100 Beautiful Dark-Skinned Celebrity Women
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- Soundtrack
Brenda Sykes was born on 25 June 1949 in Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. She is an actress, known for Mandingo (1975), Black Gunn (1972) and Ozzie's Girls (1973). She has been married to Paul Claude Hudson since 19 May 1995. She was previously married to Gil Scott-Heron.- 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).
- Lanisha Cole is known as "the model photographer." Lanisha is both an accomplished, world-renown model as well as an active, professional photographer of models, famous faces, and iconic places. Lanisha is of Panamanian descent and as a darker woman of color, she works tirelessly to end discrimination based on skin color. Lanisha also promotes encouragement, kindness, compassion, healthy living, and respect with children and young adults.
- Actress
- Producer
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Naomi Campbell was born on 22 May 1970 in Streatham, London, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Zoolander 2 (2016), I Feel Pretty (2018) and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995).- Damaris Lewis was born on 10 October 1990 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for BlacKkKlansman (2018), Pose (2018) and Titans (2018).
- Actress
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Amara La Negra is known for Bendecidas, Fall Girls (2019) and Don't Cancel Me with Amara Le Negra (2021).- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Music Department
Diamond White was born on 1 January 1999 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for The Lion Guard (2015), Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016) and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2023).- Actress
- Set Decorator
- Soundtrack
Ryan Destiny was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is an actress and set decorator, known for Star (2016), The Lower Bottoms (2021) and Oracle (2023).- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Lauryn Hill, a native of South Orange, New Jersey, first came to attention with the multi-talented Fugees. Their first album, "Blunted On Reality", went virtually unnoticed by the public; their real breakthrough came with the sophomore album, "The Score", which featured "Killing Me Softly". That album stills remains the worldwide top-selling rap album of all time (17 million units shipped). She earned two Grammys (Best Rap Album and Best R&B Performance by a duo or group) in 1996 and gave birth to Zion (alleged father is Bob Marley's son) before releasing her self-written and self-produced solo album, "The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill", which topped Billboard charts the moment it came out.- Podcaster
- Actress
- Actress
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Justine Skye was born on the 24th of August 1995, in Fort Greene, Brooklyn;
Justine Skye is an Virgo, singer, actress, and Aristrocrat; she found success with the release of her EPs, "Everyday Living"
As of 2022, Justine Skye has amassed a net worth of $2 million from her music career.
She Lives in both Los Angeles and New York City.- Actress
- Writer
Fraser was born and raised in Bronx, New York. Fraser attended Cardinal Spellman High School in New York City. Fraser aspired to be a school teacher because of her love of learning. Her parents divorced when she was a child. She is 1 of seven children - she has 3 maternal siblings and 4 paternal siblings.
Her brother Terrell Fraser is a DJ. Her sister Shneequa died of brain/ central nervouse system Lupus.
On July 3, 2006 she married television stage manager/spoken word artist Christopher Hines.
After years of fertility struggles, the couple used donor eggs and in vitro to conceive. Their twin sons Kaden James Hines and Bryce Harrison Hines were born 7 January 2013.- 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.- Music Artist
- Actress
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Kelendria Trene 'Kelly' Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, talent show judge, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the group's two-year hiatus, Kelly Rowland released her first solo album, Simply Deep (2002), which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. Rowland also ventured into acting with starring roles in the successful films Freddy vs. Jason (2003) and The Seat Filler (2004).
Following the disbandment of Destiny's Child in 2006, Rowland released her second album, Ms. Kelly (2007), which produced the international top-ten hits "Like This" and "Work". In 2009, she hosted the first season of The Fashion Show and was featured on David Guetta's "When Love Takes Over", which hit number one in many countries. Its success influenced Rowland to explore dance music on her third album Here I Am (2011), which spawned the UK top-ten singles "Commander" and "Down for Whatever". She became a judge on the eighth season of The X Factor UK (2004) in 2011 as well as the third season of The X Factor (2011) in 2013. Rowland's fourth album, Talk a Good Game (2013), became her third top-ten album on the US Billboard 200 chart. Rowland has continued her television career by hosting Chasing Destiny (2016) in 2016 and starring as a coach on The Voice (2012) since 2017.
Throughout her career, Rowland has sold over 30 million records as a solo artist, and a further 60 million records with Destiny's Child. Her work has earned her several awards and nominations, including four Grammy Awards, one Billboard Music Award, and two Soul Train Music Awards. Rowland has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as part of Destiny's Child, and as a solo artist, she has been honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and Essence for her contributions to music.- Actress
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Tatyana Marisol Ali was born on January 24, 1979, in North Bellmore, New York, to Sonia, a nurse from Panama, and Sheriff Ali, a retired police officer from Trinidad. At the age of four, she started singing and got a taste of fame when she begged her mother to take her to an audition for Sesame Street (1969).
She went on to perform in many productions in her native New York, including the Broadway show "Fences"--with James Earl Jones and, later, Billy Dee Williams--and the off-Broadway show "Orfeo del Campo". When she was seven, she appeared on Star Search (1983) and won twice, receiving a four-star rating when she appeared for a second time. At age 11, Tatyana moved from New York to Los Angeles to establish her career and, not long afterwards, got her breakthrough role:Will Smith's cousin, "Ashley Banks," from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990).
While filming "The Fresh Prince," she also had exciting side projects, including guest roles in television shows such as The Cosby Show (1984), The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989) (aka "The Mickey Mouse Club"), Kyno's Storytime (1992), Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990) and Foster's Field Trip (1994).
