Amazing Black Actors & Actresses
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Regina Hall was born December 12, 1970 in Washington, D.C., to Ruby, a teacher, and Odie Hall, a contractor. She graduated from Fordham University in 1992, and went on to earn a master's degree in journalism from New York University before shifting to an acting career. In 1997 at age 26, she began appearing in commercials, and then made the giant leap into movies. Her fame came with her role in the comedy-horror spoof Scary Movie, Regina Hall has frequented the big screen in roles that far from betrayed her age. Her recurring role in Scary Movie and the sequel Scary Movie 2 exhibited the 30-year-old's ability to maintain her youthful appearance, as she portrayed the high-school-aged Brenda Meeks. However, her first film role was in the 1999 film The Best Man. The following year, she made many other film appearances, including her starring role in Scary Movie in 2000. She first had a role in the movie Love and Basketball which also starred close friend Sanaa Lathan. In 2001, Hall's list of credits grew to include her first television role, as Corretta Lipp on the prime-time drama Ally McBeal, which was a recurring role for several episodes. Furthermore, in 2001 Scary Movie 2 was released, in addition to the Mandel Holland comedy The Other Brother, featuring Hall as Vicki. One year later, she starred in the action-drama Paid in Full, directed by Charles Stone III. She would later on start in other films such as;Malibu's Most Wanted, Scary Movie 3, The Honeymooners, and First Sunday.- Actress
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Regina King was born in Los Angeles, California, to Gloria, a special education teacher, and Thomas King, an electrician. She began her career in the television show 227 (1985), followed by a role in Boyz n the Hood (1991). She began to be recognized by a mainstream audience after her role as Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character's wife in Jerry Maguire (1996). She co-starred in Enemy of the State (1998) as Will Smith's character's wife.- Actor
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Donald Frank Cheadle was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 29, 1964. His childhood found him moving from city to city with his family: mother Bettye (née North), a teacher; father Donald Frank Cheadle Sr., a clinical psychologist; sister Cindy; and brother Colin. After graduating from high school in Denver, Colorado, Cheadle attended and graduated from the California Institute of the Arts with a bachelor¹s degree in fine arts. Encouraged by his college friends, he attended a variety of auditions and landed a recurring role on the hit series Fame (1982), which led to feature film roles in Dennis Hopper's Colors (1988) and John Irvin's Hamburger Hill (1987).
Early in his career, Cheadle was named Best Supporting Actor by the Los Angeles Film Critics for his breakout performance opposite Denzel Washington in Devil in a Blue Dress (1995). His subsequent film credits include Traitor (2008), an international thriller that he produced, starring opposite Guy Pearce; Kasi Lemmons's Talk to Me (2007), with Chiwetel Ejiofor; the 2006 Oscar-winning Best Picture, Crash (2004), which Cheadle also produced; Hotel Rwanda (2004), for which his performance garnered Oscar, Golden Globe, Broadcast Film Critics and Screen Actors Guild award nominations for Best Actor; Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven (2001), Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007), starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney; Mike Binder's Reign Over Me (2007) with Adam Sandler; the Academy Award-winning Traffic (2000) and Out of Sight (1998), with George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, both films also directed by Soderbergh; Paul Thomas Anderson's acclaimed Boogie Nights (1997) with Julianne Moore and Mark Wahlberg; Bulworth (1998), directed by and starring Warren Beatty; Swordfish (2001), with John Travolta and Halle Berry; Mission to Mars (2000) with Tim Robbins and Gary Sinise; John Singleton's Rosewood (1997), for which Cheadle earned an NAACP Image Award nomination; Brett Ratner's The Family Man (2000), starring Nicolas Cage; and the independent features Manic (2001) and Things Behind the Sun (2001).
Cheadle was honored by the CineVegas Film Festival and the Los Angeles Film Festival and received ShoWest's Male Star of the Year award. He is also well-recognized for his television work, including his portrayal of Sammy Davis Jr. in HBO's The Rat Pack (1998), for which he received a Golden Globe Award and a Best Supporting Actor Emmy nomination. That same year, he also received an Emmy nomination for his starring role in HBO's adaptation of the best-selling novel A Lesson Before Dying (1999), opposite Cicely Tyson and Mekhi Phifer.
He also starred for HBO in Eriq La Salle's Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault (1996). Cheadle's TV series credits include his two-year stint in David E. Kelley's acclaimed series Picket Fences (1992), a guest-starring role on ER (1994) (earning yet another Emmy nomination) and a regular role on The Golden Palace (1992) He also starred in the live television broadcast of Fail Safe (2000) opposite George Clooney, James Cromwell, Brian Dennehy, Richard Dreyfuss, and Harvey Keitel. He also co-executive produced the TV version of Crash (2008).
His most recent big-screen appearances have been in Antoine Fuqua's ensemble crime thriller Brooklyn's Finest (2009) and Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2 (2010), another mainstream breakthrough where he played Lt. Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, replacing Terrence Howard from the first film. The Guard (2011), an art-house hit directed by John Michael McDonagh and co-starring Brendan Gleeson, followed.
Cheadle stars in House of Lies (2012) on Showtime. Late in 2012, he was seen in Flight (2012), Robert Zemeckis's return to live-action filmmaking. In 2013, he reprised his role as Rhodey in Iron Man 3 (2013). Among his projects in development is a movie based on the life of jazz legend Miles Davis.
A talented musician who plays saxophone, writes music and sings, he is also an accomplished stage actor and director and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Spoken Word Album for his narration/dramatization of the Walter Mosley novel 'Fear Itself.'
Other notable off-stage achievements include the 2007 BET Humanitarian Award for the cause of the people of Darfur and Rwanda, and sharing the Summit Peace Award by the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome with George Clooney for their work in Darfur.- Actor
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Trevante Nemour Rhodes is an American actor. He won several accolades and achieved recognition in 2016 for his performance as Chiron in the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight. In his youth, he was an accomplished track and field sprinter, winning a gold medal at the Pan American Junior Athletics Championships in 2009.- Actress
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Teyonah Parris was born on 22 September 1987 in Hopkins, South Carolina, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Dear White People (2014), Chi-Raq (2015) and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018). She is married to James Parris.- Actress
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Michelle Mitchenor, a New Jersey native started in the industry as a professional dancer working with top recording artists such as Rihanna, Beyoncé, Pharrell, Cee-lo Green, and several more. In 2015 she completely transitioned into the acting world and starred in her first feature "Chi-Raq" directed by Spike Lee and in 2016 began starring in FOX's latest hit "Lethal Weapon" as Detective Sonya Bailey. Outside of TV&Film Michelle works with her non-profit (The Mitchenor Foundation) providing performance and visual arts classes to children in underdeveloped communities in the U.S and abroad.- Actor
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Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. was born on December 28, 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. He is the middle of three children of a beautician mother, Lennis, from Georgia, and a Pentecostal minister father, Denzel Washington, Sr., from Virginia. After graduating from high school, Denzel enrolled at Fordham University, intent on a career in journalism. However, he caught the acting bug while appearing in student drama productions and, upon graduation, he moved to San Francisco and enrolled at the American Conservatory Theater. He left A.C.T. after only one year to seek work as an actor. His first paid acting role was in a summer stock theater stage production in St. Mary's City, Maryland. The play was "Wings of the Morning", which is about the founding of the colony of Maryland (now the state of Maryland) and the early days of the Maryland colonial assembly (a legislative body). He played the part of a real historical character, Mathias Da Sousa, although much of the dialogue was created. Afterwards he began to pursue screen roles in earnest. With his acting versatility and powerful presence, he had no difficulty finding work in numerous television productions.
He made his first big screen appearance in Carbon Copy (1981) with George Segal. Through the 1980s, he worked in both movies and television and was chosen for the plum role of Dr. Philip Chandler in NBC's hit medical series St. Elsewhere (1982), a role that he would play for six years. In 1989, his film career began to take precedence when he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Tripp, the runaway slave in Edward Zwick's powerful historical masterpiece Glory (1989).
