (2007) and Powers (2015).- Actress
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Brooklyn native, Iyana Halley, always knew she wanted to live and work in the entertainment world and decided that acting was her calling. With her drive, passion, impressively beautiful personality, hard work and of course consistency, she knew in due time her dreams would become a reality.
After leaving NY then Atlanta, Iyana decided that a move to LA would be the best decision to become a working actress. Upon her arrival, she immediately began her hunt to figure out how she could make it out here in this competitive acting world. Since then, Iyana has booked a handful of commercials including McDonalds and Wendy's (people began calling her the taco salad girl!). She has been able to work alongside some phenomenal actors including Amy Adams, Sterling K Brown, Vivica Fox, and Catalina Sandino Moreno to name a few!
Iyana Halley definitely see's acting as a great outlet to communicate her creativity. She loves being able to develop the characters the writers have created but also loves to bring them to life with her own flare. Thats what truly excites her!
When Iyana isn't training or working, she loves designing! She took on sewing at a young age (taught by her grandmother) and fell in love with it. She has her own clothing brand/skincare line called Haus of Halley where people order custom pieces and order skincare sets. She loves being able to bring peoples visions to life. Look out for Iyana. She definitely has a bright future ahead of her!- Actress
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Tanyell Waivers was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Queen Sugar (2016), Ma (2019) and Family Reunion (2019).- Actress
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Yolonda Ross was born in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for The Chi (2018), The Get Down (2016) and Whitney (2015).- New York native Yaani King began her career off-Broadway in "The Alchemist" at The Classic Stage Company. She segued into film and television with The Prince and Me (2004) with Julia Stiles, and Sex and the City (1998).
After studying at The Actors Centre in London, Ms. King moved to Los Angeles and almost immediately landed a series regular role on the hit TNT show Saving Grace (2007) with Holly Hunter. In addition to having appeared in numerous guest starring roles on shows like Criminal Minds (2005), Major Crimes (2012), Extant (2014), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) and the new SyFy drama The Magicians (2015), she now has had a number of recurring roles on shows like ABC's Blood & Oil (2015), The Haves and the Have Nots (2013) and NBC's Aquarius (2015). Yaani has since entered the exciting world of Video Game voice-over and motion-capture when she was cast as Riley in the award-winning The Last of Us: Left Behind (2014).
Born and raised in Brooklyn and Queens, of Guyanese West Indian descent, Yaani spent her childhood watching her mother in theatre performing on stage. While attending LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts at Lincoln Center in NYC as a teen, Yaani recognized acting as her calling.
In recent years, Yaani has combined her love for acting with her humanitarian work as a founding member of a group called Charitable Living with 10 other friends, with the mission to support foundations and charities in every way from fund-raising to cooking meals. King is also an active volunteer at Aviva Family and Children's Services, mentoring young actors. In Yaani's free time she enjoys spending quality time with her husband, actor Adam Mondschein. - Actress
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Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Natasha Marc's mother recognized early on that her daughter's destiny was to entertain. Natasha studied film, theatre and performing arts which eventually led her to her big break - a featured day player role in the movie award winning biopic, Ray, in a scene opposite Jamie Foxx. The ingenue's credits include The Good Lord Bird (Showtime), Timeless (NBC), Ballers (HBO), The Rookie (ABC) as well as leading roles in independent films Dutch and California Love. Natasha has also appeared in several national commercials, notable music videos and has earned titles in fitness competitions.- Tiffany Boone stars as the beautiful and street smart "Roxy Jones" in the highly anticipated Amazon drama series HUNTERS opposite Al Pacino and created by Jordan Peele. The series, set to debut in early 2020, follows a diverse group of Nazi hunters on a quest for justice in 1977 New York City. This spring, Boone will also co-star in Hulu's LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, portraying the flashback 1980s version of Kerry Washington's "Mia Warren" character. Boone is currently in production on George Clooney's sci-fi Netflix feature based on the post-apocalyptic novel GOOD MORNING, MIDNIGHT. She will star alongside Clooney, as well as Felicity Jones and Kyle Chandler. In 2013, Boone co-starred in BEAUTIFUL CREATURES alongside Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis and Emma Thompson. In 2011, she co-starred in Joseph Kahn's film DETENTION with Josh Hutcherson. On television, Boone's breakout role came opposite Kevin Bacon in Fox's THE FOLLOWING. Her additional credits include THE CHI, SOUTHLAND, GREY'S ANATOMY, PERCEPTION, ONCE UPON A TIME and COMPLICATIONS. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Boone currently resides in Los Angeles. She is passionately involved in youth arts education and women's health issues.
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Sophisticated and hard-working, with undeniable talent, veteran actress KJ Smith's honest portrayals of strong female characters are the true personification of black excellence, leaving her mark on Hollywood as one of its hottest stars.
This year, Smith can be seen starring in the leading role of Andi Barnes on Tyler Perry's highest-rated series for BET Networks Sistas. Currently airing its fifth season, the dramedy centers around four single Black women from different walks of life who bond over their one common thread: "Why am I single?" Smith shines in her breakthrough role as Andi, a high-powered attorney who must navigate her complicated love life in a fast-paced, high-stakes industry with the help and advice of her close-knit girlfriends. Sistas continuously leads Wednesday night network ratings, ranking #1 amongst cable network shows in their hour, with new episodes airing weekly through 2022-2023. Smith's portrayal of Barnes has also garnered multiple award nominations, including the two-time consecutive Best Actress in a TV Series wins for the Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards (HAPA) in 2021 and 2022.
Smith can also be seen starring in the major recurring role of Palomar in season two of the top-rated Power prequel series, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, on STARZ. From creator and showrunner Sascha Penn, Power Book III: Raising Kanan takes viewers back to the '90s and the early years of the now-deceased Kanan Stark, portrayed in Courtney Kemp's original series by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. Palomar is one of Famous' (Antonio Ortiz) new neighbors and a young mom frequently mistaken for her daughter, Corinne's older sister. Any responsible parent wouldn't let their daughter within a mile of Kanan, Famous, and their friends, but Palomar is seemingly not that parent.
Additional television credits for Smith in top-rated network and cable television include the CW's fan-favorite drama series, Dynasty, Issa Rae's Giants, CBS' NCIS: Los Angeles, ABC's Black-ish, Freeform's The Fosters, Fox's Lethal Weapon, Netflix's Fuller House, three-season recurring roles on Bounce TV's Family Time and BET's The Family Business, Netflix's Family Reunion and #BlackAF, CBS' All Rise, and ABC's legal drama The Fix, where Smith starred as the quick-witted paralegal, Charlie.
In her most challenging role in film, Smith recently starred in the lead role in The Available Wife (2020) as Nicole Wright, a beautiful and successful music CEO whose life is on the verge of crumbling when money, affairs, power, and deception collide.
Other credits include Netflix's Fatal Affair (2020), Lionsgate's A Madea Family Funeral (2019) opposite world-renowned director, screenwriter and actor Tyler Perry, and Baker's Man and Throwback Holiday.
