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IMDbPro

Sanaa Lathan

  • Actress
  • Director
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,00051
Sanaa Lathan
Take a closer look at the various roles Sanaa Lathan has played throughout her acting career.
Play clip1:08
Sanaa Lathan | Career Retrospective
58 Videos
99+ Photos
Sanaa Lathan, the daughter of Actress Eleanor McCoy and Director Stan Lathan, was raised in both New York City and Los Angeles. During her youth she was fully immersed in the entertainment industry and learned early on that she wanted a career in the Arts. Sanaa pursued studies at the University of California at Berkeley where she received a BA, and Yale School of Drama where she received a MFA. Sanaa began her career by performing in New York stage productions. She eventually moved to California where she made several television appearances, before landing her first movie role in Drive. She went on to land roles in Blade, Daisy, The Wood, and The Best Man. She received her breakout lead role when she appeared in the acclaimed romantic drama, Love & Basketball where she played ("Monica") followed by the box office hit Alien vs. Predator. In 2017 Sanaa starred in the TV miniseries Shots Fired and was nominated by the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress. In 2018 Sanaa began her journey as a producer as she played the lead in the Netflix original Nappily Ever After. Throughout her career Sanaa simultaneously has performed in stage plays such as the Broadway production A Raisin in the Sun which also led to a Tony Award nomination. Additionally, Sanaa has been nominated by The NAACP for Best Actress for her work in the production To Take Arms, the Image Honor for Best Supporting Actress in a motion picture for her role in The Best Man and the Image Award for Best Actress in a motion picture for her excellent performance in Love & Basketball.
BornSeptember 19, 1971
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornSeptember 19, 1971
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,00051
  • Unlock contact info on IMDbPro
  • Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
    • 12 wins & 28 nominations total

The Roles That Inspired Their Careers

The Roles That Inspired Their Careers

IMDb chats with stars like Jonathan Majors, Teyana Taylor, Sanaa Lathan about the performances across movies, TV, and theater that inspired their careers.
Learn more
View list
List

Photos285

Sanaa Lathan in Shots Fired (2017)
Sanaa Lathan and Dylan O'Brien in American Assassin (2017)
Sanaa Lathan and Damson Idris in The Twilight Zone (2019)
Sanaa Lathan and Aisha Hinds in Shots Fired (2017)
Sanaa Lathan, Aisha Hinds, and Stephan James in Shots Fired (2017)
Sanaa Lathan and Dominic West in The Affair (2014)
Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan in Love & Basketball (2000)
Sanaa Lathan and Lior Raz in Hit & Run (2021)
Sanaa Lathan in Hit & Run (2021)
Sanaa Lathan and Lior Raz in Hit & Run (2021)
Will Patton, Sanaa Lathan, Tristan Mack Wilds, and Stephan James in Shots Fired (2017)
Sanaa Lathan in Shots Fired (2017)

Known for

Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Alien vs. Predator
5.6
  • Alexa Woods
  • 2004
Promo Poster
Love & Basketball
7.2
  • Monica Wright
  • 2000
Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker in Something New (2006)
Something New
6.6
  • Kenya Denise McQueen
  • 2006
Morris Chestnut, Sanaa Lathan, and Michael Ealy in The Perfect Guy (2015)
The Perfect Guy
5.6
  • Leah
  • 2015