The public saw her grow on "Fresh Prince" from an adorable little girl to a stunning young woman, and she sang in several episodes of the show, most notably her rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and an original song, "Make Up Your Mind." Smith was so impressed with her singing that he asked if she would consider doing it professionally. Tatyana began preparing for her singing career during the last year of the show as she began training her vocal cords, recording demos and publicly performing on television and in various informal live concerts. Her performances on "The Fresh Prince" actually helped her build a fan base that anxiously waited for her first album launch. On August 25, she released her album "Kiss the Sky" (MJJ Music/Work/SME) and her single "Daydreamin'." The single was certified gold within weeks of its release, and it quickly rose on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles, where it reached #6 and stayed there for two weeks. She also contributed to major movies such as Crocodile Dundee II (1988) and Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987). Since then, she has had significant roles in two films, Fall Into Darkness (1996) and Fakin' Da Funk (1997). She has also guest-starred in several sitcoms, including In the House (1995), and had a cameo role in the film Kiss the Girls (1997). She also went to Harvard and graduated with a degree in Anthropology in June 2002. She is now working on a new album and starring in more movies.- Actress
- Producer
Antoinette Robertson is known for The Blackening (2022) and Dear White People (2017).- Actress
- Producer
Denise Boutte was born on 19 January 1982 in Maurice, Louisiana, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Why Did I Get Married? (2007), Kombucha Cure (2023) and Extreme Movie (2008). She has been married to Kevin Boutte since 2003. They have one child.- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Lupita Amondi Nyong'o was born March 1, 1983 in Mexico City, Mexico, to Kenyan parents, Dorothy Ogada Buyu and Peter Anyang' Nyong'o. Her father, a senator, was then a visiting lecturer in political science. She was raised in Kenya. At age 16, her parents sent her back to Mexico for seven months to learn Spanish. She read film studies at Hampshire College, Massachusetts and, after working as a production assistant on several films, graduated from the Yale School of Drama's acting program. In 2013, she impressed cinema audiences in her film debut, as brutalized slave Patsey in acclaimed director Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave (2013). She was also the lead in MTV's award-winning drama series, Shuga (2009), appeared in the thriller Non-Stop (2014) and had roles in the big-budget films Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) and The Jungle Book (2016).
Lupita's stage credits include playing "Perdita" in "The Winter's Tale", (Yale Repertory Theater), "Sonya" in "Uncle Vanya", "Katherine" in "The Taming of the Shrew", as well as being in the original production of Michael Mitnick's "Elijah".
Lupita played the female lead, Nakia, in the 2018 superhero film Black Panther (2018).- Actress
- Producer
- Director
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.- Music Artist
- Actress
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Normani was born on 31 May 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is a music artist and actress, known for Love, Simon (2018), Charlie's Angels (2019) and Birds of Prey (2020).- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
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
- Composer
- Writer
Tierra Whack is known for Hustle (2022), There's Someone Inside Your House (2021) and Little (2019).- Actress
- Soundtrack
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
- Composer
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Courtney Michaela Ann "Coco" Jones was born on January 4, 1998 in Columbia, South Carolina and raised in Lebanon, Tennessee to Javonda Antenessia Jones (née Floyd), a session vocalist & Mike Jones, a former NFL player. She rose to prominence starring in the Disney Channel film, Let It Shine (2012) & was featured on Radio Disney's Next Big Thing from 2010 to 2011. Jones was formerly signed with Hollywood Records, before releasing her independent singles and EPs beginning in 2014. As of March 2022, Jones is officially signed to Def Jam Recordings.- Actress
- Producer
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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
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- Director
Kenya Moore was born on 24 January 1971 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for I Know Who Killed Me (2007), Dolls of Voodoo (2013) and Life Twirls On (2015). She was previously married to Marc Daly.- King appeared in several short films before landing guest roles on the CBS procedurals Blue Bloods and Person of Interest. Her big break came in 2012 when she was cast as new surgical intern Cassandra Kopelson on the CW drama Emily Owens, M.D. The series was canceled after a single season in 2013. She later starred in the Amazon Studios comedy pilot The Onion Presents: The News. King also played Wendell Pierce's daughter Abigayle in the independent film Four, released on September 13, 2013. Along with her castmates, she won a Los Angeles Film Festival Award for her role in this movie.
In 2014, King had a recurring role in the ABC drama series Black Box, and was later cast as one of the leads in the Shonda Rhimes' legal thriller How to Get Away with Murder. - Actress
- Writer
Cassandra Freeman was born on 1 October 1978 in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Inside Man (2006), Luke Cage (2016) and Atlanta (2016). She is married to Tom Paul. They have one child.- 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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Serena Reeder was born on 8 April 1983 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for The Bucket List (2007), Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005) and Untitled Edmonia Lewis Film.- Music Department
- Actress
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Rozonda Ocelean Thomas was born February 27, 1971 in Columbus, Georgia, to Ava Thomas and Abdul Ali. She has one son with producer Dallas Austin - they named him Tron. She is a very close friend of fellow member Tionne 'T-boz' Watkins' of TLC. The death of fellow band member Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes was a heavy loss. She has released three albums with T-Boz after Left Eye's death.- Actress
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Charlene Keys, was discovered by then young and unknown Missy Elliott after winning an open audition for Elliot's all-girl group called "Sugar". Missy was a talent like no one had ever seen, and by 1997 she had made it with her chart-topping debut album. Charlene was working with the girl group, that Missy had left out, and was signed into many contracts that kept promising an album, but never came through. Instead the girls were left in a limbo where they weren't permitted to work on any other projects, but couldn't really put any work into the current project either. She was depressed and ready to give up on her dreams. Charlene finally abandoned the project, miserable and penniless, she fled to her parents place in Panama City, Florida and began making preparations for dealing with a life outside the music industry. But fate stepped in exactly one day before Charlene's planned suicide. Giving herself one more day to live, she got a call from Missy Elliott who begged her to do background vocals on her "So Addictive" album. Charlene was re-energized and eager to get back into music. Finally in 2001, at age 30, taking in her childhood nickname "Tweet", her album "Southern Hummingbird" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard R&B charts, and its first single "Oops (Oh My)" shot to the top ten. A second hit followed in 2002 with "Call Me".- 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.- Nichole Galicia is a film and television actress whose extraordinary journey to the big screen began as a high fashion model on the catwalks of Europe. Most recently, acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino hand picked Galicia for his film, Django Unchained, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx. Galicia has garnered much buzz around the character she plays "Sheba," DiCaprio's enslaved mistress and since, she has been extremely well received in the fashion industry, with her photos running in Page Six, W and online fashion sites, noting her exceptional taste in clothing, versatile hairstyles among other trending aspects of her looks.