Washington has received much critical acclaim for his film work since the 1990s, including his portrayals of real-life figures such as South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom (1987), Muslim minister and human rights activist Malcolm X in Malcolm X (1992), boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in The Hurricane (1999), football coach Herman Boone in Remember the Titans (2000), poet and educator Melvin B. Tolson in The Great Debaters (2007), and drug kingpin Frank Lucas in American Gangster (2007). Malcolm X and The Hurricane garnered him Oscar nominations for Best Actor, before he finally won that statuette in 2002 for his lead role in Training Day (2001).
Through the 1990s, Denzel also co-starred in such big budget productions as The Pelican Brief (1993), Philadelphia (1993), Crimson Tide (1995), The Preacher's Wife (1996), and Courage Under Fire (1996), a role for which he was paid $10 million. He continued to define his onscreen persona as the tough, no-nonsense hero through the 2000s in films like Out of Time (2003), Man on Fire (2004), Inside Man (2006), and The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009). Cerebral and meticulous in his film work, he made his debut as a director with Antwone Fisher (2002); he also directed The Great Debaters (2007) and Fences (2016).
In 2010, Washington headlined The Book of Eli (2010), a post-Apocalyptic drama. Later that year, he starred as a veteran railroad engineer in the action film Unstoppable (2010), about an unmanned, half-mile-long runaway freight train carrying dangerous cargo. The film was his fifth and final collaboration with director Tony Scott, following Crimson Tide (1995), Man on Fire (2004), Déjà Vu (2006) and The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. He has also been a featured actor in the films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and has been a frequent collaborator of director Spike Lee.
In 2012, Washington starred in Flight (2012), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. He co-starred with Ryan Reynolds in Safe House (2012), and prepared for his role by subjecting himself to a torture session that included waterboarding. In 2013, Washington starred in 2 Guns (2013), alongside Mark Wahlberg. In 2014, he starred in The Equalizer (2014), an action thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Richard Wenk, based on the television series of same name starring Edward Woodward. During this time period, he also took on the role of producer for some of his films, including The Book of Eli and Safe House.
In 2016, he was selected as the recipient for the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards.
He lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife, Pauletta Washington, and their four children.- Actor
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Known for his charming looks and deep personality, Michael Ealy blessed the movie screen with his role in Barbershop (2002). When he left Silver Spring, Maryland, with a degree in English, he headed off to New York. From there he performed in several stage productions, including the Off-Broadway hits "Joe Fearless" and "Whoa-Jack". He's appeared in Showtime's Soul Food (2000), on NBC's Law & Order (1990) and the ABC sitcom Madigan Men (2000).
When he moved to Los Angeles, he landed a lead role in "Barbershop" after a friend informed him about it. In addition, he appeared in Kissing Jessica Stein (2001) and Jerry Bruckheimer's Bad Company (2002), directed by Joel Schumacher. The natural, blue-eyed actor can be seen in HBO's Baseball Wives (2002).- Actress
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Multiethnic (African-American / Korean) actress Denyce Lawton is best known for her four seasons on the six-time NAACP Best Comedy Series Winner series House of Payne (2006) from producer Tyler Perry.
Denyce was born and raised in the New Jersey communities of Belmar and Neptune (familiar to viewers of the series Jersey Shore (2009) and later moved to Washington, DC. She completed middle school and high school in Prince Georges County, Maryland. Graduating at the top of her class while taking college course classes her senior year, she participated in almost every academic program and club the school offered, and was Vice President of her senior class, She took part in the Biotechnology Program for gifted students (headed for The medical field), the Future Teachers of America Club, the yearbook staff, the pom-pom squad, girls basketball and--what would turn out to be most important to her--the drama club. After graduation, she studied pre-med at the University Of Maryland while attending an early studies program at prestigious Johns Hopkins University.
Denyce began her professional entertainment career as a background dancer on the Broadway stage and later for such recording artists such as Ye, *NSYNC, Mya, Nelly, Jagged Edge, Ja Rule, Sean 'Diddy' Combs and many others. She also served as Assistant Vice President of Urban Promotions at Warner Brother Records, and later became A&R VP at Priority Records in New York City. She worked as personal assistant to record executive Irv Gotti at Murder Inc. Records and Assistant Junior Publicist at 20th Century Fox Pictures.
She started a modeling career with work for Kemi Oil, FUBU, ADIDAS, Enyce, Karl Kani and Baby Phat, while gaining acting experience with roles in New York City's famous "Shakespeare in the Park" series. She also appeared in music videos for such artists as Clay Aiken ("The Way"), 112 ("Peaches and Cream"), Nas ("One Mic") and Jaheim ("Anything"), among others. She has had roles in such TV series as Castle (2009) and Entourage (2004) in the feature films The Dempsey Sisters (2013), Soul Plane (2004) and Act Like You Love Me (2013).- Actress
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Nafessa Williams was born on 4 December 1989 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Black and Blue (2019), Black Lightning (2018) and A Holiday Chance (2021).- Actress
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Meagan Monique Good was born on 8 August 1981 in Panorama City, California, USA, to Tyra Wardlow-Doyle, who worked as her manager, and Leondis "Leon" Good, an LAPD officer. She began appearing on commercials at the age of four. Then she started guest-starring on series like The Parent 'Hood (1995), Touched by an Angel (1994), Moesha (1996), The Steve Harvey Show (1996) and The Division (2001). She also starred in Raising Dad (2001) with Bob Saget.- Actor
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Omari Latif Hardwick was born in Savannah, Georgia, to Joyce (Johnson) and Clifford Hardwick III, and grew up in Decatur, GA. His parents gave him a name to set a precedent, "Omari" meaning "most high," and "Latif" meaning "gentle." He shares, "I in no way believe that I am the highest or most high, but I feel like my name gives me something to strive for." Growing up, sports were Hardwick's world, but early on he knew he had a passion for the arts. By the age of fourteen, Hardwick was writing poetry on a regular basis, a passion he would carry with him into adulthood. In high school, he excelled at basketball, baseball, and football, and went on to play football at the University of Georgia. Although a star on the field, Hardwick never gave up his passion for acting, and minored in theatre in college. He shares, "I hugely attribute sports to my success in entertainment business. Being on the field taught me dedication and discipline - I already came from a strict household when I was growing up, sports just took that to another level. Whenever I approach a set, I always feel as though the cast, crew, director, are all part of a team. I have always married athletics and art, two huge parts of my life."
After graduation, Hardwick relocated to San Diego for a spot on the San Diego Chargers (NFL) however a knee injury cut his football career short. He decided to revisit his original passion for acting, and moved to New York to study his craft more extensively. In New York, Hardwick studied off Broadway until 2000, when he made the move to Los Angeles. As a struggling actor, he worked odd jobs to pay for acting classes, however the security gigs and substitute teaching at times were not enough to make ends meet, and at one point he lived out of his car. Hardwick shares, "what is so crazy, is that where I presently shoot my series 'Dark Blue,' is where I lived in my car when I first moved to Los Angeles. It is surreal at times."
Hardwick's first big break came in 2003, when he was cast in his first major role as a series regular in Spike Lee's Sucker Free City. Two years later, he landed the feature The Guardian and TNT's Saved - both of which he booked within a three-week span in 2005. He notes, "I felt like I had arrived when I went back to one of my odd jobs that had let me go several years prior, and I looked out over Sunset Boulevard right next to the Chateau Marmont, and saw myself plastered on a billboard overlooking the city. I had to break down a little at that point, it was a big moment for me." Throughout 2007 - 2009 Hardwick worked on various projects, including guest starring on several television series, and filming several movies including Summit Entertainment's Next Day Air and Touchstone Picture's Miracle at St. Anna. In 2008 he landed the role of "Ty Curtis" on the TNT series Dark Blue. Season 1 aired throughout 2009. His continued success came when he was cast as the lead of the Starz series Power. Omari's performance is critically lauded, and the show went on to produce multiple spinoffs for the network. Having reached a new level of stardom, Omari can most recently be seen in Boots Riley's critically acclaimed Sorry to Bother You, Nobody's Fool opposite Tiffany Haddish, Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead for Netflix, and opposite Toni Collette in Pieces of Her, also for Netflix. He'll next be seen in Netflix projects The Mothership, opposite Halle Berry, and The Mother, opposite Jennifer Lopez.
