Amirah Vann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amirah Vann
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Born |
Amirah Charline Vann
June 24, 1980 Queens, New York, U.S.
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Education | Fordham University (BA) New York University (MFA) |
Occupation |
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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.
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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
In Spanish: Amirah Vann para niños