Aunjanue Ellis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aunjanue Ellis
Ellis in 2015
Born	(1969-02-21) February 21, 1969 (age 55) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Education	Tougaloo College Brown University (BA) New York University (MFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1995–present

Aunjanue L. Ellis (/ˈɑːnʒənuː/ born February 21, 1969) is an American actress. She has appeared in numerous films, including Men of Honor (2000), Undercover Brother (2002), Ray (2004), Freedomland (2006), The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (2008), The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), The Help (2011), The Birth of a Nation (2016), and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018). For her portrayal of Oracene Price in the sports drama King Richard (2021), she was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Critics' Choice Award.

On television, Ellis had regular and recurring roles in the series High Incident (1996–1997), The Practice (1999), True Blood (2008), and The Mentalist (2010–2013). She also appeared in several 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). She played the leading role as Aminata Diallo in the miniseries The Book of Negroes (2015), which earned her a Canadian Screen Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination, and starred as Miranda Shaw in the series Quantico (2015–2017). She was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles in the miniseries When They See Us (2019) and the series Lovecraft Country (2021).

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's play Drowning Crow, at the Manhattan Theatre Club. In the Spring, 2012 Hampton University semester, she taught entertainment industry courses. She was also featured in a Hampton Players and Company production, "Through the Crack."

Ellis at event of The Book of Negroes in TIFF Bell Lightbox in 2015

2010s

In 2010, Ellis co-starred opposite Wesley Snipes in the action film Game of Death. She played the leading role in the independent film The Tested based on the award-winning 2005 short film of the same name. In 2011, she appeared in the critically acclaimed period drama The Help directed by Tate Taylor, as Eula Mae Davis, one of the maids, for which she received awards as a part of the ensemble cast. In 2014, she played Vicki Anderson in the biographical drama film Get on Up about the life of singer James Brown, also directed by Tate Taylor. As lead actress, Ellis starred in the independent films Money Matters (2011), The Volunteer (2013), Romeo and Juliet in Harlem (2014), and Una Vida: A Fable of Music and the Mind (2014). She also played the leading role in the 2012 television film Abducted: The Carlina White Story.

From 2010 to 2013, Ellis had a recurring role in the CBS series The Mentalist, as Madeleine Hightower. She also played Ashley Judd's best friend in the 2012 ABC miniseries Missing, and had another role on the CBS procedural, NCIS: Los Angeles. Ellis also starred as one of the lead characters in the 2013 AMC pilot The Divide. When WE tv picked up the show, Ellis left and was recast with Nia Long.

In 2014, Ellis was cast as the lead in the international co-production epic miniseries The Book of Negroes, based on Lawrence Hill’s bestselling 2007 novel. The Book of Negroes premiered in 2015, and Ellis received critical acclaim for her performance. The Hollywood Reporter critic Whitney Matheson praised her performance. "Except for the first installment that focuses on Aminata’s girlhood, Ellis is present in nearly every scene, aging decades and displaying a stunning range of emotion." Ellis received a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Movie or Miniseries nomination for her performance. On February 25, 2015, it was announced that Ellis was cast in the ABC thriller series Quantico. She left the series after two seasons in 2017.

In 2016, Ellis co-starred in the historical drama film The Birth of a Nation, based on the story of the 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner. The film also stars Nate Parker, Aja Naomi King, Armie Hammer and Gabrielle Union. Ellis plays the role of Nancy Turner, Nat's mother, in the film. ..... In 2018, she appeared in If Beale Street Could Talk, a drama film written and directed by Barry Jenkins.

In February 2018, Ellis was cast in a leading role on the CBS drama pilot Chiefs. It was not picked up to series. Later, she was cast in the independent drama film Miss Virginia opposite Uzo Aduba and Vanessa Williams. In 2019, she starred in the Ava DuVernay-directed miniseries When They See Us for Netflix. She received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie nomination for her performance.

