Black Actresses

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).

Aisha Tyler is an award-winning director, actor, comedian, New York Times bestselling author, podcaster and activist. She is an Emmy-winning television host and multiple award-winning voice actor for Archer (2009).

Aisha's feature directorial debut, Axis (2017), was shot in just seven days on location in Los Angeles in 2015 on a crowdfunded budget. It won Outstanding Achievement in Feature Filmmaking at the 2017 Newport Beach Film Festival and was chosen "Best of the Fest" at the Sarasota Film Festival. Scene Magazine said of AXIS, "the directorial debut of Aisha Tyler is a revelation... brilliant in every way." And Paste Magazine wrote: "to make a film this experimental, this compelling, your first time out as a director is just extraordinary." AXIS was released wide in 2018 and is available everywhere on multiple VOD platforms.

Aisha has directed several episodes of television, including Fear the Walking Dead (2015), Roswell, New Mexico (2019), and Criminal Minds (2005), where she made her television directing debut. She has also directed several short films as well as multiple music videos for rock artists Minke, Clutch, and Silversun Pickups. Aisha voices superspy Lana Kane on F/X's Emmy-winning hit Archer (2009). In 2013 Aisha took over for Drew Carey as host of the rebooted improvisational comedy series Whose Line Is It Anyway? (2013) for the CW.

Ms. Tyler is the founder of Courage+Stone, a line of premium ready-to-drink cocktails. Debuting in January 2020, the company donated a significant portion of its online to bar and restaurant workers put out of work during the coronavirus lockdown. She is one of just a handful of women of color founders in the spirits category.

Ms. Tyler's second book of comedic essays, Self-Inflicted Wounds, named for the popular segment of her podcast Girl on Guy, debuted on The New York Times bestseller list in 2013. She is also the author of Swerve: Reckless Observations of a Postmodern Girl

Ms. Tyler is a supporter of many charitable organizations, including The International Rescue Committee, Family Violence Prevention Fund, The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, the LA Mission and Doctors Without Borders.

A San Francisco native, Ms. Tyler graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in Government and Environmental Policy. An avid gamer and passionate advocate of inclusion in the gaming community, Aisha's voice can be heard in the video games Halo:Reach; Gears of War 3, and Watch Dogs. Aisha is a whiskey lover, a hard rock fan, a snowboarder and sci-fi obsessive, and confounding to all who know her.

When Aisha Hinds' junior high school tap dance instructor observed that she needed an outlet for expression that surpassed her tap shoes, she was guided to the High School of Performing Arts in New York - where her formal acting training began.

Hinds' numerous television credits include a supporting role on Detroit 1-8-7 (2010), recurring roles on Hawthorne (2009) and The Shield (2002) and guest appearances on Boston Legal (2004), Medium (2005), CSI: NY (2004), Judging Amy (1999), Crossing Jordan (2001), ER (1994), and NYPD Blue (1993). She also starred opposite Marcia Gay Harden in the pilot Hate (2005). Her feature film roles include Assault on Precinct 13 (2005), Neo Ned (2005), and Love Aquarium (2004).

On stage, her theatre credits include August Wilson's "Fences" and "'Night, Mother" at the American Theatre of Harlem; "Tartuffe," "Anything Goes" and "Mame" at the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre; and George C. Wolfe's "The Colored Museum" and "A Piece of My Heart" at the Alvin Sherman Stage.

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.

Film and television actress Christine Adams was born in London, United Kingdom.

She starred on several British and American films and television series since early 2000s.

On television, she is known for roles as "Katherine Williams Osgood" on the British miniseries, NY-LON (2004); "Simone Hundin" on the American comedy-drama series, Pushing Daisies (2007) (2007-2009); as "Lena Boudreaux" on the short-lived ABC legal drama series, The Whole Truth (2010); and as "Mira" in FOX's science-fiction drama series, Terra Nova (2011).