Offscreen, KJ is fashion fearless. Her divinely feminine and classic red carpet glamour tops fashion's best-dressed lists for bold and eye-catching celebrity styles. With a commitment to preserving the legacy of Black excellence through HBCU education and community, Smith partners for impact tours and commencement addresses with historically black colleges and universities nationwide. And through her advocacy for mental health, Smith uses her platform to share life experiences and her journey to mental wellness and volunteers with the Youth Emerging Stronger foundation to spark positive change.
Smith currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, with her fiance' and former co-star, Skyh Black, and their beloved toy poodle, Billionaire Black.- Actress
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Nia Jervier was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and production designer, known for Dear White People (2017), Step Sisters (2018) and Dear White People (2014).- Latarsha Rose was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA. She is known for The Hunger Games (2012), Being Mary Jane (2013) and S.W.A.T. (2017).
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Tracee Joy Silberstein known professionally as Tracee Ellis Ross, is an American actress, singer, television host, producer and director. She is known for her lead roles in the television series Girlfriends (2000-2008) and Black-Ish (2014-2022). She owns Pattern Beauty, a hair-care line for curly hair.
She is the daughter of actress and Motown recording artist Diana Ross and Robert Ellis Silberstein. She began acting in independent films and variety series. She hosted the pop-culture magazine The Dish on Lifetime. From 2000 to 2008 she played the starring role of Joan Clayton in the UPN/CW comedy series Girlfriends, for which she received two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. She also has appeared in the films Hanging Up (2000), I-See-You.Com (2006), and Daddy's Little Girls (2007), before returning to television playing Dr. Carla Reed on the BET sitcom Reed Between the Lines (2011), for which she received her third NAACP Image Award.
Since 2014, Ross has played the starring role of Dr. Rainbow Johnson in the ABC comedy series Black-Ish . Her work on it has earned her three NAACP Image Awards and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy. She has also received nominations for two Critics' Choice Television Awards and five Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. In 2019, she co-created a prequel spin-off of Black-Ish titled Mixed-Ish . In 2020, she starred in and recorded the soundtrack album for the musical film The High Note.- Actress
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Rochelle Aytes was born in New York City. She attended LaGuardia High School and graduated with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree in Dance from SUNY Purchase College Conservatory for Dance in 1998. She is best-known for her role in White Chicks (2004) as Denise Porter; her role in Left 4 Dead 2 (2009) as a news producer; and more recently in the TV series The Forgotten (2009) as Detective Grace Russell, who teams up with a volunteer group, including a former Chicago police detective played by Christian Slater, to solve cases of missing or unidentified homicide victims. Rochelle also played Lisa Breaux in Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion (2006), in which she plays a woman who is caught in a relationship because of which which her fiancé (Blair Underwood) beats and threatens her.
In 2006, She played Nicole Jamieson in the pilot episode of Tyler Perry's House of Payne (2006). In 2007 she guest-starred in the hit Fox series Bones (2005) as Felicia Saroyan, the sister of lab supervisor Cam. She also played Leigh Barnthouse in the Fox series Drive (2007). In 2009 she played Tara Kole in the CBS TV show NCIS (2003) and had a role in the independent film Trick 'r Treat (2007). In 2010 she played Eva in the hit TNT series Dark Blue (2009). In 2011 she had a recurring role in the ABC series Detroit 1-8-7 (2010) as prosecutor Alice Williams, until her character was murdered in the 1-11-2011 episode "Key to the City." She also plays the part of Amber James, the former girlfriend of Keith Watson, on ABC's Desperate Housewives (2004).
She is represented by Ryan Daly of Zero Gravity Management.- Actress
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Yaya DaCosta was born and raised in New York City along with her sister and two brothers. She got her first acting gig at the age of eleven when her junior high school drama teacher, Ann Willis Ratray, encouraged her to audition for educational films. She continued to perform in school shows throughout high school and college and in 2005, She was the runner-up in Cycle 3 of America's Next Top Model made her feature film debut in Take the Lead. In 2008, she made her Off-Broadway debut in "The First Breeze of Summer" at The Signature Theater, for which she garnered rave reviews and won the Vivian Robinson/AUDELCO Recognition Award for Excellence in Black Theater. She has portrayed a range of characters, from Danny Glover's frail teenage daughter in John Sayles' Honeydripper, to Mark Ruffalo's voluptuous lover in Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right. She has been tagged one of Hollywood's new "it girls" by many, including Lynn Hirschberg who featured her on the cover of W Magazine in September, 2010.- Actress
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A native of Michigan, S. Epatha Merkerson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Wayne State University. In 1978, she moved to New York City to apply her craft on stage. Although best known since 1993 as the smart and shrewd Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on the long-running TV crime drama Law & Order (1990), she has a long list of Broadway and off-Broadway credits and honors that include Drama Desk Award and Tony Award nominations for Best Actress for her performance in the August Wilson play The Piano Lesson (1995), a 1992 Obie Award for her performance in "I'm Not Stupid," and a 1998 Helen Hayes Award for her starring role in the Studio Theater production in Washington, DC, of the John Henry Redwood play "The Old Settler." Her first appearance on television was a guest-starring role on an episode of The Cosby Show (1984). Her earliest regular role in television, however, was that of Reba the Mail Woman on Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986). Merkerson remains a theatrical force on the stage and on the screen and has the distinction of having been nominated for an Image Award in the Outstanding-Lead-Actress-in-a-Drama category for Law & Order (1990) for three consecutive years by the NAACP.- Actress
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Slender, attractive actress Margaret Avery, spellbinding in her role of Shug in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985), is certainly no "one-hit wonder". Although filmgoers may be able to trace her back only to that once-in-a-lifetime part, Margaret has been a talented player on the large and small screens for well over three decades.
Born on January 20, 1944, in Mangum, Oklahoma, the daughter of a Navy man, she was raised in San Diego, California, where she completed high school. Margaret demonstrated a certain passion for acting while in her teens but decided to pursue a more stable career in teaching. Graduating from San Francisco State University, she joined the Los Angeles public school system as a substitute teacher, but the "acting bug" continued to nibble away at her. She auditioned for commercials on the sly and managed to also segued into stage work and singing jobs. Her early 1970s L.A. plays included "Revolution", "Sistuhs", and 1973's "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?", the last for which she nabbed the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award. Her skills as an actress helped her to move into TV roles, appearing in such established 1970s and 1980s series as The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971), Kojak (1973), Sanford and Son (1972), Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974), The Rookies (1972), Baby... I'm Back! (1977), Murder, She Wrote (1984), Miami Vice (1984), Spenser: For Hire (1985), a recurring part in Harry O (1973), and a regular role in the short-lived series A.E.S. Hudson Street (1977).
Her film career ignited during the popular "blaxploitation" era. She somehow managed to avoid the pitfalls of many a black actress of that time, however, despite her sexy and revealing roles in her first two films, Cool Breeze (1972) starring Thalmus Rasulala and Lincoln Kilpatrick, and Hell Up in Harlem (1973), in which she found herself in the clutches of brawny former footballer Fred Williamson. Margaret carried on with Magnum Force (1973) (as a hooker) and the comedies Which Way Is Up? (1977) and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979), establishing herself as a solid, reliable actress.