As if that wasn't enough, Nichole wrote an art book, The Nichole Kent Collection, detailing her impressive pop art collection.
On the small screen, Galicia made her mark as a series regular on season 3 of Syfy's Defiance playing the fearless Kindzi, the alpha female of the alien Omec race. Galicia was also the female lead in And She Was My Eve a short featured in Ron Howard's Project Imaginat10n Film festival.
When Galicia is not modeling or acting she devotes her time to charities focused on developing the esteem and confidence of youth. Nichole served on the board of the Junior Committee of the New York Center for Children. Galicia recently started her own charity, The Orchid Foundation, where she mentors and provides scholarships for girls in need across the country. As a sports fan, Galicia enjoys Formula One, football, and basically anything that provides her with an adrenaline rush. - 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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Akosua Busia was born on 30 December 1966 in Accra, Ghana. She is an actress and director, known for The Color Purple (1985), Tears of the Sun (2003) and Low Blow (1986). She was previously married to John Singleton.- Erica Tazel was born on 31 March 1977 in Dallas, Texas, USA. She is an actress, known for Justified (2010), Roots (2016) and Mafia III (2016).
- Nadine Ellis was born in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Hairspray (2007), Live Free or Die Hard (2007) and Tropic Thunder (2008).
- 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.- Producer
- Actress
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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.- 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.
- 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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Suzzanne Douglas is an award-winning actress of both screen and stage, whose work has led her through all walks of creative life. Driven by her desire to constantly grow as an artist, Suzzanne has developed a canon of enigmatic and complex roles, and hopes to encourage younger artists to do the same.
Her theater credits include Dorothy Brock in "42nd Street" at the Drury Lane Theaterm Mertreuil in the Baltimore Center Stage Theater's production of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses", and Kendra in George Street Playhouse's "American Son." Other theater credits include "The Tap Dance Kid", "Night in Tunisia", "Julius by Design", "The Drowning Crow", "Crowns" (NAACP Image Award for Best Ensemble), "Women of Brewster Place", and Arthur Laurent's "Hallelujah, Baby!", which he re-wrote especially for her. Suzzanne was also the first African-American to play the role of Dr. Bearing in the Pulitzer-Prize-winning play "Wit" at the George Street Playhouse.
On television, she is best known for her co-starring role with Robert Townsend in the long-running Warner Brothers sitcom "The Parent 'Hood", which is in syndication in most markets. She has also appeared in such highly acclaimed shows as CBS' "Bull" with Michael Weatherly, "The Good Wife", "Bones", and "Law & Order" ("SVU" and "Criminal Intent"). Suzzanne has also brought her numerous talents to the big screen. Her filmography runs the gamut from made-for-television, to independent, to mainstream cinema including "Whitney", "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" (Black Oscar, NAACP Image Award Nominee), "School of Rock", "The Inkwell", "Jason's Lyric", "Tap" (NAACP Image Award), the ABC remake of the classic "Sounder" (Black Reel Award, NAACP Image Award Nominee), "Black N' Blue", "Happy Yummy Chicken"--for which she wrote the title track, and "Changing the Game", which was selected for the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
As a producer, Suzzanne won the award for Best Short film at the Hollywood Black Film Festival awards for "The Last Weekend." She co-produced Theresa Rebeck's Love on the Rocks starring Julie White.
Suzzanne's vocal talents have taken her from Broadway, starring opposite Sting in "The Threepenny Opera", to the concert halls of Russia with Jon Faddis. A singer and composer, Suzzanne performs regularly with her trio, performing music from the American Songbook as well as her original compositions. She has traveled and performed with many renowned musicians including Nate Adderley, Don Braden, T.S. Monk, Helen Sung, Stanley Turrentine, Gene Harris, and Kenney Burrell.
Suzzanne earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Illinois State University and a Master in Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music. She is a dedicated patron of the arts and an advocate for teaching artistic expression in the educational system. Through this, she hopes to engage and empower individuals and their communities. Suzzanne is a former board member at George Street Playhouse, and a current member of the Artistic Board at Luna Stage in West Orange, NJ. She is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts of America, The National Council of Negro Women, Sigma Alpha Lambda, and Jack and Jill of America, Inc. She is an Honorary Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where she serves on its National Board.- Actress
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Erica Ash was born in Florida, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Scary Movie V (2013), Survivor's Remorse (2014) and We Have a Ghost (2023).- Nyadak "Duckie" Thot is an Australian model. Thot finished in third place on the eighth cycle of Australia's Next Top Model and made her runway debut at the Yeezy S/S 17 show. She is best known for being a face of Fenty Beauty as well as playing the lead role in the Alice in Wonderland-inspired 2018 Pirelli Calendar.
Thot was raised in Melbourne, Australia with her family as South Sudanese refugees. She is one of seven siblings, and the first to be born in Australia. In Melbourne, her classmates and teachers at school weren't able to pronounce her birth name, Nyadak; this led to Thot going by the nickname "Duckie", which she prefers to go by as a model.
Thot first tried to start a modelling career in Melbourne, where she found little success due to her darker complexion. She made the decision to move to Brooklyn, New York in hopes that she could become a more successful model in America. After scheduling meetings with multiple modeling agencies, Thot flew to New York. In New York, she got multiple offers to sign with agencies and ultimately chose to sign with New York Model Management.
Thot has done campaigns for Fenty x Puma, Fenty Beauty, Moschino, Balmain, and Oscar de la Renta. She debuted in the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. She appeared on the cover art for CHIC's album It's About Time, which was released in September 2018. - Actress
- Producer
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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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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Isley Nicole Melton was born in Ohio but raised in the south suburbs of Chicago. Although she joined many theatrical plays in school as a child, she never thought the big screen was possible as an adult, until her hair client (she was a hairstylist at the time) booked an acting job. This intrigued her and so she began taking classes and quickly booked a commercial which gave her the confidence to drop everything and move to Los Angeles.- Rose Jackson is known for Dead Presidents (1995), The Crew (1995) and What's Love Got to Do with It (1993). She has been married to Michael G. Moye since 1996. They have one child.