In 2012, she starred, opposite Anthony LaPaglia, on the ABC drama series, Americana (2012). Adams appeared on several films, such as Submerged (2005), Batman Begins (2005), Eye of the Dolphin (2006), Green Flash (2008), Beneath the Blue (2010), Tron: Legacy (2010) and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011). She resides in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.

Karan Kendrick was born in Fort Valley, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Just Mercy (2019), The Hunger Games (2012) and The Hate U Give (2018).

Danièle Watts is best known for her role in the critically acclaimed Academy Award winning blockbuster hit Django Unchained (2012), acting alongside Academy Award nominated actors, Christoph Waltz, Jamie Foxx, and Leonardo DiCaprio as "Coco." On TV, she is known as "Angela Mullen" - love interest to "Shane Botwin" on the 8th season of Showtime's hit show Weeds (2012), and as Martin Lawrence's daughter on the FX show, Partners (2014), also starring Kelsey Grammer (Frasier).

A child of a Jamaican mother, and an American father, she studied the performing arts in high school at North Springs Magnet Performing Arts program in Atlanta, GA, and after 4 years of touring as an actress with educational, student-driven works throughout the greater Atlanta area, she was the first student board member to participate on the board of Artists Raising the Consciousness of Humanity (ARCH Productions). During that time she was featured on several episodes of the educational program "Couch Kids,' which presented real teenagers addressing relevant teen issues, which was distributed as part of health education curriculum to high school students in the Southern United States. She went on to receive a Norman Topping community service based scholarship, and a B.A. in Dramatic Arts from the University of Southern California (Los Angeles), and also studied abroad at the British American Drama Academy in London.

An award-winning theatre artist, and advocate for arts education, Danièle has taught performance through the Young Storytellers Foundation, Ices After School Program, and was a founding creator of the performing arts collaboration between Imaginese Productions and the nationally recognized Spark Program for middle school students in Los Angeles. In 2013, she was invited by Los Angeles Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, to host the arts education programming for The City of Los Angeles African-American Heritage Month events at The Los Angeles City Hall, and The Los Angeles Zoo.

On the internet, Danièle can be seen in a leading role in the romantic comedy Wingman Inc. (2015), distributed through Lionsgate and Amazon Instant Video. Her starring role opposite Max Burkholder (Parenthood), in the independent film, Babysitter (2015), can be viewed on various on-demand channels, iTunes, & Amazon Instant Video. On YouTube, she plays Brian Jordan Alvarez (Jane the Virgin)'s adopted sister in The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo (2016), a YouTube breakout hit, created by Alvarez, that was optioned by Lionsgate. Danièle also played a role Alvarez wrote for her, and served as an associate producer for Everything Is Free, Alvarez's feature film debut released in 2017 on Google Play, Amazon Prime, and various other online platforms.

Watts, and her husband Brian James Lucas, also known as celebrity chef, BeLive, were consulting creative producers for Television project, "Juice Bar," which is "in-development" through arts education non-profit, Arts Alliance For Humanity, created by Yale School of Drama grad and actor, Obi Ndefo.

Since making news headlines in 2014 for an incident involving Los Angeles police officers, civil liberties, and sexual expression, Watts and BeLive have been advocates of greater dialogue and awareness surrounding sexuality, and have participated with the Dr. Susan Block Institute for the Erotic Arts and Sciences to share sex therapy with the public.

As of 2020, Watts and BeLive are developing a musical documentary, "The Terrifying Lightness of Whiteness," an idea that she began developing in 2012, prior to the release of Django Unchained, as her desire for fame was colliding with her need for emotional and spiritual renewal. The film explores and celebrates the psychedelic awakening, expansion of consciousness, and music as a basis for a shared reality.

Kimberly Elise was born on 17 April 1967 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She is an actress and executive, known for Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005), The Manchurian Candidate (2004) and John Q (2002). She was previously married to Maurice Oldham.