Music was never far away from Margaret as attested by her roles in Louis Armstrong - Chicago Style (1976), starring Ben Vereen as "Satchmo", and Scott Joplin (1977), which showcased Billy Dee Williams. However, it was her riveting supporting turn as the drug-riddled, fly-by-night singer Shug Avery in The Color Purple (1985) that put her on the map. Stories have long circulated that Spielberg wanted a star singer in the role and that Margaret received the role only after both Patti LaBelle and Tina Turner were approached and turned it down. She had previously worked with Spielberg in her first TV movie Something Evil (1972). He remembered her from this and cast her. Earning an Academy Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actress", it was expected that her career would hit major cinematic heights. Unfortunately, Margaret didn't make another film for three years, when she played a jazz singer in the little-seen Blueberry Hill (1988) with Carrie Snodgress.
On TV she continued to grace episodes of Amen (1986), The Cosby Show (1984), Roc (1991), JAG (1995), MacGyver (1985), Bones (2005), enhanced such commendable made-for-TV movies as Heat Wave (1990) with Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones, and has been seen sporadically in films. She co-starred in The Return of Superfly (1990) -- a nod to her old blaxploitation days--Lightning in a Bottle (1993), White Man's Burden (1995) with John Travolta, the Mario Van Peebles feature Love Kills (1998)
Into the millennium, Margaret has been seen in Waitin' to Live (2006), directed by Travolta's brother, Joey Travolta; Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (2008) as well as Meet the Browns (2008) with Martin Lawrence and Angela Bassett, respectively; the crime drama Proud Mary (2018) and the family comedy Grand-Daddy Day Care (2019). She also appearing regularly alongside Gabrielle Union and Richard Roundtree on BET's Being Mary Jane (2013).
Divorced (74-80) from director Robert Gordon Hunt, Margaret has one daughter, Aisha.- Actress
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Erica Michelle is an American Actress. She was born in Mississippi and raised in El Dorado, Arkansas. Her on-screen career began with the (2012) Eli Roth, Damien Chazelle horror film, The Last Exorcism 2.
Michelle is a theater graduate from Jackson State University where she became the First Theater major in the University's history to be elected as The College of Liberal Arts Grand Marshal. In addition to her Magna Cum Laude Honors, Singleton received a dual degree in Mass Communications and was awarded the Academic Achievement Award for maintaining the highest GPA in her department. She completed a 4 year curriculum in less than 22 months.- Actress
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Kelsey Scott was born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Kelsey is an actor and writer, known for How to Get Away with Murder (2014), 12 Years a Slave (2013) and Fear the Walking Dead: Passage (2016).- Juanita Jennings was born on 12 September 1952 in Dallas, Texas, USA. She is an actress, known for What Women Want (2000), Basic Instinct (1992) and Runaway Jury (2003).
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Patrice Lovely is known for Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016), Boo 2! A Madea Halloween (2017) and A Madea Family Funeral (2019).- Actress
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Angela Robinson was born on the historic East Side of Jacksonville, Florida and is a proud third-generation Florida A&M University alumna. Before moving to New York, she sang at supper clubs (Ponte Vedra Beach) and the USO (three tours: Far East, Middle East, and the Mediterranean). In New York, Angela studied acting at The William Esper Studio - then appeared in 4 Broadway shows (Play On!, Bells Are Ringing, Wonderful Town, and The Color Purple). She has an extensive career in Theatre (Off-Broadway, Regional, and National Tours). On Television, for eight seasons Angela played Veronica Harrington (The "Ice Queen") on OWN's first scripted drama - Tyler Perry's "The Haves and the Have Nots". For her work, Angela won the Gracie Award for "Outstanding Female Actor - One to Watch," in 2015. She married Scott Whitehurst on 14 September 1996. They have one son.- Actress
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COCOA BROWN is undeniably one of the most talented performers of this era. The Newport News, Virginia native, born Farah Brown, assails her craft with such passion and soul searching veracity, when she claims the stage the ensuing act is nothing short of a force of nature. COCOA BROWN audaciously draws from painful reminiscences and hard-knocked lessons, bravely weaving humorous tales that uplift, upend and upgrade everything you thought you knew about comedy. What drives the comic that female fans nationwide have nicknamed "The Truth"? The sheer will of a woman who has survived the worst life had to offer and is still standing.
COCOA can currently be seen in the comedy documentary, "Dying Laughing", which is currently on NetFlix,, alongside Jamie Foxx, Amy Schumer, Kevin Hart and Jerry Seinfeld, to name a few. Cocoa Brown headlined the successful "Shaquille O'Neal: All-Star Comedy Jam", on Showtime. A starring role in the hugely successful and critically acclaimed "American Crime Story: People v. OJ Simpson", which aired on the FX Network; a recurring role on TV Land's "Soul Man" with Cedric "The Entertainer" and Neicy Nash and starring as fan favorite "Jennifer" for six (6) seasons on #1 rated "Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse" for the past six (6) seasons on The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). COCOA BROWN has amassed an extensive body of work, including co-starring in last summer's blockbuster "Ted 2", alongside Seth MacFarlane and Mark Wahlburg, working alongside Samuel L. Jackson in "Lakeview Terrace" and her starring role in "Tyler Perry's Single Mom's Club". COCOA BROWN recurred as co-host on the ABC Daytime talk show "FABLife" and has been a guest on all three (3) seasons of the hit daytime talk, "The Real". COCOA BROWN has released her comedy CD "One Funny Momma", which is available on iTunes.
With a Screen Actor's Guild Award nomination under her belt, COCOA BROWN aspires for an Oscar, an Emmy Award and a Pulitzer Prize. The lovable and down-to- earth celebrity and proud single mother to her pre-school aged son, Phoenix, keeps television audiences tuning in for an intoxicating dose of "Cocoa-infused" humor. She captivated arena audiences across the country as part of the "Mike Epps & Friends" comedy tour. Her creative writing and meticulously produced sets couple with the ever-changing hairstyles and gutsy sense of fashion ignites rousing, protracted standing ovations. Yet, amid such explosive success, Brown admits she desires very little.
COCOA BROWN says, "I want audiences to connect with my story and in the course of that journey find their own. That's my inspiration, my peace. I am in a good place now. I am finally learning how to love myself and I am comfortable in my own skin. Most importantly, I am not afraid to use my voice." That is certainly a good thing. That beautiful, husky, unapologetic and very funny voice will no doubt, change the world.- Actress
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Brandee Evans is an accomplished actor, advocate, and businesswoman. She appears as a series regular on the Starz network show P-Valley, in the role of "Mercedes" - a performance critics describe as "wonderfully compelling," and for which she was considered the breakout star of the first season. The hit show enjoys record-breaking premiere viewership and cult popularity.
P-Valley's highly anticipated second season premiered in June, 2022 - breaking the network's growth record with an increase of viewership of over 1,000%, representing the largest season-over-season gain in the history of Starz. The show was renewed for a third season, which begins production soon. Brandee received two NAACP Image Award nominations in the 'Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series' category for her work on seasons one and two of the show.
