Diarra Kilpatrick facts for kids

Diarra Kilpatrick (born around 1983) is a talented American actress, writer, and producer. She is known for creating, writing, and starring in the web series American Koko. She also had a big role in the TV show Perry Mason. More recently, she created and stars in the mystery comedy series Diarra from Detroit.

Early Life and Learning

Diarra Kilpatrick was born in 1983 and grew up in Detroit, a big city in Michigan. From a young age, she loved performing. She started acting in plays at the Meadow Brook Theater.

When she was 12, Diarra joined the Mosaic Youth Theatre. This is a special group for young people who love theater. She starred in her first play there. For her early schooling, Diarra went to Alonzo W. Bates Academy, a school for gifted students. Later, she graduated from the Detroit Country Day School. She then went on to study at NYU Tisch, where she earned her college degree.

Her Acting Journey

Diarra Kilpatrick started her acting career in movies. Her first film was the drama Forbidden Fruits in 2006. In 2007, she moved to Los Angeles. There, she acted in many local theater shows. These included plays like Three Sisters After Chekhov and In the Red and Brown Water.

She also appeared in the comedy-drama movie Hollywood, je t'aime in 2009. Diarra made guest appearances on several TV shows. Some of these were House, The Game, and Private Practice. She also acted in independent films like H4 (2012). In 2015, she appeared with famous actress Viola Davis in the film Lila & Eve.

American Koko and Emmy Nomination

In 2015, Diarra created a funny online show called American Koko. She wrote, produced, and starred in it. She first put the series on YouTube. It won an award at the American Black Film Festival in 2015.

The show then got the attention of Julius Tennon. He is the husband of actress Viola Davis. Their company helped develop American Koko. ABC bought the series. The first season was even re-filmed, and a second season was made. Both seasons came out online on June 19, 2017.

In American Koko, Diarra plays a character named Koko. Koko is a "race detective" in Los Angeles. Her job is to help end racism in America. Diarra's role in this show earned her a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award. This is a very important award for TV shows.

More TV Roles

After American Koko, Diarra wrote and starred in a TV pilot for Amazon Studios in 2017. A pilot is like a test episode for a new TV show. Her show was called The Climb. It was a comedy set in Detroit about someone trying to become famous online. However, Amazon did not pick up the series.

Later, she appeared in an episode of The Twilight Zone reboot. She also had a repeating role in the comedy series The Last O.G.. In 2020, she joined the cast of the HBO drama Perry Mason. She played the character Clara Drake. In 2021, she starred in the TV movie Nash Bridges.

In 2023, Diarra signed a special deal with BET Studios. She then created, produced, and starred in the series Diarra from Detroit. This show is a mystery comedy-drama set in Detroit. It has received very good reviews from critics.

Personal Life

Diarra Kilpatrick is married.

Awards and Nominations

• 2011 – Nominated, Ovation Awards, Lead Actress in a Play (for The Interlopers)
• 2013 – Nominated, Ovation Awards, Lead Actress in a Play (for In the Red and Brown Water)
• 2018 – Nominated, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series (for American Koko)

Filmography

Film

Television