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Jessica Renee Williams, born July 31, 1989 in Los Angeles County, California, is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her work as a senior correspondent on The Daily Show, where she was the youngest correspondent ever at the age of twenty-two, and as co-host of the podcast 2 Dope Queens.- Actress
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Erika Alexander is beloved for the iconic acting roles of Maxine Shaw (Living Single), Detective Latoya (Get Out), Perenna (Black Lightning), and Linda Diggs (Wutang: An American Saga). Erika wears many hats, including actress, trailblazing activist, entrepreneur, creator, producer, and director -- an all-around boss. As Co-Founder of Color Farm Media and Board Member of VoteRunLead and One Fair Wage, Erika is on a mission to bring greater equity, inclusion, and diverse representation to both media, technology, and electoral politics.
Erika's company, Color Farm Media, develops and produces scripted and non-scripted content for film, television, streaming, and podcast platforms. Color Farm's latest film release is John Lewis: Good Trouble, a documentary about the legendary Congressman and civil rights icon, distributed by Magnolia Pictures, Participant, and CNN Films. Color Farm is also currently producing two podcasts with Spotify and has several scripted film and television projects in development. The company previously set up an untitled horror/thriller film, written by Erika, at Lionsgate Entertainment. Additionally, Erika is co-writer of the Buffy spin-off, Giles, a graphic novel collaboration with Joss Whedon and Dark Horse. Erika also collaborated on Dark Horse's award-winning, ground-breaking sci-fi series, Concrete Park. She is currently co-directing a documentary film about reparations and racial equity with filmmaker Whitney Dow.
Born in Winslow, Arizona, Erika grew up in Philadelphia.- Soundtrack
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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.- Bre Scullark, from America's Next Top Model, Cycle 5 is a dynamic young woman who after ANTM, did correspondent work for the Tyra Banks Show, BET and a few other outlets. Bre has been a blogger for Global Grind, Essence.com and Honey magazine while focusing on acting and continuing her correspondent work. Her latest campaigns are Garnier Fructis, Ambi Skincare and Dove Chocolate.
- Dola Rashad was born on 11 December 1986 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Sex and the City 2 (2010), Money Monster (2016) and Billions (2016).
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Jessica White was born in 1984 in Buffalo, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Big Momma's House 2 (2006), Little Erin Merryweather (2003) and The Perfect Match (2016).- Actress
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Linara Washington was born in the little town of Beaufort, SC to a beautiful Brazilian woman and an American son of a preacher man. Her mother spoke no English at the time, which has given Linara the added benefit of being fluent in Portuguese. She is currently adding German to her list of languages and is hoping to conquer French, Italian, Japanese, and Hebrew.
Her time in South Carolina was brief, as the next sixteen years were spent moving from college town to college town. All in all she has lived in over 14 states and short stint in Brasil when she was still a baby. During a three-year stop in St. Paul, Minnesota, Linara attended The Blake School where she began to cultivate her love of acting. While at Blake she had the pleasure of attending many shows at the famous Guthrie Theatre (which coincidentally was located just one block from the school) as well having participated in the Dudley Riggs Improvisational Theater's enrichment program for high school aged youth. Mighty Ducks 2 was filmed at the high schools skating rink and it was no surprise to anyone that Linara made every effort possible to be a part of the production. Though she was only an extra at the time the experience definitely left its mark helping to spark the desire to be in the movies.
An excellent math and science student, Linara initially decided to pursue those interests rather than acting. The oldest of three girls, her parents probably would have disowned her had she not pursued a more "practical" course of study and been a proper role model for her younger siblings. She was accepted at the prestigious University of Chicago where started her courses as a Pre-med Biology major. But, as with all things that are meant to be, she soon found herself taking a number of writing classes and participating in the campus's theater productions. One school year she actually directed two shows and performed in five shows, taking on a role three days before opening after another actress unexpectedly quit. Her beloved college mentors: poet, Elizabeth Alexander and director/professor, Curt Columbus, were so influential in her growth as an artist that she changed her major to English, took her MCAT money and purchased headshots, and did not tell her parents until graduation day that she was going to pursue acting. Her parents, thankfully, did not kill her.
Linara's gutsy move proved to be the right one. She has had the pleasure of working at a number of Chicago's most acclaimed theaters including The Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Northlight, and the Tony Award winning Victory Gardens. She has appeared in over 30 commercials nationally and internationally. A supporting role as Keisha--the cute and sassy receptionist-- in Barbershop 2 motivated her move to LA where she has since enjoyed recurring roles on "American Dreams" and "E.R." as well as a number of guest star spots including "Cold Case", "Close To Home", and "Without A Trace." She most recently had the pleasure of working with Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and acclaimed director Marc Forster in the upcoming film "Stranger Than Fiction."
A perfectionist who enjoys getting involved in everything, when Linara isn't on stage or screen she enjoys dancing-especially samba-cooking, learning the guitar (a replacement for the 14 years of violin she gave up earlier in life), painting, making jewelry, reading, and writing among other things. She is currently working on two screenplays; one of which is an adaptation of a stage play she wrote seven years ago on The Hottentot Venus.- Actress
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In film, television, and theater, DeWanda Wise has established herself as one of the industry's most consistently critically acclaimed artists.
Of her work as Kayla Watts in Jurassic World Dominion, she's been nearly universally considered a standout of the sixth installment with critics noting her magnetism, swagger, wit, and charisma. Entertainment Weekly notes,
"Dominion's most memorable star might be its newest: DeWanda Wise, who joins the series as high- flying pilot Kayla Watts...Playing a daring pilot, (she) is basically starring in a one- woman Raiders of the Lost Ark in her head. Let's get that concept to the sequel writers stat."
In Sony's Fatherhood directed by Paul Weitz, Wise plays Lizzie Swan. Her performance was similarly singled out for her depth of characterization, charm, and grace. While Variety noted that Swan was, "Saucy, gorgeous, so-supportive-she's-saintly," The Wrap observed how
"Lizzie Swan is the kind of ideal romantic partner that might seem eye-rollingly implausible were it not for the efforts of actor DeWanda Wise who makes Swan's healthy outlook and emotional patience seem like hard-earned positive qualities of a healthy, real human being."