Brandee's additional acting credits include the independent films Thirsty (2023), and B-Boy Blues (BET+, 2022), and television performances on Rolling Into Christmas (BET+, 2022), A Rich Christmas (BET, 2021), The Family Business (BET & BET+ 2020-2022), Games People Play (BET, 2019), Dear Santa I Need a Date (TVOne, 2019), Lethal Weapon (Fox, 2018), and The Bobby Brown Story (BET+, 2018).- Actress
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Born in Detroit, Michigan, Simone always knew she was meant to perform. Growing up, Simone spent years playing the violin, singing, and playing sports before she decided to focus on acting. While in her first year as an English major at Howard University, she decided to take a theatre for non-majors course. This class solidified her commitment to acting, and she graduated with a minor in Theatre arts. Following graduation, Simone traveled to Oxford, England, where she participated in the British American Drama Academy taking Master Classes with greats Ben Kingsley, Alan Rickman, and Jane Lapotaire. She then honed her craft performing in regional theatre in Detroit, Michigan before packing it all up and moving to Los Angeles. In 2015, Simone made her debut as "Misty Knight" in "Marvel's Luke Cage". She has since reprised her role as that character in "Marvel's: The Defenders", and Season 2 of both "Marvel's Luke Cage" and "Marvel's Iron Fist". In the spring of 2018, Simone made her New York theatre debut in Dominique Morrisseau's "Paradise Blue" at the Signature Theatre. This fall, Simone stars and is a producer on the highly anticipated Orion pictures film, "Jinn", which will be in theaters in the fall of 2018.- Actress
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Mj Rodriguez is an actress, best known for her work in Nurse Jackie (2011), Carrie Diaries (2013), Dear Pauline (2014), new internet series [Blank] My Life (2016) and Netflix show Luke Cage (2016). She is also known for her Musical Theater credit as Angel Dumont Schunard in the Original Off-Broadway Revival of Rent in 2011.- Actress
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Kelly Jenrette was born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Honor Student (2023), The Handmaid's Tale (2017) and Frisky Dingo (2006).- Actress
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Pepi Sonuga is one to watch on both the big and small screen. The Nigerian-American actress was born in Lagos, Nigeria and moved to Los Angeles, California at the age of 10 to begin pursuing a career in entertainment. At 15 years old, she won the title of Miss Jr. Teen Los Angeles in a local pageant and then began modeling for brands such as Hot Topic, Forever 21, Skechers and many more. She attended Culver City High School and began studying theater arts, improvisation, and script writing in a drama class. She most recently starred in the Freeform drama series, Famous In Love, for two seasons.
Sonuga got her first start in the 2013 drama, The Life Of A King. The film is based on the true story of Eugene Brown, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. On television, she starred in Starz's comedy-horror series, Ash VS Evil Dead and also recurred on the Freeform family drama, The Fosters. She will next be seen in the feature, Thriller, opposite Mykelti Williamson and RZA. Written and directed by Dallas Jackson, the horror film tells the story of a clique of South Central Los Angeles teens who find themselves terrorized during Homecoming weekend years after a childhood prank goes horribly wrong. The film premiered at the 2018 LA Film Festival.- Actress
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Shoniqua Shandai is a trained actress and singer fostered from the Atlantic shores. Born in New York, New York and raised in Richmond, Virginia; Shandai spent her entire high school career wholeheartedly focusing on developing her crafts. Desperate for more, Shoniqua and family set off to the beautiful Hollywood Hills seeking prosperity. Since that leap of faith, Shoniqua has graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy; where she received a certificate in both the music and acting aspects of performing. She has starred in several plays in Hollywood and has begun a burgeoning film career. Most recently, Shoniqua landed the title role in Mud Puddle Film's newest feature project "Zola Jumped In." She is set to film Summer 2012. Shoniqua Shandai wants to show the world that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and every woman is a queen. Greatness comes in individuality... Embrace your Queendom!- Actress
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Paula Patton was born in Los Angeles, California, to Joyce (Vanraden) and Charles Patton. Her father is African-American and her mother, who is caucasian, has German, English, and Dutch ancestry. Her family lived across the street from the 20th Century Fox lot when she was growing up and she was a fan of films from her earliest years. Her mother, who also appreciated good films, was a schoolteacher, and her father was a lawyer. Paula claims that as a girl she would escape by "pretending to be someone else" so it was not a surprise that she acted in high school plays at Hamilton Magnet Arts High School. Her favorite role was that of "Abigail" in "The Crucible". However, she went on to study film at the University of Southern California in a summer program, and won a 3-month assignment making documentaries for PBS. This led to her working as a production assistant for TV documentaries, and also for Howie Mandel's talk show. She progressed to actually producing documentary segments for Medical Diaries (2000) airing on Discovery Health Channel. Paula now professes that she liked what she was doing, but her dream remained the same as when she was small so she took acting lessons and shifted gears to become a performer. She was almost immediately successful and, within three years, had played parts in major features, Hitch (2005) and Idlewild (2006) and the female lead in Deja Vu (2006) opposite Denzel Washington.- Rayven Symone Ferrell was born on 2 September 1995 in Ohio, USA. She is an actress, known for All Eyez on Me (2017), The Bobby Brown Story (2018) and Chicago P.D. (2014).
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Angelica Ross was born on 28 November 1980 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for American Horror Story (2011), Pose (2018) and Claws (2017).- Actress
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Ajiona Alexus was born on 16 March 1996 in Tuskegee, Alabama, USA. She is an actress, known for 13 Reasons Why (2017), Real Love (2023) and BMF (2021).- Actress
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Named for the Zulu and Xhosa word for "power," Amandla was born in Los Angeles, California, to Karen Brailsford, a writer, and Tom Stenberg, a businessman. Her mother is African-American and her father is Danish (and of part Inuit-Greenlandic ancestry).
In the summer and fall of 2010, she shot her first feature, Colombiana (2011), an action-thriller starring Zoe Saldana whose character, the avenging assassin Cataleya Restrepo, Amandla plays as a child. In April 2011, Lionsgate announced that Amandla had landed the role of Rue in the screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' popular young adult series, The Hunger Games (2012). For her heart-breaking performance, Amandla earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. She also won (with Jennifer Lawrence) a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Chemistry.
Amandla starred in the recurring role of Macey, the daughter of Captain Frank Irving (Orlando Jones), on season one of Fox's Sleepy Hollow (2013). In the summer of 2015, Amandla played series regular Halle Foster on Mr. Robinson (2015) opposite Craig Robinson. She made her Sundance Film Festival debut with the teen angst drama As You Are (2016) which won a Special Jury prize. Amandla appears in several sequences in the visual album Lemonade (2016). In March 2016 Fox 2000 won a heated bidding war for Angela Thomas' debut novel, The Hate U Give (2018) with Amandla attached to star. The actor also nabbed lead roles in the YA adaptation Everything, Everything (2017); the Amma Asante World War II drama, Where Hands Touch (2018); and in the film adaptation of The Darkest Minds (2018) series by Alexandra Bracken.
