Lorraine Toussaint facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lorraine Toussaint
Toussaint at the Paley Center for Media's PaleyFest 2014 honoring Orange Is the New Black
Born	(1960-04-04) April 4, 1960 (age 65) Trinidad and Tobago
Education	Juilliard School (BFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1981–present
Spouse(s)	Michael Tomlinson ​ ​ (m. 2017; div. 2019)​
Children	1

Lorraine Toussaint (born April 4, 1960) is an actress from Trinidad and Tobago who lives in the United States. She has won several awards, including a Black Reel Award, a Critics' Choice Television Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Toussaint started her career in theater. She then appeared in films like Breaking In (1989), Hudson Hawk (1991), and Dangerous Minds (1995). She became well-known for her main role as Rene Jackson in the TV drama series Any Day Now (1998–2002). She also had a repeating role as lawyer Shambala Green in the TV show Law & Order.

Later, Toussaint was a regular cast member in the police show Crossing Jordan (2002–03). She also starred in the crime drama Saving Grace (2007–10). In 2012, she earned praise for her role in the film Middle of Nowhere. In 2014, she played Yvonne "Vee" Parker in the second season of Orange Is the New Black. This role brought her more awards and recognition.

She also played Amelia Boynton Robinson in the 2014 historical film Selma. Toussaint has appeared in many other TV series. These include Forever (2014–15), Rosewood (2015–17), and The Equalizer (2021–2025). She also acted in films like Fast Color (2018) and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019).

Early Life and Education

Lorraine Toussaint was born in Trinidad and Tobago. She moved to Brooklyn, New York City, in the late 1960s with her mother, who was a teacher.

Toussaint finished high school at the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan in 1978. She then studied drama at the Juilliard School from 1978 to 1982. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Juilliard.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in Acting

After college, Toussaint began her career acting in Shakespeare plays. She then started acting in TV shows and movies. She played Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Tamara in Dreaming Emmett.

Toussaint first appeared on screen in 1983. In 1986, she acted in the TV film A Case of Deadly Force. She also had a repeating role as Vera Williams in the soap opera One Life to Live. She made guest appearances in shows like 227 and Law & Order. In Law & Order, she played defense lawyer Shambala Green.

Her first main film role was opposite Burt Reynolds in Breaking In (1989). She also appeared with Bruce Willis in Hudson Hawk (1991). Later, she co-starred with Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Minds (1995). Toussaint also had regular roles in TV series like Where I Live (1993) and Amazing Grace (1995).

Main Roles and Recognition

From 1998 to 2002, Toussaint had a major role in the TV drama Any Day Now. She played Rene Jackson, a successful African-American lawyer. The show and its actors received good reviews. Toussaint was nominated five times for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role. The show ran for four seasons.

Toussaint with Emayatzy Corinealdi and Sharon Lawrence at a promotional event for Middle of Nowhere in 2012

From 2002 to 2004, Toussaint was a regular on the TV show Crossing Jordan. She played Dr. Elaine Duchamps. She also guest-starred in popular shows like Frasier, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and NCIS. From 2007 to 2010, she played Capt. Kate Perry in Saving Grace. She also had repeating roles in Ugly Betty and Friday Night Lights.

Recent Work and Awards

Toussaint in 2012

In 2012, Toussaint was praised for her role in Middle of Nowhere. She played a hardworking mother supporting her daughter. She was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female.

In 2014, Toussaint starred in the second season of Orange Is the New Black. She played Yvonne "Vee" Parker, a tough inmate and the main villain of that season. Her acting was highly praised. For this role, she won a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She also won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series with the rest of the cast.

In 2014, Toussaint also co-starred in the historical film Selma. She played Amelia Boynton Robinson, an important civil rights activist. That same year, she joined the cast of the TV series Forever. She later joined the TV show Rosewood in 2015.

In 2016, Toussaint returned to her role as defense attorney Shambala Green in Chicago P.D.. From 2018 to 2019, she was a main cast member in Into the Badlands. In 2019, she starred in the TV series The Village. She also appeared in the superhero film Fast Color and the horror film Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

In 2020, she played activist Florynce Kennedy in the film The Glorias. She also acted with Idris Elba in the film Concrete Cowboy. Since 2021, Toussaint has been a main cast member in the TV show The Equalizer, playing Viola "Aunt Vi" Lascombe.

Personal Life

Lorraine Toussaint has one daughter named Samara. She was raised Catholic but has explored other religions like Hinduism and Buddhism. She was married to Michael Tomlinson from 2017 to 2019.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Lorraine Toussaint para niños