As Erin Kennedy in Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's subversive rom com, "Someone Great," Variety declared,
"It's Wise who's this film's MVP, wittily delivering many hilarious, quotable one-liners with effervescence and charm."
Largely considered her breakout role, In the Netflix adaption of "She's Gotta Have It," created by Spike Lee, Wise appears as the iconic Nola Darling. Following its season one release, the series acquired great critical acclaim, and as a result, won an African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) award as one of the "Top 10 Television Shows." The Hollywood Reporter calls Wise's work "superb," while Deadline exclaimed, "With a star revealing herself before us, Underground alum Wise hits nothing but high notes." Other critics describe her performance as "fiery," "complex," "brilliant," and "moving."
Other acclaimed television work includes CBS All Access "The Twilight Zone," FOX's drama "Shots Fired," and WGN's hit historical drama "Underground."
Additional film credits include the 2016 Sundance romantic-comedy hit, "How to Tell You're a Douchebag," by Tahir Jetter. A film in which Wise both starred in and executive produced..
In 2016, Wise expanded her talents into screenwriting and wrote the short film entitled, "Where You Go," which premiered at Cannes in the "Short Film Corner."
Stage credits include Atlantic Theater Company's "Fireflies," by Donja R. Love, a performance universally acclaimed. Sara Holdren at Vulture states:
"Wise's smoldering, taut-as-a-bowstring Olivia is almost part animal. It's an electrically charged performance, the kind that you imagine an actor passing out after. Wise has extraordinary bright hazel eyes, cat-like in their intensity: They're the eyes of a domestic creature that should have been wild, a creature that's never at rest, whose small body contains a whole history of life before walls, before cages, before dependence."
Previous stage credits include a host of theater roles, notably originating the role of 'Nina' in acclaimed playwright Dominique Morisseau's "Sunset Baby." Ben Brantley of The New York Times stated,
"...it's the woman who's the toughest of them all. Ms. Wise, a beauty, makes us see and feel just how ugly Nina is...she also insists we understand why."
The Village Voice called her Nina, "commanding and severe," while The New Yorker described her performance as "Brutal and riveting."
Other praised performances include her work as Susan in the west coast premiere of David Mamet's "Race" with Center Theater Group, Mercy in "Flight," at City Theatre, and Abigail, a Zimbabwean wife grappling with an HIV diagnosis, in Danai Gurira's heartbreaking "In the Continuum" at Playmakers, Chapel Hill.
DeWanda Wise graduated from New York University with honors as a double major in Drama and Urban Social and Cultural Analysis with a minor in Community-based Theater and Performance. She is a Tisch Scholar Award recipient, the Atlantic Achievement in Studio Award recipient, and the BFA Representative of her graduating class of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.- Actress
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Karen Obilom was born on 16 August 1994 in Austin, Texas, USA. She is an actress, known for Games People Play (2019), Doom Patrol (2019) and Insecure (2016).- Actress
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Anna Diop is a Senegalese-American actress.
Diop was born in Senegal, but moved to United States when she was six. In 2006, she made her television debut, appearing on Everybody Hates Chris. In the following years, she guest starred on Lincoln Heights, Whitney, and Touch. In film, Diop had a role opposite Jennifer Jason Leigh in The Moment (2013). In 2015, Diop starred as Rose Arvale in the short-lived The CW supernatural drama series, The Messengers. Later that year, she appeared in the ABC thriller series Quantico and was cast in a recurring role on the Oprah Winfrey Network drama series, Greenleaf. In 2016, Diop was cast as a series regular in the Fox series 24: Legacy opposite Corey Hawkins and Miranda Otto. In 2017, Diop was cast as the alien super-heroine Kory Anders / Starfire in the DC Universe superhero series Titans, which premiered in October 2018.- Actress
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Quad Webb was born on 13 May 1981 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for My First Love (2015), Battle Ready (2020) and Married to Medicine (2013). She was previously married to Gregory Lunceford.- Birgundi Angel Baker is an American actor, singer and dancer from Raleigh, North Carolina. She is a graduate of Howard University's Musical Theatre Program. Upon moving to Chicago, she attended the Launch Showcase. After the showcase, Birgundi signed with Gray Talent Group and broke into the world of television of film. Birgundi Angel Baker has been listed by Refinery29 as one of the "Top Actresses To Look Out For in 2018".
- Beautiful N'Bushe Wright started out as a dancer, trained at the prestigious Alvin Ailey Dance Center and the Martha Graham School of Dance, but then switched to acting, enrolling at Stella Adler's studio. Within a year, Wright was starring in Anthony Drazan's Zebrahead (1992). That year, she won the recurring role of Claudia, a black civil rights activist fighting for equal opportunities in education in the acclaimed but short-lived NBC television drama I'll Fly Away. She received positive reviews for her moving portrayal of the drug-addicted older sister of the title protagonist in Boaz Yakin's Fresh (1994). The following year, Wright played an idealistic Black Panther in the Hughes Brothers Dead Presidents (1995). A native of New York City, she is the daughter of jazz man Suleiman-Marim and a NYC Board of Education psychologist. Wright attended the Manhattan High School for the Performing Arts.
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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.- Leomie Anderson is a British model. She has publicly spoken out against racism in the fashion industry, taking to social media to call for more inclusive practices in the business. She appeared on the 2011 reality TV show The Model Agency. She is most famous for walking the runway for Victoria's Secret. She has also appeared in ad campaigns for companies like Topshop and Moschino.
- Regine Irmene Nehy is an American film and television actress, best known for her portrayal of Celia Turner in Lakeview Terrace, directed by Neil LaBute, as well as her guest starring appearance on Grey's Anatomy.