In May 2019 it was announced that Amandla would appear in the Netflix series The Eddy (2020) opposite André Holland (Moonlight (2016)). Damien Chazelle serves as executive producer of the Paris-set show.
In addition to on-camera jobs, Amandla put her sensitive ear to work in voice-over gigs for both film and television. She lent her voice to Rio 2 (2014) in the role of Bia, a high-flying feathery spawn of Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and Jewel (Anne Hathaway). A gifted musician, Amandla plays the violin, drums and guitar. In 2013 she began performing on the violin and singing harmonies at LA venues with singer/songwriter Zander Hawley. The folk-rock duo, known as Honeywater, released their first EP in August 2015 and a second in November 2016. Amandla's cover of Mac DeMarco's "Let My Baby Stay" is featured on the Everything, Everything soundtrack and in the closing credits. She appears in and directed the accompanying video. For the soundtrack of The Hate U Give (2018) Amandla wrote and sings "Always."
When she's not making music, Amandla is making noise on social media. She was declared "one of the most incendiary voices of her generation" by Dazed magazine, which featured Amandla on the cover of its Autumn 2015 issue. Amandla helped catapult the topic of cultural appropriation into public discourse when she posted her school project video, "Don't Cash Crop My Cornrows," onto her Tumblr in 2014. Oprah Winfrey took note of her activism and invited Amandla to give a talk ("My Authenticity Is My Activism") for SuperSoul Sessions Series 2 at UCLA's Royce Hall in April 2016. Highlights were featured on Super Soul Sunday (2011). "Black Girls Rock!" (2016)_ Inc honored Amandla with the Young, Gifted and Black award and she is also the winner of the "BET Awards 2016" (2016)_ YoungStars award. The Ms. Foundation for Women named Amandla, along with Rowan Blanchard "Feminist Celebrity of the Year" in 2016.
In 2016, the young actor-activist came out as non-binary on her Tumblr blog.
The actor-activist landed a spot on Time magazine's list of the 30 Most Influential Teens in 2015 and 2016; was declared one of W Magazine's Royals in 2017; and was the featured call-out in Forbes 30 Under 30, also in 2017. Amandla made her American magazine cover debut with Teen Vogue's February 2016 issue for which she co-directed a trio of videos about black women. For her second Teen Vogue cover - the Icons issue in September 2017 - Amandla wrote and directed a meditation video. Time magazine put her on its cover in 2018, making her a Next Generation Leader honoree.
With Stranger Comics' Sebastian Jones, Amandla wrote the comic books "Niobe: She is Life" and "Niobe: She is Death." An ambassador for No Kid Hungry, Amandla also supports the Ubuntu Education Fund, which nurtures children "from cradle to career" in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.- Zolee Griggs was born on 30 July 1997 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Bride Wars (2009), Archenemy (2020) and The Enforcer (2022).
- Shannon Kane was born on 14 September 1986 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for Brooklyn's Finest (2009), The Collection (2012) and Blood and Bone (2009).
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Kayla Smith, also known as Kayla Brianna, is a "triple threat" performer. She is proving to be a new force in Entertainment. Her theatrical credits include: CW's Black Lighting, Freeform's Switched at Birth, TBS' Meet The Smiths and as the lead for indie thriller Payment Received. Her music influence has garnered over 35 million streams and views worldwide. Her sound, which has the perfect blend of Pop, R&B and Soul, has put her on the map as iHeartRadio's 2017 "On the Verge" artist as well as earning her a nomination for "Best New R&B Artist." She's repped by Rothman Andrés Entertainment and Pietra Ingenito of TalentWorks.- Actress
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Karimah Westbrook is an American television and film actress. After crashing an audition and snagging a role in the Paramount box office hit Save the Last Dance (2001), she has never looked back. A Chicago native, the youngest of two, Westbrook was inspired by actress Whoopi Goldberg growing up. After falling in love with the theater, she realized she had a strong desire to perform and decided to pursue an acting career. She attended schools such as The Academy of Dramatic Arts-West.
Westbrook earned recognition for her performance as Ginnie in the Sony Classics critically acclaimed bio-pic Baadasssss! (2003) opposite actor/director Mario Van Peebles. Baadasssss! (2003) was voted "One of the Best Movies of the Year" by Ebert and Roeper. Since moving to Los Angeles, the Chicago native has amassed an impressive list of T.V. and film appearances, including supporting roles in The Rum Diary (2011) opposite Johnny Depp, Bolden (2019), a Jazz bio-pic where her character Alice Bolden ages from her 20's to her 50's, and American Violet (2008) opposite Oscar nominee Alfre Woodard. Always up for a challenge, Westbrook learned to speak Mandarin Chinese when she worked opposite international film star Sylvia Chang in the award winning festival hit American Fusion (2005).
A firm believer in creating her own opportunities,Westbrook talents extends to writing and producing. Her first film production, a short drama entitled Best Kept Secret (2006), became a finalist in the 'Lens on Talent (2009)' filmmakers competition. Since then, Westbrook has produced projects such as A Fire in a Dovecot (2010), Watts and Volts (2009), and Pastor Stuart (2009) .
Just as she finds it essential to explore every aspect of her talent, Karimah also believes in giving back. Dedicated to giving back to her community, for several years Karimah served as a mentor for A Place Called Home - a youth center in Los Angeles that helps young adults in the inner city to find success and self reliance. She remains on the center's Leadership Council who's mission remains the same.
Whether she is writing, producing, or giving back, this gifted actress has a powerful and captivating way of delivering a performance.- Actress
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Award-nominated actress, writer, and director Keesha Sharp has become known in the entertainment industry for her innate ability to bring complex characters to life on screen, her steadfast professionalism, and her irrefutable beauty, inside and out. Keesha can be seen on season 3 of "Power Book II: Ghost" . Recently, Sharp starred as Trish Murtaugh in the international hit series "Lethal Weapon" for FOX, rebooting the hit movie franchise of the same name. Sharp stood out as Trish, a lawyer and devoted wife and confidante to Roger (Damon Wayans). "Lethal Weapon" became an instant hit in the US and overseas. Sharp was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2017 NAACP Image Awards for her work on the show. She also recently recurred on the hit FOX series "Empire" and the acclaimed "The Good Fight" (Paramount+).
On the film front this year, Sharp stars in the Psychological thriller "Dark My Light" (2023) with Albert Jones and Tom Lipinski. In addition, she stars in "Heist 88" (2023) with Courtney B. Vance and Keith David for Paramount+. This reunites her with her co-star from "The People Vs O.J. Simpson" (Vance) and August Wilson's "Seven Guitars" (David).