2020s

In 2020, Ellis portrayed Mattie Moss Clark, the mother of The Clark Sisters, in the Lifetime television film The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel. The film premiered on April 11, 2020, with positive reviews from critics and was the highest-rated original movie for Lifetime since 2016. Ellis was specifically praised by critics, fans, and the Clark Sisters for her performance. She received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special nomination for her performance. Also in 2020, Ellis co-starred in the HBO drama series, Lovecraft Country based on the novel of the same name by Matt Ruff. For her performance, she received Primetime Emmy Awards nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

In 2021, Ellis starred as Oracene Price opposite Will Smith in King Richard, a biopic about Richard Williams. Her performance in the film received critical acclaim, earning the actress her first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, British Academy Film Awards and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture nominations. Ellis also received nominations at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards, Satellite Awards and Black Reel Awards, winning the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also received Santa Barbara International Film Festival Outstanding Performer of the Year Award, and the Honorary Award at the 5th Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards.

Ellis at an event Celebrating Black History Month in 2015

In 2022, Ellis starred opposite Courtney B. Vance in the AMC courtroom drama series, 61st Street. The series was ordered for a two-season run, but AMC decided against airing it. In May 2023, The CW acquired the series. Ellis then starred as attorney Carolyn Wilder in the FX neo-Western crime drama series, Justified: City Primeval, the limited series inspired by Elmore Leonard’s City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit. She received critical acclaim for her performance, noted by some critics as her best role yet in career.

Also in 2023, Ellis was cast in a leading role in the Ava DuVernay drama film Origin, an adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Ellis played Isabel Wilkerson in this film, making its her first lead role in the major film of her career. The film premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.

Upcoming projects

Ellis co-starred as Mama in the musical drama film, The Color Purple. The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 25, 2023, by Warner Bros. Pictures. In January 2022, Ellis was cast alongside Andra Day, Glenn Close and Mo'Nique in Netflix's exorcism horror-thriller film The Deliverance, directed by Lee Daniels.

In July 2022, she was cast alongside Uzo Aduba and Sanaa Lathan in the adaptation of 2013 novel of the same name by Edward Kelsey Moore The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat directed by Tina Mabry for Searchlight Pictures. She was cast in the period drama film The Nickel Boys, a film adaptation of the 2019 novel by American novelist Colson Whitehead also featuring Hamish Linklater and Fred Hechinger, in October 2022. She starred opposite André Holland and Andra Day in the drama film Exhibiting Forgiveness directed by Titus Kaphar.

Personal life

In her 2022 interview with Variety magazine, Ellis came out as bisexual.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1996	Girls Town	Nikki
	Ed's Next Move	Erica
1998	Side Streets	Brenda Boyce
	Desert Blue	Agent Summers
1999	In Too Deep	Denise
	A Map of the World	Dyshett
2000	John John in the Sky	Earlene
	Men of Honor	Jo Brashear
	The Opponent	June
2001	The Caveman's Valentine	Lulu
	Lovely & Amazing	Lorraine
2002	I Am Ali	Herself	Short
	Undercover Brother	Sistah Girl
2004	Brother to Brother	Zora Neale Hurston
	Ray	Mary Ann Fisher
2005	Perception	Vera
2006	Freedomland	Felicia
2007	Cover	Valerie Mass
2008	The Express	Marie Davis
2009	Notorious	Sandy
	I Love You Phillip Morris	Reba
	Motherhood	Sample Sale Friend
	The Hungry Ghosts	Nadia
	The Taking of Pelham 123	Therese
2010	The Tested	Darraylynn Warren
	Game of Death	Rachel
2011	The Resident	Sydney
	The Help	Yule May Davis
	Money Matters	Pamela Matters
2013	The Volunteer	Leigh
2014	Get On Up	Vicki Anderson
	Of Mind and Music	Una Vida
2016	The Birth of a Nation	Nancy Turner
2017	Romeo and Juliet in Harlem	Lady Capulet
2018	If Beale Street Could Talk	Mrs. Hunt
	...	Gloria Ray
2019	Miss Virginia	Lorraine Townsend
2020	The Subject	Leslie Barnes
2021	King Richard	Oracene "Brandy" Price
2022	Fannie	Fannie Lou Hamer	Short
2023	Origin	Isabel Wilkerson
	The Color Purple	Mama
2024	Exhibiting Forgiveness	Joyce	Post-production
TBA	The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat	TBA	Post-production
TBA	The Deliverance	TBA	Post-production
TBA	The Nickel Boys	TBA	Post-production
TBA	Pieces of Us	TBA	Post-production

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Aunjanue Ellis para niños