Nehy began her film career starring alongside an ensemble of actors in Pride directed by Sunu Gonera - 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.- 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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Rapsody is known for On the Come Up (2022), Rapsody Feat. Mac Miller: Extra Extra (2011) and Rapsody: Honda Accord Music (2010).- Actress
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Gabrielle Dennis is a multi-hyphenated artist with a background as a trained dancer, actress, and singer stretching all the way back to age 4. Gabrielle always knew she would have a career in the arts and although she has appeared on stage and film she is best known for her work in television. Her first major recurring role was as Janay Brice on the hit series "The Game" (CW & BET) that was canceled after 3 seasons on the CW but later picked up by BET thanks to a campaign started by fans for the beloved show's return. Gabrielle left the show in 2012 and went on to star in 1 season of "Blue Mountain State" (Spike TV) and guest star on several series like Justified (FX), Bones (Fox), and Baby Daddy (ABC Family) to name a few before landing her first network series regular role on "Rosewood" (Fox) where she played the titular characters sister, Pippy Rosewood. Producers, aware of her abilities, introduced her singing as part of her character's storyline allowing Gabrielle to record several songs for the series and it's subsequent soundtrack. Rosewood was canceled after only 2 seasons but Gabrielle immediately landed her next series as Tilda Johnson aka Nightshade on the junior season of Marvel's Luke Cage where was once again able to showcase her singing talent with a song she performed and wrote entitled "Family First" for the series very climatic reveal. Unfortunately fans never got a chance to see her character fully develop as the show was canceled when Disney pulled all of its series from Netflix. Luckily though this made her available to portray Whitney Houston in "The Bobby Brown Story" a two part mini-series for BET that earned Gabrielle an NAACP Image Award nomination for her performance and an actual win for the series. Since that nomination Gabrielle has gone on to portray another icon, Tina Turner, for an episode of "American Soul" (BET) about the famed Soul Train series and recurred on two more shows: Insecure (HBO) and S.W.A.T (CBS).
In 2019 Gabrielle had the opportunity to go back to her comedy routes when Robin Thede, whom Gabrielle first met back in her stand-up comedy days, approached her to co-star in a series she created for HBO called "A Black Lady Sketch Show" that went on to earn three Emmy Nominations in its 1st season. Although Gabrielle has performed stand-up, toured with a sketch troop and was a series regular an another sketch comedy series, "The Underground" (Showtime), most fans were shocked to see Gabrielle portray over 2 dozen characters in the first 2 seasons of "A Black Lady Sketch Show" and look forward to seeing her do more on the heels of a season 3 pickup. In 2020 Gabrielle returned to Netflix as a recurring character on the new hit series "The Upshaws" as Tasha where fans have been able to experience even more of her comedic talents. In 2021 Gabrielle landed her first leading lady role for a network television pilot entitled "Someone Out There" (CBS) which is scheduled to film summer 2021.- 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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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.- 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).- 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).- Actress
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Tamara Dobson was born on 14 May 1947 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. She was an actress, known for Cleopatra Jones (1973), Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold (1975) and Chained Heat (1983). She died on 2 October 2006 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.- Actress
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Vanessa Estelle Williams (Actress, Singer, Writer, Director) born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, is a talented force that came to Hollywood in the 90's with passion purpose and staying power. This highly sought-after creative artist wrapped "A Rich Christmas" a feature film for BET this past December 2020 and most recently completed the film "Christmas Family Reunion" with The Ninth House production company.
Vanessa stars in Sidra Smith's six-part miniseries "A Luv Tale" coming soon to the Essence Magazine digital platform. Off the coast of East Africa in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Vanessa jetted to luscious Mauritius to shoot the indie comedy feature "Singleholic" opposite Erica Ash, Rotimi, Stephen Bishop and Tyson Beckford. Coming soon Vanessa will reprise her role as Anna Marie in the Candyman sequel "Say My Name," directed by Nia DaCosta, written and produced by Jordan Peele.
Williams made her film debut playing as the gun toting head of security "Keisha" in the urban classic film "New Jack City." Other film credits include "Thriller" streaming now on Netflix, "Raising Izzie, Imagine That", "Like Mike," "Punks, Mother," "Candyman."
Williams earned an Emmy Nomination for her work in the Showtime original film "Our America." After six consecutive nominations in the category Vanessa won the 2003 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her brilliant portrayal of Maxine Chadway in the hit Showtime series "Soul Food." Her star turn in "Raising Izzie" earned GMCTV its highest world premiere television rating and received a 2013 NAACP Image Award nomination for best Television Movie or Mini-Series. Television credits include NBC's long running daytime soap "Days of Our Lives," Freeform network's "Famous in Love." "The Flash, Ward of the State, the Bay series, "Sugar Mommas," "Lincoln Heights," "Everybody Hates Chris," "Knight Riders," "Flirting with Forty," "Ice Spiders," "Cold Case," "Soul Food" TV series (5 seasons), "Our America," "The Steve Harvey Show," "Chicago Hope," "Murder One," "Living Single," "NYPD Blue," "Melrose Place," "The Cosby Show" and "Law & Order."
Vanessa debuted on Broadway in Lincoln Center Theatre's production of "Sarafina." In 2012 Ms. Williams garnered rave reviews for her role as Esther in the critically acclaimed production of Lynn Nottage's "Intimate Apparel" at the Pasadena Playhouse. Her other Broadway and theatre credits include "Mule Bone," "Death and the Kings Horseman" and regional productions of "The Vagina Monologues, Issues, Abyssinia" and a European tour of the musical "HAIR."
An excerpt from her book "Shine," published in the June 2004 Essence Magazine became the basis for her solo show "Feet On the Ceiling!" a coming-of-age story. "Feet On the Ceiling" premiered at the "National Black Theatre Festival" in 2011 and plays regular engagements in cities and colleges throughout the US and the Caribbean.
Serving as Vice Chair on the Executive Board of Directors of The Black Aids Institute, Williams is also Chair of BAI's Hollywood Task Force on Aids. Recruiting and directing her colleagues in a series of Celebrity PSAs on HIV Awareness / AIDS Prevention.