In addition to acting, Hardwick is a founding member of Plan B Inc. Theater Group, and a co-founder of Los Angeles Actor's Lounge. He has big plans for his production company, Bravelife, in 2010 as well, and plans on expanding the company. Hardwick also continues to work on his poetry, and has written over 4,000 poems.- 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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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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Often considered hip-hop's first lady, the woman behind the moniker Queen Latifah was born Dana Elaine Owens on March 18, 1970, in East Orange, New Jersey. She is the daughter of Rita (Bray), a teacher, and Lancelot Owens Sr. She came from a police family-both her father and her older brother were cops-which would later influence her rhyming style and life philosophy. Her brother died in a motorcycle accident in 1992. Owens witnessed both sides of black urban life in the USA while growing up. After a brief stint as a Burger King employee, she soon found herself making waves in the hip-hop music scene.
After working as the human beatbox alongside Ladies Fresh, she was just 18 years old when she broke through in the late 1980s with a style that picked selectively from jazz, reggae, and soul traditions, from beats produced by D.J. Mark the 45 King. Her debut single, "Wrath of My Madness," was released in 1988. A year later, her debut long-player, "All Hail the Queen," enjoyed favored reviews: an old, wise head was evident on the top of her young shoulders. The former Burger King employee maintained her early commitment to answering the misogynist armory of some of her male counterparts and, at the same time, imparted musical good times to all genders. Her name means "delicate and sensitive" in Arabic, but she has often been anything but in her rhymes and the messages she sends out through them. One of the most prominent female hip-hop artists on the scene for over a decade, Queen Latifah has also made tremendous inroads in movies, television, and artist management, with her management company, Flavor Unit, alongside her business partner Shakim Compere. A role model who takes the responsibility to heart, Latifah has carefully constructed a fine career for herself-one that is constantly moving upward.- Actor
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Stephan James has quickly established himself as an incredibly dynamic lead talent in both film and television. James, a native of Canada, has held the honor of portraying several real-life figures in African American history. He starred as Olympics hero Jesse Owens in Race, directed by Stephen Hopkins, for which he received an NAACP Image Award nomination. In 2019 Stephan received his first Golden Globe nomination for his starring role opposite Julia Roberts in Amazon Prime's hit series Homecoming. Stephan was also the male lead in Barry Jenkins' acclaimed, Golden-Globe Film Independent Spirit Award and Critics' Choice Award-nominated film, If Beale Street Could Talk. The film was named one of the American Film Institute's Top 10 Films of the Year, one of the top Films of 2018 by the National Board of Review. James was recently honored at the Canadian Screen Awards as the first ever recipient of the Radius Award, given to a Canadian film or television professional who is making waves internationally.- Demetria Dyan McKinney (born August 27, 1979) is an American actress and singer. From 2006 to 2012 she starred in the TBS sitcom Tyler Perry's House of Payne. Her other series regular roles include Tv One sitcom The Rickey Smiley Show, Bounce TV prime time soap opera Saints & Sinners and Syfy horror drama Superstition.
Her stage credits include playing Coretta Scott King in the Rhythm and Blues Opera I Dream (2010), and well as role of Deena Jones in Dreamgirls (2012). In 2017, McKinney played Whitney Houston in the TV One film Bobbi Kristina. She released her debut album Officially Yours in 2017. Plays Cedric's mother in the BET series The Quad.
McKinney starred as Janine Shelton-Payne on the TBS comedy series Tyler Perry's House of Payne from 2006 to 2012. She was nominated for a 2009 National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications Vision Award for Best Performance in a Comedy, in recognition of her work on House of Payne. She set to return for her in the House of Payne spin-off The Paynes in 2018. McKinney also guest starred on Necessary Roughness, Drop Dead Diva,Devious Maids, Chicago Med, and Being Mary Jane. She has been a guest star on The Real Housewives of Atlanta airing on the Bravo Television Network since its 7th season premiere on November 9, 2014.
From 2012 to 2014, McKinney had series regular role on the TV One comedy series, The Rickey Smiley Show. In 2016, she was cast as Tamara Austin in the Bounce TV prime time television soap opera Saints & Sinners. In 2017, she was cast opposite Mario Van Peebles and Robinne Lee in the Syfy horror drama Superstition. Also in 2017, McKinney starred in the TV One movie Bobbi Kristina as Whitney Houston, the late icon and mother to Bobbi Kristina.
In 2017, McKinney released her debut album Officially Yours. She received nomination for NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist. - Actress
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Keshia Knight Pulliam was born on 9 April 1979 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and director, known for The Cosby Show (1984), House of Payne (2006) and Madea Goes to Jail (2009). She has been married to Brad James since 25 September 2021. They have one child. She was previously married to Ed Hartwell.- Actress
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Tika Sumpter was born in New York and graduated from Marymount Manhattan College. Sumpter began her career as model, before she landed the role of "Layla Williamson" in ABC's daytime soap opera, One Life to Live (1968) (2005-2010, 2011).
After she left the soap, Sumpter won a recurring role in the CW series, Gossip Girl (2007), and appeared in the BET sitcom, The Game (2006). After supporting roles in the films, Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming (2010), Salt (2010), What's Your Number? (2011) and Think Like a Man (2012), she was cast alongside Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston in the 2012 musical film, Sparkle (2012). In 2013, she was cast as vixen "Candace Young" in the OWN drama series, The Haves and the Have Nots (2013).- Actor
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Lance Gross was born on 8 July 1981 in Oakland, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for House of Payne (2006), Sleepy Hollow (2013) and Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013). He has been married to Rebecca Mamie Jefferson since 23 May 2015. They have two children.- 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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Kat Graham is an actress, singer, dancer and producer. Working across a variety of genres in film, television and music, she is one of most accomplished and versatile young talents working today.
Graham was recently seen in the 70s period crime thriller "The Poison Rose" opposite Morgan Freeman and John Travolta. Graham plays Freeman's daughter, a club owner and singer suspected of murder, while Travolta plays a hard-drinking L.A. private eye who takes the case. Previously she starred in Netflix's "How It Ends" as Samantha. The film, follows a man (Theo James) and his estranged father-in-law's (Forest Whitaker) desperate race to save his pregnant wife, Samantha, after a mysterious apocalypse. Graham made history lending her voice to Nickelodeon's animated television show, "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" as the first African-American April O'Neil.
Graham can be seen as the female lead in RZA's "Cut Throat City" starring Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Terrence Howard, and Eiza Gonzalez scheduled for release summer 2020. The film tells the story of a heist set in New Orleans' lower ninth ward after Hurricane Katrina. Graham who stars in Mark Amin's period drama "Emperor" with Dayo Okeniyi, Bruce Dern and James Cromwell following the true tale of Shields Green, a runaway slave who helped spark the civil war, is scheduled for release August 2020. Graham also stars in Netflix's "Operation: Christmas Drop" with Alexander Ludwig. The film, scheduled for release November 2020, follows a congressional aid played by Graham, on a mission to shut down the Christmas Drop mission. Operation Christmas Drop is a real life air force mission that started in 1952 that serves as training for the U.S. Air Force. It has since become the longest-running U.S. Department of Defense mission in full operation, and the longest-running humanitarian airlift in the world. In addition to the "Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" series and accompanying Netflix 2021 film, Graham's 2020 animation releases will also include Dreamwork's and Hulu's "Trolls", as well as "Robot Chicken".