Toccara Jones was born on 13 March 1981 in Dayton, Ohio, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Are We There Yet? (2010), Just a Friend (2019) and Married, for Real?! (2014).

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.

Crystal Fox was born in Tryon, North Carolina, and began her professional acting career in the late 1970s. She is best-known for her role as Police Officer Luann Corbin in the series In the Heat of the Night (1988). She has also appeared in several theatrical productions, including "For Colored Girls" and "Everybody's Ruby". In 2013 she was cast as lead "Hanna Young" in the OWN prime-time soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots (2013) from producer Tyler Perry.

Vivica A. Fox was born in South Bend, Indiana, on July 30, 1964, and is the daughter of Everlyena, a pharmaceutical technician, and William Fox, a private school administrator. She is of Native American and African-American descent and is proud of her heritage. She is a graduate of Arlington High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, and, after graduating, moved to California to attend college. Vivica went to Golden West College and graduated with an Associate Art degree in Social Sciences. While in California, she started acting professionally, first on soap operas, such as Generations (1989), Days of Our Lives (1965) and The Young and the Restless (1973). In another early role, she played Patti LaBelle's fashion designer daughter, "Charisse Chamberlain", on the NBC-TV series, Out All Night (1992). Her first big break was in the film, Independence Day (1996), along with Will Smith, and also Set It Off (1996). She has earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of "Maxine" in the 1997 motion picture, Soul Food (1997), which netted her MTV Movie Award and NAACP Image Award nominations. In 2000, she was casted in the medical drama, City of Angels (2000), as "Dr. Lillian Price". She has had roles in many other movies ever since, such as: Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999), Two Can Play That Game (2001) and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003). In 2004, Fox was in an episode of Punk'd (2003), where her pregnant friend pretended to go into labor, but they became angry when a paramedic appeared to care more about taking pictures than delivering the baby. Vivica also took another television role, from 2004 to 2006, as she starred in the drama series, 1-800-Missing (2003), on the Lifetime Television Network. In 2007, she was a contender on Dancing with the Stars (2005) and stayed until she was voted off in the fourth week. In 1998, Vivica A. Fox married singer Christopher Harvest (aka Sixx-Nine), whom she later divorced in June 2002. She also dated rapper 50 Cent, however this was a brief relationship.

Angela Robinson was born on the historic East Side of Jacksonville, Florida and is a proud third-generation Florida A&M University alumna. Before moving to New York, she sang at supper clubs (Ponte Vedra Beach) and the USO (three tours: Far East, Middle East, and the Mediterranean). In New York, Angela studied acting at The William Esper Studio - then appeared in 4 Broadway shows (Play On!, Bells Are Ringing, Wonderful Town, and The Color Purple). She has an extensive career in Theatre (Off-Broadway, Regional, and National Tours). On Television, for eight seasons Angela played Veronica Harrington (The "Ice Queen") on OWN's first scripted drama - Tyler Perry's "The Haves and the Have Nots". For her work, Angela won the Gracie Award for "Outstanding Female Actor - One to Watch," in 2015. She married Scott Whitehurst on 14 September 1996. They have one son.

Antoinette Robertson is known for Dear White People (2017), The Blackening (2022) and Zero Hour (2013).

Danielle Deadwyler was born on 3 May 1982 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Station Eleven (2021), The Harder They Fall (2021) and Till (2022).

