Aunjanue Ellis

Aunjanue L. Ellis ( born February 21, 1969) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the films ''Men of Honor'' (2000), ''The Caveman's Valentine'' (2001), ''Undercover Brother'' (2002), '' Ray'' (2004), '' The Express: The Ernie Davis Story'' (2008), '' The Taking of Pelham 123'' (2009) and ''The Help'' (2011). In 2021, Ellis starred in the critically acclaimed film ''King Richard'', which earned her nominations for the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, British Academy Film Award, and Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress.

On television, Ellis had recurring roles in the ABC police drama series ''High Incident'' (1996–1997), ''The Practice'' (1999), ''True Blood'' (2008), and ''The Mentalist'' (2010–2013), and played roles in a number of television films, such as '' Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story'' (2009), '' Abducted: The Carlina White Story'' (2013), and '' The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel'' (2020). In 2015, Ellis played the leading role in the miniseries '' The Book of Negroes'', based on a bestselling novel by Lawrence Hill. She received critical acclaim and a Critic's Choice Television Award nomination for Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries.

From 2015 to 2017, she starred as Miranda Shaw in the ABC thriller series '' Quantico,'' and in 2016, Ellis played Nancy Turner, Nat Turner's mother, in the period drama film ''The Birth of a Nation''. In 2019, she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her performance in the Netflix miniseries ''When They See Us''. Ellis later starred in the HBO drama series ''Lovecraft Country'' (2020), for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Early life

Ellis was born in San Francisco, California, and raised on her grandmother's farm in Magnolia, Mississippi. She attended Tougaloo College before transferring to Brown University, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in African-American studies. She also studied acting with Jim Barnhill and John Emigh. During her years at Brown University, Ellis made her debut in a student play. She went on to study acting in the Graduate Acting Program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

Career

1990s

In 1995, Ellis made her professional acting debut appearing as Ariel opposite Patrick Stewart's Prospero in a Broadway revival of William Shakespeare's '' The Tempest.'' She later made her screen debut in the episode of Fox police drama series ''New York Undercover''. In 1996, she had the co-leading role in the independent film '' Girls Town'' alongside Lili Taylor. During the late 1990s, Ellis also had supporting roles in films ''Ed's Next Move'', ''Desert Blue'', '' In Too Deep'', and ''A Map of the World''. From 1996 to 1997, Ellis starred as Officer Leslie Joyner in the ABC police drama series ''High Incident'', created by Steven Spielberg. The series was canceled after two seasons. In 1999, she had the recurring role of Sharon Young on the ABC legal drama, ''The Practice''.

2000s

In 2000, Ellis starred opposite Cuba Gooding Jr. in George Tillman, Jr.'s drama film ''Men of Honor''. The following year, she played daughter of Samuel L. Jackson's character in the mystery-drama film ''The Caveman's Valentine'', directed by Kasi Lemmons and based on George Dawes Green's 1994 novel of the same name. Also in 2001, Ellis had a supporting part in the critically acclaimed comedy-drama film ''Lovely & Amazing.''

In 2002, she had main role alongside Eddie Griffin in the action comedy film ''Undercover Brother''. In 2004, she played Mary Ann Fisher in the Academy Award-nominated biographical film about musician Ray Charles, '' Ray''. In 2007, Ellis played the leading role in the thriller ''Cover''. The movie received negative reviews. She also appeared in films '' Freedomland'' (2006), '' The Express'' (2008) and '' Notorious'' (2009). She also played Denzel Washington's wife in '' The Taking of Pelham 123'' (2009) directed by Tony Scott.

On television, in 2002 Ellis had regular role on the short-lived ABC medical drama '' MDs''. From 2005 to 2006, she co-starred alongside Benjamin Bratt in another short-lived drama ''E-Ring'' on NBC. She also had recurring roles on ''Third Watch'', '' 100 Centre Street'', ''Jonny Zero'', ''Justice'' and ''True Blood''. In 2009, she co-starred alongside Cuba Gooding Jr. and Kimberly Elise in the made-for-television film, '' Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story''.

Ellis also has appeared in a number of Broadway and Off-Broadway theatre productions. In January 2004, she performed in Regina Taylor

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