Graham starred as Jada Pinkett in the highly anticipated Tupac Shakur biopic "All Eyez on Me," released by Lionsgate. She has also starred in Lionsgate's "Where's the Money?" a comedy about a guy who must pledge a fraternity to recover a stash of stolen money, both released in 2017. Graham can also be seen as the lead in Netflix's holiday hit film "The Holiday Calendar" with Quincy Brown. Graham made her television debut in 2002 on Disney Channel's popular teen comedy "Lizzie McGuire." She starred as Bonnie Bennett, considered to be her breakout role, in the CW's "The Vampire Diaries." The show premiered in 2009 and her award winning performances throughout the series received praise from fans and critics alike. The supernatural drama ran for eight seasons. She also appeared on a number of hit television shows for Disney, Fox, CBS and ABC. Other notable film credits include "17 Again", "The Roommate," "Addicted", and the starring role in "Honey 2."
Graham has also produced and sold multiple film and television projects including the series "Breaking the Record" with Disney's Maker Studios. She is set to star in and produce a biopic about iconic Motown singer Tammi Terrell produced with Brad Krevoy. She is currently producing "The Consciousness Collective", a doc series and podcast presented by Deepak Chopra, slated for 2020.
A talented singer and music producer, Graham released her second album, "Love Music, Funk Magic," in 2017 which she worked on with Babyface and Prince. She released her debut EP "Against the Wall" in May 2012 after signing with A&M/Octone/Interscope records, and her first single, "Put Your Graffiti On Me", reached over 7 million views on VEVO and hit #5 on the Billboard Dance Chart. She has had multiple Billboard/Chart top fives including "Sometimes", and the Prince penned "If Eye Could Get UR Attention". Her debut album "Roxbury Drive," which included her single "Secrets" featuring Babyface, was released in 2015. Graham, who has a degree in recording engineering, produced the 90s-inspired album with Jean-Yves "Jeeve" Ducornet and co-wrote the entire album with Babyface.
A trained dancer, Graham has appeared in music videos for a myriad of artists including Grammy winners Pharrell, Missy Elliot, John Legend, Nelly, Diddy and Usher. She has also performed on tracks with Snoop Dogg and Will.I.Am, and toured with the Black Eyed Peas on their 2007 world tour as Will.I.Am's artist.
Graham has served as the face of many campaigns and endorsements for brands such as Wet 'N Wild, Degree, Samsung, Avon, Bing, Ford, Aquafina, Abercrombie, Nivea, Armani Exchange and Fanta. Graham is currently a L'Oreal Ambassador, the face of Foster Grant and the new Dior campaign.
Born in Geneva, Switzerland, Graham is a strong advocate for human rights. Her PSA short film for Black Lives Matter landed her an Emmy nomination for best PSA short. Graham is particularly passionate about the plight of refugees worldwide. As such, Graham became a High Profile Supporter of the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees) in 2013. In 2019, she also became a Goodwill Ambassador for Rotary International, another organization providing key support and services on the global stage. In addition to her work with refugees, Graham is a council member for GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), Governor for the Recording Academy's Atlanta Chapter, as well as co-founder of the Modern Nirvana Wellness Group.- Actress
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Brandy Norwood is an African-American singer-songwriter and actress from McComb, Mississippi. She is known for her roles in Moesha, Osmosis Jones and Cinderella. She has released many R&B albums and singles since the 1990s. She is known as "The Vocal Bible". She gave birth to a daughter named Sy'rai Iman Smith in June 2002.- Melanie was born in Hertfordshire, England, daughter of Georgina a Realtor and Michael Liburd a Martial Arts Expert and has two brothers Marc and Leon. She is half Kittitian, half English. Her mother was born in Russell Square in London and her father was born on the Island of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Before training as an actress at The Identity Drama School, she was a fashion/beauty model and traveled all over the world. She also read Art History and attained a BA Hons in Fashion Design.
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Susan Kelechi Watson was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for This Is Us (2016), A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) and NCIS (2003).- Producer
- Actress
- Writer
Jada Koren Pinkett Smith was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Robsol Grant Pinkett, Jr., a contractor, and 'Gammy' Adrienne Banfield Norris, a nurse. They divorced after only a few months of marriage. Her father is of African-American descent and her mother is of Afro-Caribbean ancestry (from Barbados and Jamaica). Jada majored in dance and choreography at the Baltimore School for the Arts, where one of her classmates was Tupac Shakur. She spent a year at the North Carolina School of the Arts before dropping out to pursue her career in acting. Her big break came in 1991 when she was cast in the part of a college frosh on the television sitcom A Different World (1987). She made her feature film debut two years later in Menace II Society (1993). She did not gain widespread recognition, however, until her role opposite Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor (1996). In addition to being in front of the camera, she has spent time behind it directing music videos. Pinkett-Smith is married to Will Smith, and they have a son, Jaden Smith; and a daughter, Willow Smith.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
KiKi Layne was born on 10 December 1991 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), Native Son (2019) and The Old Guard (2020).- Actress
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Ciera Payton is a multi-talented actress, philanthropist, writer, educator, and entrepreneur.
Becoming
Ciera Payton grew up surrounded by street performers, artists, and the amazing cuisine found only in the vibrant city of New Orleans. She didn't know it at the time, but she was using art as a coping mechanism to deal with challenging aspects of her home life. Her natural inclination toward storytelling, creative writing, performing, and filmmaking would go on to become her life's calling.
Blooming
After Hurricane Katrina, Ciera and her family relocated to North Carolina, where she graduated with a BFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. While at UNCSA, she landed her first role as the female lead opposite Steven Seagal in the action feature Flight of Fury. Since her breakout role, she has shared the screen with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Kevin Hart, Josh Brolin, and many other acclaimed artists.
Acting
Ciera has also appeared in AMC's The Walking Dead, USA Network's Graceland, Spike Lee's Oldboy, and First, a web series acquired by the Issa Rae Network. Ciera stars in Tyler Perry's The Oval as Lilly Winthrop, fashion designer and wife to the chief of staff. The 22 episode series came on the heels of Ciera's breakout performance as Sylvia in A Madea Family Funeral. You can also find Ciera in the second season of Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It and in Amazon's supernatural thriller The Manor.
Ciera has also showcased her talent for bringing real people to life in Lifetime's biopic Wendy Williams: The Movie. Williams' superfans campaigned on social media to cast her as the larger-than-life celebrity. And indeed, her raw portrayal of the infamous talk show host did not disappoint.
Serving
Ciera went on to compile her life experiences into a one-woman show called Michael's Daughter. As a performer and teaching artist, Ciera learned she was far from alone in her complicated experiences. She created the Michael's Daughter Project as an outlet for family members of the incarcerated to heal and be heard.
The Michael's Daughter programs, services, and charities thrived along with the community members they served. Ciera has since founded The Michael's Daughter Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization where she serves as president.
Inspiring
One of Ciera's ultimate goals is to inspire others to live their best lives and thrive regardless of personal circumstances. In addition to reaching others through her acting and foundation, she runs a lifestyle website called The In Trive - The Inspired Thriving Tribe. Here Ciera and her contributing writers share uplifting personal stories and tips on wellness, fashion, beauty, and more.
Thriving
When she's not showcasing her authenticity on-screen or helping others step into their light, you can find Ciera discovering new plant-based recipes & restaurants, practicing meditation, dancing it out at (small) gatherings, or peacefully hiking the nature trails of California.