Growing up in Memphis, TN, Porsha was raised by a single mother. She grew a passion for acting at Wooddale High performing on stage during school events. At an early age, she always knew the stage life was for her. Porsha's resume goes on with training under Thomas Vasiliades at The Juilliard School Evening Division, Lee Brock of The Barrow Group of New York, the world famous Second City's Inc. Of Chicago, and majored in Theatre at Clayton State University. She gives credit to her training, which has given her the tools that was needed to build a successful acting career. Porsha has done several independent films. She has a recurring guest starring role on the fourth season of Tyler Perry's "The Have and The Have Nots," and previously guest starred in an episode of TV Ones's Hit Television Show, "Fatal Attraction" and Investigation Discovery's "Homicide Hunter". She will be seen in Director Mark Harris, "36 Hour Layover," which will be in theaters late 2016. Furthermore, she will be making an appearances in Muhammad Ali Film, "The Last Punch" and 72nd Venice International Film Festival Best film winner "Free in Deed." In addition, Porsha is a producer and writer of a tentative video on demand film "Closet Space" and web-series "Twisted Mines". Her credits include commercials for Soft n' Free and Beauty Ads in Upscale Magazine, Essences Magazine and much more! Look forward to seeing more of her in many more projects coming up.

Kwajalyn Brown is an American actress of stage, film and television. Her most notable work is as recurring character Sheila, on "Cobra Kai", recurring character Judge Tara Flint on "Drop Dead Diva", and lead character April in "Honey: Rise Up and Dance". Prior to acting, Kwajalyn was a singer who began performing and recording locally in her hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. After entering high school, she participated in her first play, "Little Shop of Horrors", where she was able to combine her talents of singing and acting. Although she still enjoys singing, she caught the 'acting bug' and decided to pursue acting as a career. In 2012, she added the title of "producer" to her credits after signing on to the hit web series, "Black & Single". In this production, she also played the character Vivian Lane, a tough-as-nails attorney and main antagonist to the lead character in the show. Since then, Kwajalyn has acted in numerous plays and short films, but her big break in the film industry came when she landed the role of April in Universal 1440's "Honey 4", filmed in Atlanta in 2017. Kwajalyn is looking forward to a long, rewarding career as an actress and producer and hopes to one day move into directing.

Jannette Sepwa is known for American Auto (2021), Genius (2017) and Dispatches from Elsewhere (2020).

Born in New York City, Christine Horn was raised in the Bronx before moving to Atlanta during high school. Her passion for performing flourished while attending Atlanta's renowned Tri-Cities High School where she met her mentor, Freddie Hendricks. Inspired by her early experiences attending Broadway shows, she began performing professionally as a teenager making her feature film debut in Stomp the Yard (2007) alongside Columbus Short.

After achieving her dream of performing on Broadway in The Lion King, Christine moved to Los Angeles in 2011 to pursue film and television. In Los Angeles, her firsthand experience navigating the industry led her to create Hollywood Bound Actors, a thriving coaching business dedicated to helping aspiring actors master the business side of entertainment. Known as "The Booking Magnet ®," Christine has become a trusted mentor, empowering a new generation of talent with the tools for success.

Christine's award-winning work spans film, television, music, and literature. Her diverse credits include roles in The Fallout (Warner Bros), Snowfall (FX), Black Mafia Family (Starz), The Good Doctor (ABC), The Equalizer (CBS), and Terminator: Dark Fate. She has also made guest appearances on hit shows such as Grey's Anatomy, NCIS: LA, Blackish, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Shameless, among many others.

Of Jamaican and Bermudian descent, Christine resides in Los Angeles, where she continues to pursue her passion for storytelling and mentorship within the acting community.

Born and raised on the south side of Chicago Tasia Sherel (pronounced Asia w/a T) never intended to pursue a career in entertainment, but fate and raw talent intervened. As an only child, Sherel had dreams of becoming a hairstylist. However, she found herself at a local community college earning her degree in Cosmetology. Little did she know that this degree would come back to help her out years later.

While working toward her degree, Sherel took a job at a Hair Care Company in the Tradeshow Dept as an assistant. One day, they asked her to fill in for a no-show model and after that, she kept booking jobs and realized she enjoyed the work. She then won the prestigious title of Miss Mahogany Chicago and went on to place in the Top 10 of a National Pageant. Her biggest break, however, came at the Maybelline Modeling Competition, sponsored by the national make-up company of the same name. After winning the competition held in NYC, she was approached and represented by agent Dee Simmons, who told her she had too much personality charisma to stick with just modeling. She decided to take Simmons advice and began her acting career while now living in New York.

