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Amirah Vann
Born
Amirah Charline Vann

(1980-06-24) June 24, 1980 (age 44)
Queens, New York, U.S.
Education Fordham University (BA)
New York University (MFA)
Occupation
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active 2006–present

Amirah Charline Vann (born June 24, 1980) is an American actress and singer. She started her acting journey in plays that were not on Broadway. Later, she became well-known for her role in the TV show Underground (2016–2017). For this role, she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. After Underground, she played a lawyer named Tegan Price in the ABC legal thriller series, How to Get Away with Murder (2017–2020). In 2022, Vann also starred in the romantic drama movie, A Jazzman's Blues.

Early Life and Education

Amirah Charline Vann was born on June 24, 1980, in Queens, New York. Her father is African-American from Georgia, and her mother is Puerto Rican.

Amirah went to Midwood High School and then Far Rockaway High School, finishing in 1998. She continued her education at Fordham University, where she earned her bachelor's degree in 2002. Later, she received a Master of Fine Arts degree from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2007. Before working in film and television, Vann spent many years acting in Off-Broadway theater plays.

Acting Career Highlights

Amirah Vann first appeared in smaller roles in movies like And So It Goes and Tracers. Her big break came in 2016 when she starred in the TV show Underground. In this show, she played Ernestine, a main character on a plantation. Her performance earned her a nomination for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Even though the show ended after two seasons in 2017, Amirah's talent was noticed.

After Underground, she made guest appearances on popular shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She also had a recurring role in the final season of Major Crimes, playing Special Agent Jazzma Fey.

Becoming a TV Star

From 2017 to 2020, Amirah Vann played attorney Tegan Price in the ABC legal drama How to Get Away with Murder. She started as a recurring character, meaning she appeared in some episodes. But because her role was so important, she became a main cast member for the show's fifth and sixth seasons.

In 2018, Vann also had a recurring role in the USA Network series Unsolved: The Murder of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.. She played an FBI agent working on a big investigation. In 2019, she joined the cast of the OWN drama Queen Sugar as Parker Campbell. She also had a supporting role in the 2019 movie, Miss Virginia. In 2020, she guest-starred in the CBS All Access series, Star Trek: Picard.

Recent Projects

In 2022, Amirah Vann starred in the romantic drama movie A Jazzman's Blues. She played Hattie Mae, a singer and the mother of the main character. Her performance in the movie received many good reviews. The next year, she had a recurring role in the AppleTV horror series, The Changeling. She also played the famous actress Diahann Carroll in the 2024 biographical drama film Shirley, which is about American politician Shirley Chisholm.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2006 Three and a Half Thoughts Saidah Short film
2009 Once More with Feeling Bartender
2011 First World Problem Rosario Sanchez
2013 80/20 Bonita
2014 And So It Goes Rashida
2015 Tracers Angie
Don't Worry Baby Alison
2016 The Hostess Latoya Corbyn Short film
2019 Miss Virginia Shondae Smith
2022 A Jazzman's Blues Hattie Mae
2024 Shirley Diahann Carroll

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2013 Girls Angry Lady Episode: "Boys"
2014 Believe Maid Episode: "Origin"
Mozart in the Jungle Nurse Episode: "Silent Symphony"
2016–2017 Underground Ernestine Main cast
2017 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Michelle Morrison Episode: "Mood"
Major Crimes Special Agent Jazzma Fey Recurring cast (season 6)
2017–2020 How to Get Away with Murder Tegan Price Recurring cast (season 4),

main cast (Season 5-6), 37 episodes

2018 Unsolved Justine Simon Recurring cast
2019–2022 Queen Sugar Parker Campbell Guest (season 4-6), recurring cast (season 7)
2020 Star Trek: Picard Zani Episode: "Absolute Candor"
The Fugitive FBI Agent Recurring cast
2021–2024 Arcane Sevika (voice) Recurring cast
2022 Bull Paula Lamont Episode: "The Other Shoe"
2023 The Changeling Kim Valentine Recurring cast
2025 Doc (TV series) Dr. Gina Walker Main Role

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
2017 48th NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Underground Nominated
2023 54th NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture A Jazzman's Blues Nominated

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Amirah Vann para niños

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