Joy Bryant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joy Bryant
Bryant at the Paleyfest 2013
Born	(1974-10-18) October 18, 1974 (age 50) New York City, U.S.
Alma mater	Yale University
Occupation	Actress, model
Years active	1994–present
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Spouse(s)	Dave Pope ​ (m. 2008)​

Joy Bryant, born on October 18, 1974, is an American actress, businesswoman, and fashion model. She has been in many movies and TV shows since 2001. She's even been nominated for important awards like the NAACP Image Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Award.

Joy started her career as a model. She appeared in ads for famous brands like Ralph Lauren and Victoria's Secret. Her first movie was Carmen: A Hip Hopera in 2001. She became well-known after starring in the movie Antwone Fisher (2002). In this film, she played a sailor in the United States Navy.

After that, she had a role on the TV show ER. Her other movies include Spider-Man 2 (2004), The Skeleton Key (2005), and Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005). She also appeared in the historical drama Bobby (2006).

From 2010 to 2015, Joy played Jasmine Trussell in the NBC family drama Parenthood. She also hosted her own talk show, Across the Board with Joy Bryant, from 2012 to 2014. On this show, she interviewed celebrity guests. Later, she had guest roles on TV shows like Girls (2017) and Ballers (2018).

Joy's Early Life and Education

Joy Bryant was born on October 18, 1974, in the Bronx, New York. Her grandmother raised her and helped support the family. Joy started dancing when she was just three years old.

She described herself as a "nerd" when she was growing up. She loved to read encyclopedias and watch TV. Her grandmother taught her that education was very important. Joy felt it was key to being independent and using her mind.

While living in the Bronx, she went to CJHS 145x. She was also part of the Fieldston Enrichment Program. This program helps students prepare for high school. Joy later graduated from Westminster School. This is a boarding school in Simsbury, Connecticut.

After Westminster, Joy was a very smart student. She earned a scholarship to Yale University. She studied there for two years. However, she decided to leave college to become a model. Joy's grandmother passed away during her first year at Yale. This made her lose interest in studying. She said her grandmother was her "biggest cheerleader" and her "rock."

Joy's Career Journey

Becoming a Model

While she was a student at Yale, a modeling scout found Joy. The scout was from Next Model Management. Soon after, she was chosen to appear in Seventeen magazine.

She began working as a fashion model in Paris. She appeared in ads for popular brands like Gap, Victoria's Secret, and Tommy Hilfiger. In 2006, Joy signed a big contract with CoverGirl. She also walked the runway for designers like Tommy Hilfiger. In 2009, she hosted BET's Rip the Runway fashion show.

Joy has been on the cover of many magazines. These include Teen Vogue and Complex. She has also been featured in photo shoots for magazines like InStyle and Vanity Fair.

Acting Roles and Success

Joy Bryant had a small role in a music video in 1994. She later appeared in more music videos. These included Santana's "Nothing at All" (2003) and Usher's "Caught Up" (2004).

Her first acting job was in the 2001 film Carmen: A Hip Hopera. In this movie, she played one of Carmen’s best friends. She acted alongside Beyoncé and Mekhi Phifer. After a small part in Showtime (2002), she got her big break. This was in Denzel Washington's first movie as a director, Antwone Fisher (2002).

In 2003, she co-starred in the movie Baadasssss!. Then, she had a recurring role on the TV show ER. She played Gina, the best friend of Jessica Alba's character, in the dance film Honey (2003). This movie earned over $65 million around the world.

In 2005, she was in several popular movies. These included the horror film The Skeleton Key and the dramas London and Get Rich or Die Tryin'. In the last movie, she played the childhood girlfriend of the rapper 50 Cent.

In 2007, she had a small role in the thriller The Hunting Party. This was followed by a main role in the comedy Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008). She also appeared in a music video for TV on the Radio in 2011.

Bryant and Angela Missoni attending 2009 Women's World Awards in Vienna, Austria.

Joy starred as Jasmine Trussell in NBC's family show Parenthood from 2010 to 2015. In 2012, she started her own web series called Across the Board with Joy Bryant. This show featured interviews with celebrity guests. Joy and her guests would do fun activities like go-karting or pottery. The series had ten episodes.

She had a main role in the romantic comedy About Last Night (2014). She acted alongside Kevin Hart and Regina Hall. The movie made $50 million at the box office.

In 2015, she had a recurring role as a doctor named Erica Kincaid. This was on the police drama Rosewood. In 2017, she had guest roles on What Would Diplo Do? and Girls. The next year, Joy played Jayda Crawford on the sports drama Ballers. In 2019, she played Lori Foster on Netflix's teen drama Trinkets.

Joy's Business and Creative Ventures

Starting a Production Company

In 2016, Joy co-founded a production company. On January 13, 2021, it was announced that Joy and producer Samantha Taylor Pickett started a company called Hot Sauce. They signed a three-year deal with Sony Pictures. This means they will work together to create new shows and movies.

Fashion Design

In June 2014, Joy and her husband, Dave Pope, launched a clothing line. It is called Basic Terrain. This line offers casual sportswear and outdoor clothing. The collection was inspired by Joy's love for being outdoors.

In July 2015, Basic Terrain opened a pop-up store in Los Angeles. Ten percent of the money from sales goes to environmental groups like Earthjustice. In September 2016, Basic Terrain clothes became available in Selfridges, a department store in the United Kingdom.

Writing and Essays

Joy Bryant has written several personal essays. These have been published in places like Lenny Letter and Refinery29. She has written about different topics. These include her childhood, body image, and her family. In 2016, The Cut announced that she was working on a book. It would be a collection of her essays.

Helping Others: Philanthropy

Joy is an ambassador for Oxfam's Sisters on the Planet. This group helps women fight hunger, poverty, and climate change. In 2011, she designed a handbag for Botkier. It was called "Botkier Joy Satchel." Fifty percent of the money from each bag sold went to Oxfam.

Joy's Personal Life

In October 2007, OK! magazine reported that Joy was engaged. She was going to marry stuntman Dave Pope. They met on the set of the movie Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. They got married on June 28, 2008, in the Hamptons. Joy owns a ranch house in Glendale, California. As of 2014, she lives there with her husband.

Joy Bryant's Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Web Series

Music Videos

As a Producer

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

• 

  Joy Bryant in 2009.

See also

In Spanish: Joy Bryant para niños