Sherel was booked on her first Acting job for an educational high school training video. She then decided to take the next step in her career and moved to Los Angeles. Shortly after arriving on the west coast, Sherel began her own theater company EMBODI Entertainment, LA's first exclusively African American, female theatre company. In addition to Founding the prestigious company, she also acted as producer and creative director. Sherel also teaches acting, gives motivational speeches around the Los Angeles area, produces, and has experience working as a casting director.

Her break out acting role came in late 2005 with a guest-starring role as Pam, the hairdresser, on the hit CW show, Everybody Hates Chris. Soon, what was supposed to be a one-time spot turned itself into a recurring character all 4 seasons.

Tasia stars in the Creative EMMY Award Winning Commercial "The Talk" My Black is Beautiful by Proctor & Gamble. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband of over 20 years and 2 fur babies where she recently opened and operates Tay Milz Aesthetics.

Tasia's love for acting started at age 7 with the Children's Urban-Arts Ensemble community theatre group. In 2005, Tasia returned to her passion by getting back into class, returning to the stage and beginning work in the film and television industries.

She is known for her performances on stage in The Renaissance Project Theatre productions of A Raisin in the Sun, in the role of "Ruth Younger" and in Steel Magnolias, as "M'Lynn", and most recently as "Annie Sullivan" in The Miracle Worker.

Tasia has done at least a dozen commercials and her film credits include roles in Tyler Perry's "Meet the Browns" and "Single Moms Club", "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do", as well as leading roles in a number of independent films, including the films "Finding Forever in Love" and "Skinned". Her TV credits include the Lifetime network series,"Army Wives", NBC's "Revolution", CBS pilot "Identity" and MTV's "Finding Carter".

Jwaundace started acting in stage plays in middle school. She leaned toward characters that were edgy, different and physical. She craved to portray characters outside of the "normal" type being that she was did not grow up in a normal environment. Abandoned by her divorced parents at a young age, she was raised by the streets and her grandparents. She started driving at the age of 10. She grew up surrounded by older cousins and neighborhood friends, mostly boys. When they fought, she would fight along with them. When they played football and basketball, she played. When they drove, she drove. She self taught herself how to drive at the age of 10 using her neighbors' cars and riding with them, driving anything on wheels --- cars, trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, anything motorized. It became natural to her which reflects in her acting and stunt career.

CAREER

Jwaundace Candece, widely recognized as JC in the entertainment world, has left a permanent mark as a distinguished Action Actress in Hollywood. With a versatile career encompassing over 200 Film and Television productions, she has continually dazzled audiences as an actor, stunt performer, and stunt double. Her extraordinary skills have graced the screen alongside Hollywood's elite, including Viola Davis, Queen Latifah, Oprah Winfrey, Pam Grier, and more, establishing her as a powerhouse in the industry.

JC's acting repertoire is diverse, featuring notable movies such as "Paradise Highway" alongside Morgan Freeman, "Spiderman: No Way Home," Disney's "Loki," Netflix's "Naked," and the acclaimed "Let's Be Cops." Her talents extend beyond acting, earning her multiple nominations for a SAG Award in the stunt category. Notably, her debut role as the Stunt Double for Queen Latifah in "Bringing Down the House" earned them both a nomination for an MTV Movie Award in the "Best Fight" category, solidifying her presence in the cinematic realm.

SCHOLAR

Prior to embarking on her acting career, JC prioritized education, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Theater Arts ... and a Master's in Counseling Psychology, aligning with her family's aspirations. Following her educational accomplishments, she ventured into Hollywood, kick starting her journey as an actress. Notably, she began her career in the wrestling world as Delta Lotta Pain, a member of the iconic tag team, Caged Heat, achieving the prestigious title of WOW's (Women of Wrestling) 1st Tag Team Champions. This early success set the stage for her paramount career.