Ciera's fun and sophisticated persona continues to help this beautiful powerhouse rise to the top of the entertainment industry as an actor, writer, producer, and creator. She shines on and off-screen and embodies her goals of aspiring to inspire and uplift others.- Deborah Ayorinde was born in London, England. At age seven, she performed in her first play with a drama school in the Forest Gate area of London. It was there that she developed a passion for the arts. When she was eight years old, she and her family relocated to San Jose, California. She continued to develop her talents by participating in talent shows and contests, performing with dance teams, cheerleading teams, and choirs, and continuously training. In May of 2009, she graduated with honors from Howard University's John H. Johnson School of Communications with a Bachelor of Arts in Film Production. During her matriculation at Howard, she won the coveted Paul Robeson Best Actress award for her performance in a short film she wrote and directed (The film also won the award for Best Cinematography). Her credits include, but are not limited to, Barbershop 3, Game of Silence (NBC), The Game (BET), and Necessary Roughness (USA). She has also appeared in various print ads and commercials. In addition to acting and modeling, Deborah is also passionate about directing and writing and owns an online boutique.
- 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).
- Actress
- Producer
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).- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Jordan Calloway was born on 18 October 1990 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Black Lightning (2018), Riverdale (2017) and Countdown (2019).- Actress
- Producer
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.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
- Methodically trained, Burrell has Starred as leading role in his first feature film debut of Tyler Perry's "A Madea family funeral " while playing his Iconic role From Black and Sexy TV series "Chef Julian ", as well as in several guest starring and recurring roles on prime time TV .He also studied at Ivana Chubbuck Studios, where he honed in on his acting skills. Burrell has recently landed his leading role as "Kaleb" in the newly acclaimed series "A La Carte" on AllBlk network. Having many passions , Burrell uses producing music and playing basketball as an outlet. He looks forward to expanding his resume of playing roles of a superhero and starring in thriller and sci-fi movies .
- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Ashley A. Williams is known for Double Cross (2020), The Devil You Know (2022) and Red Winter (2022).- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Brittany S. Hall is an American actress born on September 30th, 1987 in Washington D.C She was raised in the D.C./MD area, where she discovered her love for the performing arts. She performed in varies dance recitals and plays starting at an early age, which continued until she graduated high school. She then attended Frostburg State University where she studied Theatre and Mass Communications.
In 2009, Brittany was cast in VH1's hit reality Show "Real Chance of Love' receiving the nickname "hot wings." Brittany was instantly a favorite of producers and viewers and went on to be one of the winners of the show. While living in New York City, Brittany found another stage in Stand Up Comedy. She performed on weekends at one of NYC's most popular comedy clubs Laugh Lounge..
Brittany returned to her real passion for acting in 2014 when she began taking classes at Premiere Actors Network while living in Atlanta. Shortly after she signed with AWA, and began booking roles on series such as Ravenswood and Being Mary Jane. She also played supporting roles in films such as Cat Run 2 and Drumline 2. In 2015, she was cast in a recurring role as "Rosalie" on the USA series "Satisfaction." Her character returned for the second season in 2015, appearing in every episode.
Brittany signed with APA in 2016 and was later cast in a recurring role in the hit series Ballers. She resides in Los Angeles, California.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Tami Roman grew up in a middle-class, single-parent household in White Plains, NY. Since her mom worked three jobs to support the family, Tami spent many days and nights alone, undoubtedly a "latch-key" kid responsible for raising herself. It wasn't until her mother met and married Ali Akbar that her childhood changed drastically. Ali, a devout Muslim, taught Tami the value of higher education, spiritual foundation and strong family values, although it was the Muslim culture that would subconsciously teach Tami that women should be submissive and eternally supportive of their husbands, as they are the head of the household.
Falling in line with the culture may have worked for Tami, but not her mother. Discovering that Ali had been unfaithful to her, Tami's mother immediately divorced him, leaving Tami broken and confused--the only man that she associated unconditional love with was snatched away and the only woman she ever loved and respected became a hardened, cynical workaholic. Tami would spend the better part of her life trying to find love lost and working hard to never become as distant as her mother.
Over the next couple of years Tami and her mother would go through many trials and tribulations. They developed an incredibly close bond, so much so that they appeared to be more like sisters than mother and daughter. At one point they had to live on the streets for six months when her mother was unjustly terminated from her job, but they they stuck together, faced the toughest of storms and developed a relationship that would stand the test of time. Tami didn't attend her prom and almost didn't participate in her graduation ceremony because she couldn't afford her cap and gown. All of life's low points helped Tami and her mother to become strong, independent, knowledgeable, humble women who know, understand and appreciate the value of life.
Tami had thought about a career in the modeling field and when she had a chance to get a role on MTV's hit reality series The Real World (1992) it seemed to be an answer to her prayers, and Tami's and her mother's lives suddenly took a major turn for the better.
Over the course of Tami's career she has worked as a relief VJ for MTV, hosting MTV Beach House (1993), MTV Jams (2009), "Primetime MTV" and Rude Awakening (1998). Her career really ignited after her divorce in 2001. She has landed regular roles on several TV series, appeared in more than five pilots and got recurring roles on Summerland (2004), Sex, Love & Secrets (2005) and CBS' vampire hit Moonlight (2007), made guest-starring appearances on several shows, including JAG (1995), One on One (2001), The Drew Carey Show (1995), Silk Stalkings (1991) and Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996). She has also appeared in several independent films, including MacArthur Park (2001) with Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Hair Show (2004) with Mo'Nique, The Last Stand (2013) and Something Like a Business (2010) with Kevin Hart. However, proving she is a jack of all trades, Tami has been a weather correspondent for Los Angeles' KTLA-TV news, co-air host of the revived game show Card Sharks (2001), and had a role on a "view" type talk show pilot with Telepictures.
She has owned her own consignment boutique and spearheaded an interior decorating firm in partnership with her mother. Tami definitely represents a diverse view of life.+ Her diversity and outspoken nature have made her the guest speaker of choice on a plethora of topics, although she is highly sought after in particular for relationship issues, women's issues, inspirational panels, personal growth, celebrity oriented panels and hot celebrity gossip. In fact, Tami has already been a featured guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986), 20/20 (1978), The Sharon Osbourne Show (2006), ESPN, E! News and several other outlets. Additionally, Tami was a featured speaker for the 2010 Circle of Sisters relationship panel with Laura Oz and radio personality Egypt.
Tami can be seen as the newest cast member on VH1's hit reality show Basketball Wives (2010), which follows the lives of seven women linked to professional basketball players. "Basketball Wives" has consistently held over a million viewers since the show debuted in April 2010.
Tami is never satisfied with the obvious; she recognizes that show business is a "business", and one has to capitalize when the iron is HOT!. Therefore, she has decided to take on some new challenges, one of which is writing her autobiographical memoir, entitled "The B.I.T.C.H. Chronicles". "The B.I.T.C.H. Chronicles" is an in-depth, no-holds-barred look at Tami's real world (no pun intended). She is also writing several screenplays, producing a short film and developing several reality show ideas.
Tami is a mother of three teenage girls and resides in Bogota, New Jersey, with her soul mate. Always involved in her daughters' lives, she is working on securing a record deal for two daughters who have a hip-hop/r&b group and a fashion scholarship/internship for her stepdaughter.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
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.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Kofi Siriboe (born March 2, 1994) is an American actor whose works have spanned theatre, film, and television. He is most notable for his role as Javy Hall in the Fred Durst directed movie 'The Longshots'. He appeared as James Newton on the CBS veteran show 'CSI' during the thirteenth season in the episode titled "Fallen Angels", and had a large role in the comedy Girls Trip (2017). Kofi is of Ghanaian descent. He is the middle of three brothers, Kwame Boateng and Kwesi Boakye, who are also actors.- Producer
- Actress
- Writer
Jo-Issa Rae Diop credited professionally as Issa Rae, is an American actress, writer, producer, and comedian. Rae first garnered attention for her work on the YouTube web series Awkward Black Girl. Since 2011, Rae has continued to develop her YouTube channel, which features various short films, web series, and other content created by black people.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Patina Miller can currently (as of 2022) be seen as "Raquel Thomas", the boss of a street empire and mother of the title character on the STARZ hit crime drama series, Power Book III: Raising Kanan (2021), which was recently renewed for a third season. She previously played the press coordinator "Daisy Grant" on CBS' hit drama series, Madam Secretary (2014), starring Téa Leoni, Bebe Neuwirth and Tim Daly. Written by Barbara Hall and directed by David Semel, the series premiered in September 2014 and ended in December 2019.