Sharp is also well known for her role as Dale Cochran, wife of defense attorney Johnnie Cochran (Courtney B. Vance), in the Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning limited series "The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story," her series regular role as Gigi on the TBS/Syndicated comedy "Are We There Yet," and as Monica Charles Brooks on the hit CW series "Girlfriends," for which she was nominated for her first NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
In addition to her diverse acting credits, Keesha Sharp has become a force as a Director as well. Known for her preparation, meticulous dedication to the story and talent for communicating with actors, Sharp is a Director for different genres of television. After making her directorial debut on the multi-cam comedy "Are We There Yet" (TBS), she has gone on to direct dramatic action series "Lethal Weapon" (FOX) and "Black Lightning" (CW), the comedy "The Last OG" (TBS), dramas "Bel Air" (Peacock), "Found" (NBC), "All American: Homecoming" (CW), "Our Kind of People" (FOX) and sci-fi "Charmed" (CW).
Acting film credits include: "Marshall" starring opposite Chadwick Boseman in which Keesha earned an NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture category for her standout role as Buster Marshall in the film. Other credits include "Why Did I Get Married?," indie films "Frozen Peas" and "Born Guilty," "The 636," for which she won Best Actress at the 2014 NYLA International Film Festival, "Shattered!", "Never Die Alone", and "American Adobo." Other television credits include: NBC's "The Player," The CW's "Significant Mother," CBS' "Bad Teacher," ABC Family's "Melissa & Joey," UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris," TV Land's "The Exes," CBS' "Elementary," "Cold Case," and many more.
Born in Rochester, New York, Sharp was immersed in music and studied the clarinet, piano, and cello at the prestigious Hochstein School of Music. Her enthusiasm for school theatre led her to apply to The Boston Conservatory, where she received a scholarship. After graduating Cum Laude with a B.F.A. from the Conservatory, Sharp set her sights on the stage. She performed in the Broadway National Tour of Carousel, debuted Off-Broadway in Michael Bradford's Living in the Wind and played eight different roles in the interactive comedy Eat the Runt. Other theatre performances include: Abyssinia, Aida, Thunder Knockin', Jitney, The Producers, Big Street, Suburb and Joe Turner's Come and Gone, in which Sharp read alongside playwright August Wilson himself.
In addition to her work on the screen and stage, Sharp has several other original projects in the works she has written or co-written. She continues to sing, and has a full-length album in production. When she isn't working in front of or behind the camera, or in the studio recording music, Sharp has a love for fitness and stays in shape boxing and studying Krav Maga.. She also enjoys playing piano, hiking and long road trips. Sharp resides in Los Angeles with family.- Actress
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Gabrielle Union was born on October 29, 1972, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Theresa (Glass), who managed a phone company, and Sylvester E. Union, a military sergeant and business executive. When she was eight, her family moved to Pleasanton, California, where she grew up and attended high school. There, Union was an all-star point guard and a year-round athlete participating in soccer, basketball, and track. She graduated from Foothill High School (Class of 1991).
After high school, Gabrielle attended college at University of Nebraska, where she played on the soccer team; and then later transferred to Cuesta College. Eventually, she ended up at UCLA. On her way to law school, just planning on being a working stiff, things started to happen during her senior year. Gabrielle had a college internship at a L.A. modeling agency, she thought it would be an easy way to pick up some extra credits. Little did she know that clients were eyeing the help. Upon the completion of the internship, she was asked to become a client with the agency. Gabby thought of it as a great way to pay off a stack of college loans, and modeled until her agent found that she could actually act. Her first audition/job was landed without any headshots, on Saved by the Bell (1989). Since then, she has gone on to have many small but substantial film roles and has guest-starred on several hit TV shows, all before landing the role of "Dr. Courtney Ellis", on CBS' short-lived medical drama City of Angels (2000).
Although she plays parts that are opinionated and strong, Gabrielle believes that, "Hollywood needs to recognize all shades of African-American beauty." Gabrielle is a 1996 graduate of UCLA with honors in sociology.- Actress
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Tiffany Sara Cornilia Haddish is an American stand-up comedian and actress. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2018, and The Hollywood Reporter listed her among the 100 most powerful people in entertainment in both 2018 and 2019.
After guest-starring on several television series, Haddish gained prominence for her role as Nekeisha Williams on the NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show (2015-2017). Her breakthrough came in with a leading role in the comedy film Girls Trip (2017), which earned her several accolades, such as nominations for two Critics' Choice Awards. In 2021, Haddish's performance was included on The New Yorker's list of the best film performances of the 21st century. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for hosting a Saturday Night Live episode (2017) and published a memoir, The Last Black Unicorn (2017).
Haddish starred in the TBS series The Last O.G. (2018-2020) and executive produced and voiced Tuca in the Netflix/Adult Swim animated series Tuca & Bertie (2019-present). Haddish released the album Black Mitzvah in 2019, for which she won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album, making her the second African-American woman to win this prize after Whoopi Goldberg in 1986. In 2022, she was part of the main cast for the crime comedy series The Afterparty and is set to reprise her role in the show's second season.- Samantha Logan was born on 27 October 1996 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She is an actress, known for All American (2018), 13 Reasons Why (2017) and The Empty Man (2020).
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Storm Reid is an Emmy-nominated actress, producer, and current student at USC. With numerous credits to her name, Reid has emerged as one of Hollywood's most sought-after young actors. She recently earned her first Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series" for her work as Riley in the Max hit series THE LAST OF US.
Previous film projects include: TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE (2013), SLEIGHT (2016), A HAPPENING OF MONUMENTAL PROPORTIONS (2017), A WRINKLE IN TIME (2018), DON'T LET GO (2019), THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020), THE SUICIDE SQUAD (2021), ONE WAY (2022), MISSING (2023). Previous television projects include: WHEN THEY SEE US (2019), EUPHORIA (2019-), THE BRAVEST KNIGHT (2019), THE LAST OF US (2023).
In 2013, Reid and her mother, Robyn Simpson launched A SEED & WINGS Productions, an independent multimedia production house rooted in narratives that forge multi-cultural conversations, entertain, educate, and uplift. Their desire is to create authentic storytelling that is impactful, honest, and reflects the perspectives of all people. In 2021, Reid starred in Facebook Watch's "Chop it Up," a conversation series by way of cooking. The series was created and produced by Reid and her mother, Robyn Simpson, through their production company. It was announced that Reid will star and produce, alongside Simpson under their banner, the Paramount feature BECOMING NOBLE.
Additionally, Reid created the brand ArashiBlu, which she continues to expand and now includes her philanthropic endeavor, ArashiBlu 1720. Reid launched ArashiBlu 1720 with the intent to advocate and support the next generation of creators by being of service to her community. Reid recently launched 1720 ONE PARK AT A TIME, a new initiative under ArashiBlu 1720, with the mission to restore parks and playgrounds in underprivileged neighborhoods across the country. The first park being restored is Brownwood Park in Reid's hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Reid held a groundbreaking event at the park with partners Coco Gauff and New Balance in July 2023.
Reid's next film project, Warner Bros' THE NUN 2, is set to be released in theaters on September 8, 2023.- Betty Gabriel was born in Washington D.C. and raised in both Pittsburgh and Hyattsville, MD. After graduating from Iowa State University with a bachelor's degree in Animal Science/Pre-Vet, she moved to Chicago to become a modern dancer. She also studied acting. After years of performing as a dancer and an actor at reputable theaters such as Steppenwolf and Victory Gardens, she decided to further her studies and is now a graduate of The Juilliard School.