VISIONARY

JC's commitment to making an impact in the entertainment industry goes beyond acting. She is the visionary creator of StuntPOC, a pioneering database website listing Stunt Performers of Color. This groundbreaking initiative has revolutionized the stunt community, bridged the gap and connected talented and qualified ethnic stunt performers and coordinators across the United States and Canada. JC's relentless dedication and influence continue to shape the entertainment industry, establishing her as a formidable force to be reckoned with.

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.

Stunning pop culture icon, Hollywood leading lady and three-time NAACP award winner Nia Long returns to the big screen this fall in the highly anticipated Universal Pictures sequel The Best Man Holiday (in theaters November 15th) where she reunites with original castmates Taye Diggs ("Private Practice"), Terrence Howard (Hustle & flow), Morris Chestnut (The brothers) and Harold Perrineau ("Lost"). Additionally in Spring 2014, Long will star in Tyler Perry's Single mom's club alongside Wendi McLendon- Covey (Bridesmaids), Tyler Perry (Madea) and Amy Smart (Crank).

Early this year, Long joined the all-star cast of Showtime's "House of Lies" alongside Golden Globe Award winner Don Cheadle & Kristen Bell as "Tamara," a business school classmate and former flame of Marty's (Don Cheadle) who has been hired by the same consulting firm Galweather Stearn after taking time off to raise a family.

Long made her film debut in the poignant film portraying the social problems in inner-city Los Angeles, Boyz n the hood , and continued on to star in Friday, alongside Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, as well as Love Jones, which won the prestigious Audience Award at Sundance. Other notable film roles include Soul Food, Alfie opposite Jude Law, The Best man, Are We There Yet?, Big Momma's House 1 & 2 opposite Martin Lawrence, Stigmata, the Broken Hearts Club and Made in America.

On the small screen, Long's portrayal of "Officer Sasha Monroe" on NBC's hit crime drama "Third Watch" awarded her two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Drama series. Long's other TV accomplishments include "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Boston Legal," "Judging Amy," and "Big Shots." Long also voiced "Roberta" in the first season of the Fox hit "the Cleveland Show."

Making her directorial debut on Ashanti's music video "Baby" and Yolanda Adam's "This Too Shall Pass," Nia continues her work behind the camera and is developing a feature film that centers on renowned world champion boxer and trainer Ann Wolfe.

In addition to her film and TV work, Long's passion lies in serving her community. With her family roots planted in Trinidad, Grenada, and Barbados, Long's long term goals are to connect women in the US to those of the islands and to mentor young girls to regain their self-esteem. Additionally, Long lends her support to Black Girls Rock, an organization that promotes the arts for young women of color and encourages dialogue on the ways women of color are portrayed in the media. In 2012 she was named an official surrogate to the Barack Obama reelection campaign.

Nia was born in Brooklyn, to Talita (Gillman), a teacher and printmaker, and Doughtry Long, a high school teacher and poet. She now calls Los Angeles home where she lives with her 12 year old son, Massai, 14 month old son, Kez and partner Ime Udoka, an Assistant Coach for the San Antonio Spurs. Long loves to cook organic farmers market fresh meals adding a twist of her Trinidadian heritage. When she's not juggling between her career and motherhood, she enjoys staying active by doing pilates, boxing, hiking, and horseback riding. Long also finds pleasure in traveling and experiencing different cultures throughout the world. One of her favorite locations to visit is Jamaica, a place she calls her second home where she can reflect and refuel.

Andrea Laing is a comedic film, television and theatre actor of Jamaican descent. She is known for her work on Adult Swim Yule Log, Killing It and The Game. Laing is an avid harmonica player and has an appreciation for working on projects internationally. She attended private school most of her life where she took part in chorus and live stage plays. She is also known for her work as an audiobook narrator and red carpet host.