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actress

  • The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat
    • Post-production
  • Young. Wild. Free. (2023)
    Young. Wild. Free.
    • Janice Huffman
    • 2023
  • Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Alex Borstein, and Seth MacFarlane in Family Guy (1999)
    Family Guy
    • Donna Tubbs
    • Fangirl
    • Backup Singer (voice) ...
    • TV Series
    • 2010–2023
  • The Best Man: The Final Chapters (2022)
    The Best Man: The Final Chapters
    • Robyn Stewart
    • TV Series
    • 2022
  • Kaley Cuoco and Lake Bell in Harley Quinn (2019)
    Harley Quinn
    • Catwoman (voice)
    • TV Series
    • 2020–2022
  • On the Come Up (2022)
    On the Come Up
    • Jay
    • 2022
  • Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Brian Cox, Peter Friedman, Matthew Macfadyen, Nicholas Braun, and Sarah Snook in Succession (2018)
    Succession
    • Lisa Arthur
    • TV Series
    • 2021
  • Hit & Run (2021)
    Hit & Run
    • Naomi Hicks
    • TV Series
    • 2021
  • Julianne Moore, Don Cheadle, Rosie Perez, Sanaa Lathan, Talia Balsam, Rebecca Hall, and Justina Machado in With/in: Volume 1 (2021)
    With/in: Volume 1
    • (segment "Leap")
    • 2021
  • Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren, Anne Hathaway, Anthony Mackie, Dan Stevens, Constance Wu, Uzo Aduba, and Nicole Beharie in Solos (2021)
    Solos
    • Nia (voice)
    • TV Mini Series
    • 2021
  • Maura Tierney and Dominic West in The Affair (2014)
    The Affair
    • Janelle Wilson
    • TV Series
    • 2018–2019
  • The Twilight Zone (2019)
    The Twilight Zone
    • Nina Harrison
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Native Son (2019)
    Native Son
    • Trudy Thomas
    • 2019
  • Sanaa Lathan in Nappily Ever After (2018)
    Nappily Ever After
    • Violet
    • 2018
  • Michael Keaton, Sanaa Lathan, Taylor Kitsch, Shiva Negar, Aso Sherabayani, and Dylan O'Brien in American Assassin (2017)
    American Assassin
    • Irene Kennedy
    • 2017
  • Sanaa Lathan and Stephan James in Shots Fired (2017)
    Shots Fired
    • Ashe Akino
    • Ashe Bell
    • TV Series
    • 2017

Director

  • On the Come Up (2022)
    On the Come Up
    • Director (directed by)
    • 2022
  • With/In (2022)
    With/In
    • Director (Segment "Leap")
    • 2022
  • Julianne Moore, Don Cheadle, Rosie Perez, Sanaa Lathan, Talia Balsam, Rebecca Hall, and Justina Machado in With/in: Volume 1 (2021)
    With/in: Volume 1
    • Director (segment Leap)
    • 2021

Producer

  • Young. Wild. Free. (2023)
    Young. Wild. Free.
    • executive producer
    • 2023
  • Sanaa Lathan in Nappily Ever After (2018)
    Nappily Ever After
    • producer
    • 2018
  • Morris Chestnut, Sanaa Lathan, and Michael Ealy in The Perfect Guy (2015)
    The Perfect Guy
    • executive producer
    • 2015

Videos58

Rising Stars of 'Young. Wild. Free' Bring Twists and Teamwork to the Screen
Clip 2:50
Rising Stars of 'Young. Wild. Free' Bring Twists and Teamwork to the Screen
Sanaa Lathan | Career Retrospective
Clip 1:08
Sanaa Lathan | Career Retrospective
Now You See Me 2
Clip 0:52
Now You See Me 2
Now You See Me 2
Clip 1:12
Now You See Me 2
The Cleveland Show: The Complete Season One
Clip 2:26
The Cleveland Show: The Complete Season One
The Cleveland Show: The Complete Season One
Clip 0:53
The Cleveland Show: The Complete Season One
The Cleveland Show: The Complete Season One
Clip 1:10
The Cleveland Show: The Complete Season One
The Cleveland Show: The Complete Season One
Clip 1:06
The Cleveland Show: The Complete Season One
The Cleveland Show: The Complete Season One
Clip 1:34
The Cleveland Show: The Complete Season One
Something New
Clip 0:36
Something New
Something New
Clip 0:30
Something New
Something New
Clip 0:39
Something New

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
  • Height
    • 5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
  • Born
    • September 19, 1971
    • New York City, New York, USA
  • Parents
      Eleanor McCoy
  • Relatives
    • Tendaji Lathan(Sibling)
  • Other works
    Music video: Appeared in Jon B.'s video "Don't Say".
  • Publicity listings
    • 6 Articles
    • 3 Pictorials
    • 3 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Her name is Swahili for "art" but can be loosely interpreted as "artwork" or "work of art".
  • Quotes
    I grew up in the business. My dad is a director/producer and my mom is a dancer, she performed with Alvin Ailey, but I didn't even think about becoming an actress.
  • Nicknames
    • Nana
    • SL

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