Miller made her feature film debut as "Commander Paylor" in Lionsgate's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014). Also starring Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the first part of the famous trilogy's finale was released in November 2014. Patina then reprised her role in the final installment of the series, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015), which was released in November 2015.
Miller starred as the Leading Player in the Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz's famous 1972 musical, "Pippin". Directed by Tony Award-winning director Diane Paulus, and also starring Matthew James Thomas, Andrea Martin and Terrence Mann, "Pippin" received the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical at the 67th Annual Tony Awards. Patina successfully put a contemporary twist on a role originated by award-winning actor Ben Vereen and mastered the Fosse movements that the show relies so heavily on. Patina earned a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical and an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical as well as Drama League, Fred and Adele Astaire Award and Broadway.com Audience Choice Award nominations for her performance. She previously performed the role of Leading Player in the American Repertory Theater production of "Pippin" from December 2012 to January 2013.
Miller made her Broadway debut in the 2011 Broadway season as the gutsy nightclub-singer-turned-nun "Deloris Van Cartier" in the stage adaptation of "Sister Act", which earned her first Tony nomination, as well as Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for her performance. Miller originated the role of "Deloris" in the West End production of "Sister Act" at the London Palladium, where she received an Olivier Award nomination and a WhatsOnStage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Additionally, Miller starred in multiple off-Broadway productions, including "Ragtime" at Avery Fisher Hall, City Center Encores! production of Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson's "Lost in the Stars", and the Manhattan Theatre Club's "Romantic Poetry". Patina also appeared in the Public Theater's pre-Broadway revival of "Hair" during its 2008 run at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, also under the direction of Diane Paulus. Among her regional theatre credits include "First You Dream", a Kander and Ebb revue at the Kennedy Center, "Sister Act" at the Alliance Theatre and Pasadena Playhouse and the Philadelphia Theater Company production of "Being Alive". She has participated in workshops for "Book of Mormon", "Nightingale" and "American Idiot". Prior to her numerous theater credits, Patina appeared in the renowned daytime soap opera, All My Children (1970).
Patina performed her first solo concert at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts during its 2013-2014 theatrical season. She then made her New York City debut in February 2014 as part of Lincoln Center Theater's "American Songbook" series, which subsequently aired on PBS.
Miller received a degree in musical theater from Carnegie Mellon University. She currently resides in New York City.- Actress
- Producer
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
- Producer
- Director
Shanola Hampton was born May 27 in Long Island, NY to a Pastor and an IRS agent. She was raised in Summerville, South Carolina with her three sisters. In college she earned a degree in Theater, with emphasis in Performance from Winthrop University along with a Masters Degree in Fine Arts from University of Illinois. She moved to Los Angeles in 2001, and began appearing in commercials. Later, she made her first guest appearance in Ryan Murphy's "Popular." Her hobbies include, traveling back to South Carolina to spend time with family, Pilates, and swimming. Her hope is to one day open a Performing Arts School.- Actress
- Composer
- Music Department
Keri Hilson was born on 5 December 1982 in Decatur, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Riddick (2013), The Rover (2014) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007).- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins is known for Dear White People (2014), Dear White People (2017) and Hello Cupid (2013).- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
LeToya Nicole Luckett-Walker (née Luckett; born March 11, 1981) is a two-time Grammy Award-winning American R&B singer-songwriter and entrepreneur. She is an original member of the R&B group, Destiny's Child, and has since pursued a successful solo career, topped the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart and has been certified platinum by the RIAA.
Luckett was born in Houston, Texas and grew up singing in her local church, Brentwood Baptist Church. Her father, a singer, spread the word of his daughter's talent. Luckett had the opportunity to sing her first church solo at the age of five. "The lady just gave me the mic one Sunday and I sang", she recalls. Shortly thereafter, she joined the children's choir and began performing in plays at her elementary school, where she met Beyoncé.
In 1993, Luckett joined the group, Destiny's Child alongside Knowles, Kelly Rowland and LaTavia Roberson. Graduating from the Houston club scene, the group began opening for such acts as Dru Hill, SWV and Immature. Columbia Records signed Destiny's Child in 1997.
In 1998, Destiny's Child released their self-titled debut album, "Destiny's Child", which included the singles "No, No, No" featuring Wyclef Jean and "With Me". They were also featured on the "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" soundtrack with the song, "Get on the Bus", featuring Timbaland (aka Timbaland), which was released as a single in Europe. "Destiny's Child" toured as an opening act on TLC's "Fanmail Tour" and Christina Aguilera's debut tour.
In 1999, "Destiny's Child" released their sophomore album, "The Writing's on the Wall". It became one of the biggest selling albums released by a female group and was certified eight-times platinum in the U.S. The album included four hit singles, "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Bug a Boo", "Say My Name" and "Jumpin' Jumpin'".
During 2000, in the midst of the success of "The Writing's on the Wall", Luckett and fellow member LaTavia Roberson tried to make a break with their manager by writing a letter stating "they wanted an additional business manager since they felt they were losing communication with Mathew Knowles (Beyoncé' father)". The pair said at the time they were only looking to secure outside management, but they soon found themselves on the outs with the Knowles family. When the "Say My Name" music video debuted in February 2000, they were shocked to find themselves replaced by two new members, Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin.
After several months of media speculation, LeToya and LaTavia Roberson began auditioning young women for a new female R&B quartet. Naty Quinones and Tiffany Beaudoin made the cut. The group, "Anjel", recorded a 22-song demo in Atlanta. The production company which handled the group fell through and all the members of "Anjel" went their separate ways.
In 2003, Luckett decided to pursue a solo career and signed with Capitol Records. She immediately began working on her debut solo album and, in 2004, she released her first track, "You Got What I Need", a promo single available exclusively on vinyl.
Her self-titled debut album, "LeToya", was released on July 25, 2006.
On the issue dated August 12, 2006, Luckett's debut album, "LeToya", debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. As of December 2006, the album had been certified platinum, having shipped over 1,000,000 copies.
Her official first single, "Torn", was a ballad produced by Teddy Bishop. The song has reached number two on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, number thirty-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, number one on BET's 106 & Park countdown, and also number one on Urban Mediabase. Her second single, "She Don't", premiered on BET's "Access Granted" in July 2006 and was a moderate success reaching number seventeen on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
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.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Joey Bada$$ was born on 20 January 1995 in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Creed (2015), Two Distant Strangers (2020) and Mr. Robot (2015).- Actress
- Producer
Laila Odom was born in New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Salt-N-Pepa (2021), The Bobby DeBarge Story (2019) and Game Shakers (2015).- Actress
- Director
- Producer
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
- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Crystal Renee Hayslett was born on 18 October 1982 in Martin, Tennessee, USA. She is an actress and costume designer, known for Sistas (2019), Zatima (2022) and Praise This (2023).- Actress
- Producer
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Kellee Stewart was born on 31 March 1976 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Guess Who (2005), Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) and Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015).- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
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.- Actor
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Tristan Wilds was born in Staten Island, New York. In 2005, at the age of 15, Tristan made his television debut as AJ in the mini-series Miracle Boys. After that, he took his talents to a different venue and tried his hand in theater. He worked with Phylicia Rashad and the Roundabout Theater Company in the workshops Wool and Stockholm Brooklyn as Bryce for the Cherry Lane Theater.