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Gillian was born in Los Angeles, CA to parents, Victor and Cheryl Waters. She was raised in Altadena, CA. Her background is of African-American, Blackfoot Indian and Irish descent. An all around student athlete, Gillian was a star basketball player, Homecoming Queen and a honors student in high school. Gillian wanted to be an FBI agent and received a scholarship from the LAPD to attend Howard University and study Administration of Justice but later changed her major to Human Communication focusing on Intra/Interpersonal Relations and minored in Dramatic Arts.
A self-proclaimed "very cool, very hip nerd", Gillian has been in the business for over 20 years. Her first break was starring as LL Cool J's lover in his music video "Hey Lover" ft. Boyz II Men and then as Dr. Dre's wife and tango partner in his music video "Been There, Done That". She then moved on from music videos to television and got her first role in the feature film, "How To Be A Player" and then playing Cole's girlfriend on the hit show "Martin. She continued to book guest starring roles on sitcoms and dramas and smaller roles in feature films, like the Quentin Tarantino's classic Jackie Brown and Spike Lee's Bamboozled. Her favorite roles to date are playing the Amazon warrior, Amoria, on the show Xena: Warrior Princess which she filmed on location in New Zealand and the recurring villain, China Lee Arvin on the soap opera, Days of Our Lives.
Gillian married her best friend of 19 years and fiancé of 3 years, actor, director and martial arts star, Michael Jai White in a lavish but intimate ceremony in Thailand complete with a beautiful Thai couture dress, a parade of painted elephants, Thai drummers, exotic dancers throwing flower petals and a fireworks show. The two had just completed filming their new Sony Pictures film shot in Bangkok, Never Back Down 3, which they are both starring in. She has two daughters from a previous marriage, Alaia and Niahla and 3 stepchildren, Devin, Jai and Morgan from her new marriage. Michael and Gillian are quickly becoming Black Hollywood's newest IT couple because of their very public loving relationship that solely focuses on their family, health & fitness, upcoming projects and their genuine happiness together.- Actress
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Robin Simone Givens was born on November 27, 1964 in New York City, to Ruth (Newby) and Reuben Givens. Her father left his family when Robin was a young girl, and she seldom saw him after that. Robin's mother raised her and her younger sister in Westchester, Connecticut. Her mother (once linked to Yankee outfielder Dave Winfield) always encouraged her children's creativity, and helped them develop an interest in the arts. When she was young, Robin began playing the violin but quickly decided it was not for her. She chose instead to channel her artistic energy through acting and, at the age of ten, she started acting classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. In 1980, at fifteen, Robin enrolled as a freshman at Sarah Lawrence College to study pre-med. By her junior year, however, Robin's excitement about the idea of a career in acting intensified and she began taking her craft more seriously. Robin's first experience in Hollywood was on The Cosby Show (1984), the hottest show on television. As a result of the role, she and comedian Bill Cosby forged a great friendship which would prove instrumental in Robin's career. She also landed a guest appearance on Diff'rent Strokes (1978). Her career was just about to take off. Robin first made it big in Hollywood in 1986. She took a role in a television movie, Beverly Hills Madam (1986), as "April Baxter". But, it was later that year that Robin became a recognizable actress in Hollywood. She was given a role on the television series Head of the Class (1986) as "Darlene Merriman". The series was a comedy about a group of gifted high school students that were placed in an enrichment class. In 1988, Robin married boxing legend Mike Tyson. This union put her into the national spotlight, as Tyson was on the top of his career. He was one of the youngest boxers ever to receive the attention, acclaim and financial success that Tyson garnered. The marriage ended (on Valentine's Day), just a year later. Rumors hinted at abuse and infidelity. Robin gave marriage another chance in 1997, by marrying her tennis instructor Svetozar Marinkovic. The marriage proved a total failure, as the two were separated since the day they married, and Robin filed for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences". Aside from a successful model and acclaimed actress, Robin is a mother. In October 1999, she gave birth to a baby boy. The baby's father is tennis player Murphy Jensen, but the couple are no longer together. She has another child, and she is raising the two boys today. In 2000, Robin took a controversial career move as she took over for Mother Love on the successful television talk show, Forgive or Forget (1998). Her stint was brief, as just a few months later, the show stopped production. Many point to Mother Love's devoted audience, and the odd dismissal of her from the show she pioneered and created. Robin has tried to forge a friendship with Mother Love, but Love doesn't appear interested. Robin called in during a Howard Stern interview of Mother Love, where she said she was "on her way to work", which although innocent, proved to upset Mother Love.- Actress
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Sheryl Lee Ralph was born December 30, 1956 in Waterbury, Connecticut, USA. She is known for her roles in Moesha (1996), Its A Living (1980), and Instant Mom (2013). Her Career Began in the late 1970s. She has been Married to Vincent Hughes since July 30, 2005 a Pennsylvania state senator. She was previously married to Eric Maurice.- Actress
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Yara Shahidi was born on 10 February 2000 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Salt (2010), Black-ish (2014) and Grown-ish (2018).- Actress
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Yvette Nicole Brown is an Emmy-nominated actress, writer, producer and host best known for her series-regular and Special Guest Star* roles on the television shows: "Community", "The Mayor", "Drake and Josh", "The Odd Couple", Disney Plus' "Big Shot" and "Act Your Age"* on Bounce TV.
And films as varied as "Dreamgirls""Tropic Thunder", "Avengers: Endgame" and Disney's "Disenchanted"
She has guest co-hosted "The View", "The Talk", "The Real", "Access Hollywood", "The Talking Dead", and has moderated numerous panels in the famed Hall H at San Diego Comic Con.
She's produced Disney's "The Big Fib", SyFy's "Cosplay Melee" and she is also a 2020 NAACP Image Award Nominated writer for "Always A Bridesmaid" - the Romantic Comedy she penned and Executive Produced that is streaming on Netflix and BET+.
Yvette believes in philanthropy and civic engagement and she proudly sits on the National Boards of Donors Choose (where she is Vice-Chair), EMILY's List, MPTF Next Gen and SAG-AFTRA.- Actress
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She graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia in 1971. While a student at Spelman (an all-female institution), she met Samuel L. Jackson, who was a student at Morehouse College (the all-male institution affiliated with Spelman), who would later become her husband. She and Jackson have one daughter named Zoe.- Actress
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Danielle Moné Truitt was destined to entertain. She is the true definition of a Triple Threat. The actor, singer, and dancer hails from Sacramento, California where she studied Theatre and Dance at Sacramento State University before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in television and film. Truitt got her start in theatre, but is now starring in the lead role as Rebecca "Rebel" Knight in the new John Singleton Drama series Rebel on BET. The series centers around Truitt's character, Rebel, an Oakland police officer, who struggles with life and career after her brother is killed by police and delves into the complexities of officers of color and the conflicts they have with their jobs, particularly now, while there is scrutiny over misconduct and police brutality.
