Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
|
|
|---|---|
Ellis in 2015
|
|
| Born |
Aunjanue L. Ellis
February 21, 1969 San Francisco, California, U.S.
|
| Other names | Aunjanue Ellis |
| Education | Tougaloo College Brown University (BA) New York University (MFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Awards | Full list |
Aunjanue L. Ellis-Taylor (born February 21, 1969) is a talented American actress. She has won many awards and has been nominated for some of the biggest honors in acting. These include a nomination for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor has appeared in many popular films. Some of her well-known movies include Men of Honor (2000), Ray (2004), and The Help (2011). She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Oracene Price in the sports drama King Richard (2021). More recently, she starred in The Color Purple (2023) and Origin (2023).
On television, Ellis-Taylor has had important roles in several series. She appeared in High Incident (1996–1997), True Blood (2008), and The Mentalist (2010–2013). She also starred in miniseries like The Book of Negroes (2015) and When They See Us (2019). For her roles in When They See Us and Lovecraft Country (2021), she received nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor was born in San Francisco, California. She grew up on her grandmother's farm in Magnolia, Mississippi. She went to Tougaloo College before moving to Brown University. There, she earned a degree in African-American studies.
She also studied acting with teachers like Jim Barnhill and John Emigh. While at Brown University, she performed in her first student play. Later, she continued her acting studies at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
Her Acting Career
Starting Out: The 1990s
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor began her professional acting career in 1995. She performed on Broadway in a play by William Shakespeare called The Tempest. She acted alongside famous actor Patrick Stewart. Soon after, she made her first TV appearance in the police drama New York Undercover.
In 1996, she had a main role in the independent film Girls Town. She also appeared in other films like Desert Blue and A Map of the World. From 1996 to 1997, she played Officer Leslie Joyner in the TV show High Incident. In 1999, she had a recurring role in the legal drama The Practice.
Success in the 2000s
In 2000, Ellis-Taylor starred with Cuba Gooding Jr. in the film Men of Honor. The next year, she played the daughter of Samuel L. Jackson's character in The Caveman's Valentine. She also had a supporting role in the comedy-drama Lovely & Amazing.
In 2002, she took on a main role in the action-comedy film Undercover Brother. Two years later, in 2004, she played Mary Ann Fisher in the movie Ray, which was about the musician Ray Charles. She also appeared in films like Freedomland (2006) and The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009). In The Taking of Pelham 123, she played the wife of Denzel Washington's character.
On television, she had regular roles in shows like MDs (2002) and E-Ring (2005–2006). She also had recurring roles in Third Watch and True Blood. In 2009, she starred in the TV movie Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story.
Notable Roles: The 2010s
In 2010, Ellis-Taylor co-starred with Wesley Snipes in the action film Game of Death. She also played a leading role in the independent film The Tested. In 2011, she was part of the cast of the popular film The Help. For this role, she received several awards as part of the movie's cast.
From 2010 to 2013, she had a recurring role as Madeleine Hightower in the CBS series The Mentalist. She also starred as one of the main characters in the 2013 pilot for the show The Divide.
In 2014, Ellis-Taylor was chosen for the main role in the miniseries The Book of Negroes. This show was based on a popular novel. When it premiered in 2015, her performance received great praise. Critics said she showed a "stunning range of emotion." She was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for her work.
In 2015, Ellis-Taylor was cast in the ABC thriller series Quantico. She was a main cast member for two seasons. In 2016, she co-starred in The Birth of a Nation. This historical drama was about a slave rebellion led by Nat Turner. She played Nancy Turner, Nat's mother. In 2018, she appeared in the drama film If Beale Street Could Talk.
In 2019, she starred in the miniseries When They See Us for Netflix. This show was directed by Ava DuVernay. Her performance earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
Recent Work: The 2020s
In 2020, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor played Mattie Moss Clark in the Lifetime TV film The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel. This movie was very popular and received positive reviews. Critics and fans praised her performance. She also co-starred in the HBO drama series Lovecraft Country in 2020. For this role, she received another Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
In 2021, Ellis-Taylor starred as Oracene Price in King Richard. She acted alongside Will Smith in this movie about Richard Williams. Her performance was highly praised. She earned her first nominations for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award. She also won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress.
.jpg)
In 2022, she starred in the AMC courtroom drama series 61st Street. In 2023, she played attorney Carolyn Wilder in the FX series Justified: City Primeval. Critics noted her performance as one of her best.
Also in 2023, Ellis-Taylor took on a leading role in the film Origin. She played Isabel Wilkerson in this movie, which was a big step in her career. She also co-starred as Mama in the musical drama film The Color Purple. In 2024, she starred in The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat and The Deliverance. She also appeared in Exhibiting Forgiveness and Nickel Boys.
Personal Life
In 2023, Aunjanue Ellis started using the name Ellis-Taylor. She added "Taylor" to her name to honor her mother.
Awards and nominations
See also
In Spanish: Aunjanue Ellis para niños