An internationally recognized star, Williams' global brand appeal is authentic, energetic, and thoroughly relatable. An artist and mother of two creatively talented boys, Omar and Haile Wiseman, Vanessa blends passion and youthful exuberance with timeless charm and soulfulness that deeply connects with people. She is a talent audiences love, trust and admire.- Actress
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Camille Winbush was born on 9 February 1990 in Culver City, California, USA. She is an actress, known for The Bernie Mac Show (2001), Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) and Eraser (1996).- Actress
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Tenika Davis was born July 16 in Toronto, Canada and raised in the small town of Newmarket, Ontario. It was at 10 years old, Tenika discovered a keen interest in public speaking and the performing arts, it was at that point she began entering various speech competitions and having her voice heard by audiences. It was also at this age that Tenika began intensively training in the highly disciplined martial art of Taekwondo, almost instantly she excelled and began competing at a national level, earning numerous gold metals, trophies and awards for her outstanding abilities. Not only did her training provide an excellent outlet for the enthusiastic and energetic youngster, it would also prove to be a fortunate precursor for the start of her professional acting career. Tenika Davis began her career as one of the finalists on the first season of the famed reality TV series "Canada's Next Top Model". After completing the show she signed with world-renowned top modeling agency Ford Models. Tenika's talent, determination and hard work allowed her to land her first lead role in the indie hit, 'Jumping the Broom' alongside Angela Bassett, Paula Patton, Loretta Devine and Meagan Good amongst many others well-known talents. Almost immediately after she was cast as Sara Suarez, the seductive action heroine in the successful 'Wrong Turn', horror movie franchise. Most recently she's been cast as Petra Small in Netflix's first original superhero-drama based on comic book series, 'Jupiter's Legacy'. Tenika has had the privilege to be involved in blockbuster films, television series and to work with major actors, directors and producers at a pace that very few young professionals have experienced.- Alysia Rogers is an actress and devoted mother. Her success has afforded her the opportunity to give back to the communities that have long appreciated her work, which includes donating time to speak to youth about gang violence, and rising above your environment. Alysia most memorable roles were "Damita" in Kid N Play's "Class Act" (1993 ) and Shanice in "Boyz n the Hood" (1991), opposite Morris Chestnut.
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Clare-Hope Ashitey was born on 12 February 1987 in Enfield, Middlesex, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Children of Men (2006), Doctor Foster: A Woman Scorned (2015) and Shooting Dogs (2005).- Actress
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Kandi is best known as one of the lead vocalists in the hugely successful 1990s R&B vocal group, Xscape. Burrus sang lead on hits such as "My Little Secret", "Just Kickin' It" and "Who Can I Run To", as well as wrote their early hits, including "Feel So Good" and "Can't Hang". Kandi is also known as the song-writing genius behind the massive 1999 No. 1 hit, "No Scrubs", by TLC, which won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song, a song-writing award. She was also recognized as the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Award for Songwriter of the Year, other hits penned by Kandi included "Bills, Bills, Bills" by Destiny's Child and "There You Go" by Pink, to name just a few, in all she's written dozens more songs for artists including, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, *NSYNC, Monica, Alicia Keys, Boyz II Men, Faith Evans, Blu Cantrell and many, many more. During the late 1990s, when she emerged as a talented singer/song-writer, along with song-writing partners Kevin 'She'kspere' Briggs (also rumored husband) and Tiny Harris (member of Xscape and co-writer of "No Scrubs"), she was tipped as a leader of a new breed of talented behind-the-scenes female artists and received great ovation for her talents, the media had nothing bad to relay. Burruss attempted to wow the critics once more by releasing her very own highly anticipated debut solo set, with a lead single, "Don't Think I'm Not", which had fair success. The album, entitled "Hey Kandi", sold reasonably well during its first few weeks. Despite modest success, she was dropped from "Columbia" as a recording artist, though she continues to write songs for other artists through the company. Burruss returned to her recording career with her second album, "I Need", released through independent label, "Upfront Records".- Actress
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Tangi Miller was born and raised in Miami, Florida. The oldest of six children, Tangi acted in stage productions while in high school. After graduating, she attended Alabama State University, majoring in marketing. After her graduation, she realized she spent all of her free time acting, so she decided to pursue that talent. She was determined to study acting, and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of California, Irvine and studied at the Royal National Theater in London as well as the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. After appearing on the HBO Comedy Arli$$ (1996), and on the CBS drama Michael Hayes (1997), Tangi went to stardom after becoming a cast member of the WB hit show, Felicity (1998), playing smart and stylish Elena Tyler. Recently, she was named as one of TV GUIDE'S Sexiest Faces. Tangi will next be seen alongside Mekhi Phifer, in the independent film, The Other Brother (2002). The actress, who has a passion for African/Caribbean dancing, is on the move to stardom.- Actress
- Composer
- Writer
Sevyn Streeter was born on 7 July 1986 in Haines City, Florida, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Furious 7 (2015), Black Lightning (2018) and Sevyn Streeter: Watchusay (2019).- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Aunjanue Ellis was born in San Francisco, California. She graduated from the Brown University, and later attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
During her career, Ellis performed on Off-Broadway theater, appeared in many film, and had roles on television. In film, she is best known for her roles in "Men of Honor" (2000), "Undercover Brother" (2002), "Ray" (2004), and "The Help" (2011). On television, Ellis had her most significant role on the 2015 mini-series, "The Book of Negroes".- Actress
- Composer
- Director
Foxy Brown, a Brooklyn native, never thought she would be in the rap industry, much less in films. Even though she received a lot of skepticism from critics because of her raunchy lyrics and sexual appeal in music videos, Foxy still managed to stay on top. With a platinum album under her belt, and literally tens of appearances on other songs, her movie debut was much expected.- Music Department
- Actress
- Composer
India Arie was born on 3 October 1975 in Denver, Colorado, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Miami Vice (2006), Don't Say a Word (2001) and Radio (2003).- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Yvonne Orji was born on 2 December 1983 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. She is an actress and producer, known for Insecure (2016), Vacation Friends (2021) and Night School (2018).- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Janet Louise Hubert was born in Chicago, IL. She is best known for playing the sassy, witty, outgoing, protective mom on the hit TV sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990).
