Ella Joyce facts for kids

Ella Joyce (born Cherron Hoye; June 12, 1954) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Eleanor Emerson in the TV show Roc. This comedy-drama series was shown on Fox from 1991 to 1994. Ella Joyce has also appeared in several movies. Some of these include Set It Off (1996), Bubba Ho-Tep (2002), and Our Family Wedding (2010).

Early Life and Education

Ella Joyce was born Cherron Hoye in Chicago, Illinois. Her father worked in a car factory, and her mother was a hairdresser. She grew up in Detroit, Michigan.

She went to Cass Technical High School and studied performing arts. Later, she attended Eastern Michigan University for dramatic arts. When she had to leave college due to money problems, she went back to Detroit. There, she finished business school and worked as a secretary at General Motors.

She also read scripts for a director named Lloyd Richards. He encouraged her to try acting on screen. After moving to Harlem, New York City, she worked as a word processor. At the same time, she worked on improving her acting skills. She got her first film role in 1979. After this, she changed her name to Ella Joyce to honor her mother and great-grandmother. She has learned from many acting teachers. She has also performed in theaters all over America and in other countries.

Her Acting Career

Starting in Theater

Ella Joyce began her acting journey on stage. She has performed in many plays. One famous play she was in is Fences. She also played important roles in other plays. For example, she was the first to play Risa in Two Trains Running at Yale University. She also played Tonya in King Hedley II and Lily Ann Green in Crumbs from the Table of Joy. For her role in Crumbs from the Table of Joy, she won The Joseph Jefferson Award.

She has been part of many other stage plays. These include Bossa Nova, Checkmates, and Barefoot in the Park. Ella Joyce also helped start The National Black Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She has won many awards for her theater work. These include the New York AUDELCO award. She also received an NAACP Image Nomination for her work in theater and television. In 1998, she got the Spirit Of Detroit Award from the Mayor's Office. She also won an Ovation Award for her role as Ruby in August Wilson’s King Hedley II.

Movies and TV Shows

Ella Joyce first appeared on television in 1990 in an episode of Katts and Dog. Her first small movie role was in the 1992 comedy film Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot.

From 1991 to 1994, she starred with Charles S. Dutton in the Fox TV series Roc. In 1995, she was in the first episode of the NBC show NewsRadio. She also appeared in the music video for TLC's song "Waterfalls". Later, she made guest appearances in shows like Seinfeld and The Jamie Foxx Show. From 2003 to 2004, she played Jasmine Scott in the ABC show My Wife & Kids.

In 1996, Ella Joyce co-starred in the crime film Set It Off. She also played Sheyann Webb's mother in the TV movie Selma, Lord, Selma (1999). In 2001, she was in the prison drama Stranger Inside. The next year, she starred in the horror-comedy movie Bubba Ho-Tep with Bruce Campbell and Ossie Davis. She has also appeared in films like Our Family Wedding (2010) and California Solo (2012).

In 2013, Joyce starred in Tyler Perry's movie Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor. She played Jurnee Smollett's mother in that film. In 2016, she was in the movie Nina. In 2013, she also starred in the TV One show Belle's with Keith David. More recently, in 2022, she was cast as a character's mother in the BET drama series Haus of Vicious.

Personal Life

Ella Joyce married actor Dan Martin in 1989. She has also written her first book, which is called Kink Phobia, Journey Through a Black Woman's Hair.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Ella Joyce para niños