In 2006, Tristan was cast as Michael Lee in HBO's critically acclaimed series The Wire. That same year he also made his big screen debut starring opposite Ryan Gosling in the Indy film Half Nelson which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Since making his TV and screen debuts, Tristan has been a very busy young man. In 2007 he was cast opposite Roger Guenveur Smith playing the role of Adrian in the film Indelible. Indelible is in post-production. He can also be seen in an episode of Cold Case and Law and Order. On his next project, Tristan was heard but not seen when he became the voice of the main character Blak for the animated series Blokhedz based on the independent graphic novel by Mark and Mike Davis. Then he was back on the set of The Wire filming its fifth and final season. Not letting any grass grow under his feet, Tristan was off once again and landed on the set of The Secret Life of Bees, the screen adaptation of the novel written by Sue Monk Kidd. He plays the role of Zachary Taylor starring opposite Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifa and Alicia Keys. The movie was released in theaters in October 2008.
In 2008 Tristan was off to an old but new zip code when he auditioned and landed the role of Dixon Wilson on the contemporary spin-off teen drama 90210. After wrapping up the first season, Tristan donned a passport and flew off to foreign lands to play the role of Ray Gunn Gannon in the George Lucas film Red Tails.
Not only can Tristan be seen on television and in movies, he can also be seen in print. He has appeared in many magazines talking about his career and plans for his future. He also appeared in the 2008 Hollywood Issue of Essence magazine as one of Hollywood's rising stars. Tristan also stepped into the world of music videos appearing in Ghetto Mindstate by rap artist Li'l Flip featuring Lyfe Jennings. He was introduced to the world as Jay Z's nephew in the music video Roc Boys. And he went back to school with Alicia Keys in her video for Teenage Love Affair. Tristan was also one of the fresh new faces in Rocawear's 2008 "I Will Not Lose" campaign as well as a Rocawear model.
Not to be limited to other artist's music videos, Tristan is also a talented singer and songwriter who is currently working on his music. So when he is not on a television or movie set, he can be found hard at work in a recording studio.- Actor
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Thomas Q. Jones is a captivating force on and off the field. While best known as an unstoppable all-time leading running back that played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL), Jones has turned his post-NFL focus to the world of acting in both film and television, and the world of technology as the Chief Executive Officer of the mobile application developer, Castar Applications, Inc.
In film, Jones headlined the independent film, "Runaway Island," alongside Lorraine Toussaint and Aisha Hinds. He filmed "Straight Outta Compton," the feature film based on the lives and careers of the hip-hop group, N.W.A. He shared a memorable scene with Paul Giamatti. The film opened on August 14, 2015, and debuted in the number one box office position, and remained in the top position for three consecutive weeks. In 2016, Jones is both a producer and actor in upcoming screen adaptation of the graphic novel, "Loyalty," with Lucien Laviscount, as well as an actor in the independent short film project, "Love and The Line," and the innovative independent feature length film, "9 Rides," shot entirely using 4K video with an iPhone 6s.
In television, Jones guest-starred in Seasons 2 and 3 of the BET hit drama series, "Being Mary Jane," in a multi-episode arc as "Brandon 'Cutty Buddy' Gibson," love interest to "Mary Jane Paul," played by award-winning actress, Gabrielle Union. On the TV ONE comedy series, "Born Again Virgin," Jones guest-starred as the irresistible commercial pilot, "Vince," a love interest to the series lead, Danielle Nicolet. He also appeared in featured roles in the acclaimed Showtime series "Shameless," and IFC's "Comedy Bang! Bang!"
In technology, Jones developed his first mobile application through his company, Castar Applications, Inc. The launch application, Castar, is an iOS, Android and Windows social business application for creative, talented individuals to showcase their special skills, network with industry professionals, connect with targeted audiences and agents, grow and manage their fan base, and earn money. Jones plans to develop more mobile applications that enhance users' social media and e-commerce experiences.
Drafted 7th overall in the 2000 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals out of the University of Virginia, Jones went on to become one of the 25 all-time leading rushers in NFL history, with more than 10,000 rushing yards. In addition to the Arizona Cardinals, he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets, Chicago Bears and the Kansas City Chiefs, becoming an AFC Rushing Leader, a 2006 NFC champion, 2007 Super Bowl XLI player, and 2009 Pro-Bowl selection within his career. In 2010, Jones was nominated for "The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year" award recognizing an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field. In 2017, Jones will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Jones grew up in Big Stone Gap, VA alongside five sisters, one brother, and his coal-miner parents. He collaborated with his parents to publish "Blessings from the Dust," a book inspired by the struggles the family endured coming from the poverty-stricken coal-mining camps of Virginia. A feature length film based on this book is in development.
Jones received his Bachelor's degree in Psychology in three years from the University of Virginia and established the "Thomas Quinn Jones I Academic Scholarship" at his alma mater. Committed to helping the NFL evolve, upon his death, he committed to donating his brain for research to the Sports Legacy Institute which studies the link between high-impact sports and brain trauma. As a tribute to his twelve years in the NFL, he is also developing a documentary, "The NFL: The Gift or the Curse?"
Jones splits his time between Los Angeles, CA and Miami, FL, with his dog and a hairless cat.- Rico Ball is known for Black Lightning (2018), The Walking Dead (2010) and CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story (2013).
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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.- Kenneth Wayne was born on 16 November 1992 in Prince Georges County, Maryland, USA. He is an actor, known for Treacherous Behavior, Another Love Story and Active Threat Response (2019).
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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.- LaToya Tonodeo is quickly making a name for herself in the entertainment industry, proving that she is "one to watch" and is definitely a "rising star".
LaToya is captivating audiences worldwide in Starz' highly anticipated, hit series, "Power Book Il: Ghost." Created and executive produced by show runner Courtney A. Kemp and Curtis "50 cent" Jackson, the first series spin-off within the "Power" Universe. The 10-episode crime drama series picks up a few days after the finale of the "Power" original series.
LaToya shines as "Diana Tejada", Princess of the Tejada Family. Diana is intelligent, book and street smart, ambitious, and beautiful, yet still learning the "game". Diana has been deemed by her mother, Monet, played by Oscar nominated actress, Mary J Blige, "next in line" to the throne.
"Power Book Il: Ghost" may be LaToya's break out role, but she can also be seen in two seasons of Sony Crackle's, "The Oath". A series created by Joe Halpin and executive produced by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. LaToya recurs in this series playing opposite Arlen Escarpeta and starring Sean Bean, Elizabeth Röhm, and Ryan Kwanten. Additional credits include "The Fosters" (Freeform), "The Perfect Match" (Lionsgate), and *Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2" (Columbia Pictures). - Writer
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Robin Thede is a comedy writer, sketch/improvisational comedian and actress. She attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, earning a B.S.J. degree in Broadcast Journalism and African-American Studies. After college, Robin studied improvisation, sketch and comedy writing at The Second City in Chicago.
She is the creator, executive producer and star of "A Black Lady Sketch Show" (HBO). Prior, she created, executive produced and hosted the critically acclaimed late night show, "The Rundown with Robin Thede" (BET). Robin was named one of Variety's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2019.
Prior, she was head writer and correspondent for The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore (2015) and as the head writer for the White House Correspondents Dinner (2016), making her the first African-American woman head writer in late night history and for the WHCD. Robin was also head writer on The Queen Latifah Show (2013), and wrote on Kevin Hart's sitcom Real Husbands of Hollywood (2013). She was a writer/performer on the sketch comedy series "In The Flow With Affion Crockett" (FOX) and has appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies, including Difficult People, Key & Peele, A Haunted House, and more. She will next appear in the upcoming thriller feature "Bad Hair" from writer/director Justin Simien.