Janet Hubert spent most of her childhood growing up in Momence, IL. That changed when she won a scholarship to Julliard School in New York City. After Juilliard, Janet studied all forms of dance and studied with some of the best teachers including Alvin Ailey and David Howard. She debuted on Broadway in "The First". She went on to do shows such as "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and "Dancin'", and was a member of the original Broadway cast of "CATS", where she created the role of Tantomile, and was the understudy for Betty Buckley, singing the title role, in New York City. However, her most memorable role came in 1990 when she made her TV debut in "Fresh Prince". She has since guest-starred on numerous shows, including Gilmore Girls (2000), Friends (1994), The Bernie Mac Show (2001) and Tales from the Crypt (1989). She has also appeared on the Tyler Perry hit House of Payne (2006). Janet has been battling osteoporosis and has recently became an ambassador for the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
Janet will forever be known as a versatile actress, dancer and singer. She was, to many, a woman who stood her ground, much like that of her character on "Fresh Prince"--the strong-willed yet elegant, original, one and only Vivian Banks.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Tichina Arnold was born on 28 June 1969 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Little Shop of Horrors (1986), Everybody Hates Chris (2005) and Martin (1992). She was previously married to Rico Hines and Lamon Brewster.- Actress
- Composer
- Music Department
Yolanda Adams was born on 27 August 1961 in Houston, Texas, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for The Sum of All Fears (2002), Honey (2003) and Ride Along 2 (2016). She was previously married to Timothy Crawford Jr. and Troy Mason.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Danielle Brooks was born on 17 September 1989 in Augusta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Peacemaker (2022), Orange Is the New Black (2013) and Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (2021). She has been married to Dennis Gelin since 13 January 2022. They have one child.- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Veronika Bozeman was born on 9 January 1983 in South Central, Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Armed (2018), Karen (2021) and Snatched (2024).- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Fantasia Barrino was born on 30 June 1984 in High Point, North Carolina, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Color Purple (2023), The Butler (2013) and American Idol (2002). She has been married to Kendall Taylor since 19 July 2015. They have one child.- Actress
- Director
- Soundtrack
Ta'Rhonda is a rapper from the Southside of Chicago, who is well known for her first role on Empire. She is also a fashion designer and designs all of her own red carpet looks. Ta'Rhonda is a philanthropist and is an active member of The Brady Campaign, which helps to prevent gun violence. She is also known for being a make-up artist and hair stylist and does all of her own hair and makeup for the show Empire.
Ta'Rhonda grew up in a large family and is the fourth child out of eight. In her spare time she writes, participates in speaking engagements to empower young girls, and she loves to cook. Before starting her career in acting, Ta'Rhonda worked at a nursing home and also as a butcher at a Chicago grocery store.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Taral Hicks (born on 21, September 1974 in Queens, New York) is an African American R&B singer and actress, sister of singer D'Atra Hicks.
She began her film career with a role alongside Robert De Niro in the 1993 film "A Bronx Tale." Her subsequent film roles were small, 1995's "Just Cause" with Sean Connery and Laurence Fishburne, 1996's "Educating Matt Waters" and "The Preacher's Wife" with Whitney Houston. It wasn't until 1997 in the HBO original film "Subway Stories" that audiences began to take notice. As the "Woman with Flowers" who sang to her mother on the payphone, her performance was widely deemed to be one of the best in the film.
In 1997, Hicks signed a deal with Motown Records and released an album entitled "This Time." The single "Ooh, Ooh Baby," produced and written by, and featuring Missy Elliott, charted on the Billboard R&B singles chart. However, the lead single intended to debut her singing career was "Distant Lover," an uptempo track produced by Teddy Riley. The album didn't take off until the second single, "Silly," a remake of the classic R&B hit by Deniece Williams was released. Featuring a black-and-white video directed by Hype Williams, the single charted well on the R&B chart. After collaborating on the video for "Silly," Hype Williams cast Hicks in his directorial film debut (and in her largest role to date), 1998's "Belly" as Kisha, DMX's girlfriend. The video for "Silly" appeared in one of the film's scenes.
Following the film's release in 1998, Hicks was absent from film and music until 2000, when she appeared on screen in the short film "Are You Cinderella?" with actor Wood Harris. Two television guest roles followed: 2002's "100 Centre Street" in the episode titled "Fathers", and in a 2003 episode of "Soul Food: The Series" titled "The New Math".
Her later film roles were in independent films such as 2005's "The Salon," with Vivica A. Fox, Dondre Whitfield and Darrin Henson, 2006's "Forbidden Fruits" with Ella Joyce, Fredro Starr and R&B singer Keith Sweat, 2007's "Humenetomy," and 2008's "Ex$pendable."- Actress
- Producer
Serena Williams is one of the greatest female tennis players of all time. She earned her first Grand Slam singles title at the U.S. Open in 1999, and won a string of five Grand Slam singles title wins: the 2002 French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open titles and the 2003 Australian Open and her second Wimbledon title in 2003, all by defeating her older sister, Venus Williams in the finals. To date, she has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era, and the second-most of all time. Serena has appeared in guest roles on The Simpsons (1989) and My Wife and Kids (2000). She was born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1981, to Richard and Oracene Williams. The youngest of five girls, Serena grew up with Venus and older sisters Lyndrea, Isha & Yetunde. She and sister Venus were coached in tennis from an early age by their father, Richard.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Danai Gurira was born in Grinnell, Iowa, to Josephine and Roger Gurira, who were from Zimbabwe. Her father was then teaching Chemistry at Grinnell College. When she was five, the family moved back to Zimbabwe, residing in the capital Harare. Gurira later returned to the United States, and studied social psychology at Macalester College, receiving an MFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She is the co-author of the play, "In the Continuum", with Nikkole Salter.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
She is the half sister of Nia Long who played in the first Friday. She and Long share the same father and have never been in the same movie. She attended Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia (where movies like Drumline and Stomp the Yard were filmed). Sommore appeared with Monique in the Original Queens of Comedy, and the Parkers.