Recently, Truitt was nominated for two Ovation Awards; the first for her performance as a lead actress in a play for The West Coast Premiere of The Mountaintop and the second, for her role in Dreamgirls. She packed the Rockwell Table and Stage venue for her self-produced one woman show Overnight Success, and also recently performed her one woman play, 3: Black Girl Blues to sold out audiences at the United Solo Theatre Festival in New York. Some of her other stage credits include In The Heights, Neat, Aida, A Raisin in the Sun and Hair. Truitt has appeared on TV in guest starring roles on ABC's Super Fun Night and FOX's Mulaney. Her film experience includes her role as Kay, in FOX Digital's feature film ETXR. Truitt made history when she joined the cast of the Academy Award Nominated Animation The Princess and the Frog as the video reference for Princess Tiana. She performed the body movements and facial expressions for the Disney Princess, ultimately giving Princess Tiana her persona and essence as well as performing a voice for another character in the film, Georgia.
Aside from performing, Truitt is a wife and mother of two young sons. She has a heart for people and for promoting change in our communities. Because of this, she started the BE. ETERNAL: The Thriving Artist Series that serves the artistic community by providing emotional and spiritual support. She produced an event entitled #MoreThanAHashtag - a night of open discussion and performance surrounding the misuse of police force and our role in activism to rekindle awareness towards injustice. Truitt truly believes that art has the ability to speak loud and to change the hearts and minds of people. She also partners in ministry with her husband at THE LIVINGROOM in Van Nuys, California. Their ministry works with Hope of the Valley to provide meals and encouragement to the homeless community in the San Fernando Valley, and they have worked with foster youth and boys' homes. Truitt and her husband hold a monthly music/poetry/comedy event called MY FIRST FRIDAYS, where artists from all over come to perform. It has become one of the most popular events in Southern California. Truitt is managed by Cheryl Martin at CMA Entertainment.- Actress
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Angela Lewis was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Snowfall (2017), Code Black (2015) and Top Five (2014).- Actress
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Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins is known for Dear White People (2014), Dear White People (2017) and Hello Cupid (2013).- Actress
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Robinne Lee (born July 16, 1974) is an American actress and author. She made her screen debut in the 1997 independent film Hav Plenty, and later has appeared in films National Security (2003), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), Hitch (2005), Seven Pounds (2008), Fifty Shades Darker (2017), and Fifty Shades Freed (2018).
Lee was born in Mount Vernon, New York on July 16. A graduate of Columbia Law School, Lee began her acting career as part of the ensemble cast of the romantic comedy Hav Plenty in 1997, which was shown at Toronto Film Festival. She spent the following years working in smaller films, and well as co-starred in television movies include The Runaway opposite Debbi Morgan. On television, Lee also guest-starred on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Numbers. She also appeared in R&B singer Usher's music video for his 2004 single "Confessions Part II".
In 2003, Lee has appeared in two movies. The first movie was action comedy National Security with Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn. Later that year, she co-starred with LL Cool J and Gabrielle Union in the romantic comedy Deliver Us From Eva. In 2005, Lee had role in box-office hit Hitch starring Will Smith. In 2008, she co-starred again with Smith in the drama film Seven Pounds playing his fiancee. As lead actress, she starred in the 2008 comedy-drama This Is Not a Test. In 2009, Lee co-starred alongside Don Cheadle in the comedy film Hotel for Dogs.
In 2007, Lee had the recurring role on the TBS sitcom Tyler Perry's House of Payne and shot an independent film called This Is Not a Test. From 2013 to 2014, she played Avery Daniels in the first season of the critically acclaimed BET drama series, Being Mary Jane.
Lee played Ros Bailey in Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018), the sequels to Fifty Shades of Grey.- Actress
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Jerrika Delayne Hinton is an American actress, best known for her role as Stephanie Edwards in the ABC medical drama series Grey's Anatomy.
She graduated in spring 2003 with honors from Southern Methodist University's Meadows School of the Arts with a bachelor of fine arts degree in liberal arts, where she studied theatre, directing, and play-writing and received the Rosenfield Award for Playwriting.
Hinton began her career appearing in stage productions. She has made her film debut playing Khandi Alexander's character's daughter in the 2006 independent drama Rain. The following years, Hinton guest-starred in several television series such as Gilmore Girls, Everybody Hates Chris, Zoey 101, Ghost Whisperer, Gossip Girl, Lie to Me, Bones, and Scandal. Other film credits include Broken Angel (2008) and The Roommate (2011), and well as Ion Television movie A Christmas Kiss (2011).
In September 2012, it was announced that Hinton had been cast as new intern Stephanie Edwards for ninth season of Shonda Rhimes medical drama series Grey's Anatomy.- Actress
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Bresha Webb was born on 6 May 1984 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Run the World (2021), A Fall from Grace (2020) and Meet the Blacks (2016). She has been married to Nick Jones Jr. since 4 February 2023.- Actress
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Tasha Smith is a multifaceted actress and director whose work brings style and intensity to the projects she works on, whether in front of or behind the camera. From her roles as "Carol" on Fox's hit drama Empire, "Brenda" in Netflix's Running Out Of Time, to her critically-acclaimed portrayal of the drug-addicted "Ronnie Boyce" in HBO's Emmy Award winning mini-series The Corner, Tasha embodies her characters and gives them life. Tasha's memorable portrayal of "Angela" in Why Did I Get Married? and its sequel Why Did I Get Married, Too? sparked the creation of the spin-off series For Better Or Worse on OWN, for which she earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for "Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series." Other feature credits include Lionsgate films Addicted and Daddy's Little Girls (opposite Idris Elba), Sony's Jumping The Broom, and Universal's romantic comedy Couples Retreat, among others.
Most recently, Tasha has directed episodes of 9-1-1 for Fox, Black Lightning for The CW, the Untitled Tracy Oliver project for Amazon, Star on Fox, P-Valley on Starz, Tales on BET, as well as her directorial debut feature film for TV1 titled When Love Kills, which was nominated for a NAACP Award.
Tasha Smith's infectious optimism and enthusiasm command attention in her professional and private lives. She takes time to share her inspirational life story through motivational speaking and mentoring emerging actors through the Tasha Smith Actors Workshop (TSAW).- Actress
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Brittany Inge is a multi-hyphenate artist and activist from Laurel, MD. She is a graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC and Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. After graduating cum laude from Spelman, with a degree in music, Brittany began training and eventually, working as a professional actor. She performed in productions at several of Atlanta's premiere theater houses before transitioning into television and film. Brittany credits theater work as her "grad school experience" and continues to move proudly between stage and screen projects. Her TV/Film career has included roles on "Atlanta" (FX), "The Passage" (FOX), "Dynasty" (CW), "The Resident" (FOX), "Survivor's Remorse" (STARZ), "Love Is _ " (OWN), and the feature film: "The Hate U Give". She spent 2 seasons portraying Crystal Garrett in the BET series, "Boomerang"; executive produced by Lena Waithe and Halle Berry. Brittany can be seen portraying Ashley James, the eldest child of the titular character on "The Ms. Pat Show"-- a new, hit sitcom, streaming now on BET Plus.