Robin has written for dozens of comedians, including Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Anthony Anderson, Mike Epps, Jamie Foxx and more. She has written for numerous award shows and specials, including the MTV Video Music Awards, The BET Awards, UNCF: An Evening of Stars, BET Hip Hop Awards and BET Honors. She was also a regular contributor for Funny or Die, where she created several viral sketches, including the viral hit "Every Little Step" with Mike Tyson, Wayne Brady and Bobby Brown.- Brittany Altenbach is an American actress and model. She was born in Tampa, Florida, on November 5, 1988. Brittany graduated from Lake Wales High school in 2007 and received her Bachelor's Degree from University of North Florida in 2017. She began her professional career in 2018, working on t.v commercials and films.
Altenbach's recent work includes, AMC "Fear The Walking Dead" as Guard (2022), "Fatal Witness" starring alongside Omar Gooding (Baby Boy) and Antoine McKay (Empire). She appears on the TV series "Broken Seeds" as Brenda, starring alongside Azmarie Livingston (America's Next Top Model). In 2021, Brittany took the lead role as Aleesha, a paratrooper in training, in "Alien Shark". She played the character of Detective Michelle Dorsey in "T.M.T.A" (Take Me To Amazing). In 2021, Brittany took the role of the youngest daughter DeeDee Johnson in Heart and Soul Food in 2021. In the thriller "Tax Season" She stares as the head of the Zeta Cartel (2023).
Brittany took to the runway with her modeling career in (2021). Walking for Designer Sofia Davis (House of Couture). She was one of the models who opened the show for New York Fashion Week in the fall of 2021. She went on to shoot for designer Dewry DuRoi Bradford (CorDuRoi Luxury Brand) in New York City. She has also gone on to make a feature in "The Caribbean" Magzter Magazine (2021). - Actor
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Mike Merrill is an American actor, producer, and entrepreneur who has charted his own path to success in top-rated TV and film, emerging as one of Hollywood's exciting rising stars to watch in a new generation of leading men.
This year, Mike Merrill can be seen starring as Ty Washington in the second season of the Starz hit crime drama BMF, executive produced and created by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.
In 2022, Mike starred as Martin Britton in Carl Weber's BET+ original, The Black Hamptons. The series garnered a 2023 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special. Based on the New York Times Bestseller, the family-drama miniseries follows the brewing feud between the 'Brittons' and the 'Johnsons,' two of the most powerful families in the upscale Black town of Sag Harbor, NY, where the difference between old and new money is very apparent.
Additional television credits for Mike include CW's sports drama series All American, the Bounce TV Dramedy Finding Happy, BET Networks' American Soul and the NAACP Image Award-winning miniseries The Bobby Brown Story, and starring as Rodney in AMC's ALLBLK sexy drama, À La Carte.
In film, Mike was recently seen in the BET+ original movies, A Wesley Christmas, starring as Dennis Dobson and Keys to the City, starring alongside Isaiah Washington (Grey's Anatomy) and Stephen Bishop (Money Ball).- Actress
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Jurnee Smollett is an award-winning actress and activist of rare talent and conviction. In the fall of 2020, she starred in J.J. Abrams, Jordan Peele and Misha Green's critically acclaimed drama for HBO, "Lovecraft Country." Smollett's performance was lauded by industry insiders and critics alike. Since the show's release, Smollett has earned a Critics Choice Super Award for "Best Actress in a Horror Series" and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, a Critics Choice Award and an NAACP Image Award for "Best Actress in a Drama."
Additionally, in 2020, Jurnee played Black Canary in Warner Bros DC Universe's "Birds Of Prey." She wrapped production on the Netflix original film, "Escape From Spiderhead" alongside Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller in early 2021.
Jurnee made her breakthrough performance at the age of 11, starring in "Eve's Bayou" opposite Samuel L. Jackson for which she won the Broadcast Film Critics Award for Best Youth Performance and was cited by Interview Magazine as one of the five Hollywood stars to watch in the new millennium. Smollett starred in "The Great Debaters" with Forest Whitaker and Denzel Washington, who also directed the drama. In addition to receiving rave reviews, the film was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Picture and Jurnee won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture. She also starred in Tyler Perry's film "Temptation" which was Perry's biggest grossing box-office hit outside of his "Madea" brand. Other film credits include the independent feature, "One Last Thing" alongside Wendell Pierce, "Hands Of Stone" opposite Robert DeNiro and Edgar Ramirez, "Roll Bounce", "Gridiron Gang", and "Beautiful Joe."
In addition to film, Jurnee has had several roles on the small screen. She was last seen starring in WGN's critically acclaimed drama "Underground" which followed the escape and risk filled travel along the Underground Railroad. The premiere of the show marked the highest rated original scripted program in the network's history. Other television credits include HBO's cult classic horror drama "True Blood", NBC's hit shows "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood," "House," "Strong Medicine," "NYPD Blue," and "Grey's Anatomy". She has also lent her voice to several episodes of the popular Disney Channel series, "Sofia The First."
In addition to acting, Smollett is an activist for HIV/AIDS causes and Time's Up. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Children's Defense Fund.- 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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Lashana Lynch (born 27 November 1987) is a British actress. She plays the leading role of Rosaline in the ABC period drama series Still Star-Crossed.
Lynch is a graduate of the BA Acting course at ArtsEd drama school in London. She made her film debut in the 2011 drama film Fast Girls. She later co-starred in the BBC television film The 7.39. On television, she also has appeared in Silent Witness, Death in Paradise, and was regular cast member on the short-lived BBC comedy Crims in 2015.
In 2016, Lynch was cast as leading character, Rosaline, in the American period drama series Still Star-Crossed produced by Shonda Rhimes.
Lynch is of Jamaican descent.- Moriah Brown is a half Mexican-American / African American quadruple-threat; Producer, Actress, Model, Creative Director, Singer, and Dancer. She was born in East Los Angeles, Montebello. The oldest of 5 kids and the first child to Carol Navarro and Troy Brown (Both previously working as talent in the entertainment industry.) Her parents had always put her in print work starting at the young age of 5. Starting off at a young age, and already speaking fluent Spanish, Moriah got her first commercial agency signing with Osbrink Talent. Her first jobs included working with brands such a Barbie Mattel, and Disney merchandise. As she got older and into middle school, her parents gave her a break to be a normal kid. After college, Moriah took on her interests in acting and modeling again. Since 2011, Moriah Brown was best known for being a print model on international campaigns with brands like, Color Pop Cosmetics, ModCloth, Wet N' Wild, and Moira Cosmetics, just to name a few. Her beginning stages of acting included landing international and national commercials featuring big brands like, MGM Resorts, Subaru Legacy, Reebok, Sketchers, Facebook, and ScottsLawn. In 2016 Moriah hosted a web series placed on Rocsi Diaz' site, called BLOGLIFE where she interviewed the hottest blogger/vlogger influencers on the web! Her resume also includes hosting The Distiller Show; a broadcasted culture cultivated music video show that aired on UTB Hollywood Network with millions of viewers in China. Moriah has her own produced YouTube channel called DareYou2DreamTV; where she directs and hosts the show to showcase her inspirational interviews on a variety of upcoming talents. Her latest breakout roles include; Neflix series, "Raising Dion", Facebook Watch, "Turnt", BETs' "The Comedy Get Down". More than just an actress, Moriah see's herself continuously creative directing, producing, and writing!
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Karen Pittman is an award winning actress, who has starred on Broadway, in American television and cinema. She was born in Mississippi and raised in Nashville, Tennessee. She received her Bachelor of Science in Voice and Opera at Northwestern University and a Masters of Fine Arts from NYU's Graduate Acting Program. Karen starred in the TONY nominated Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway play "Disgraced," and the critically acclaimed play "Pipeline," at Live at Lincoln Center. She has had memorable character roles on "The Americans," "Luke Cage" and "Yellowstone." In 2021, Karen reprises the role of "Mia Jordan" in Season 2 of on Apple TV Golden Globe nominated "The Morning Show," and in stars as Sandy James in the film, "What We Do Next."
Karen lives in New York with her two children, Jake and Lena.