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Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

Acting

Born February 21, 1969 · San Francisco, California, USA

Also known as Aunjanue L. Ellis · Aunjanue Ellis · آنجانو الیس

Biography

Aunjanue L. Ellis-Taylor (born February 21, 1969) is an American actress. She has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. She has appeared in numerous films, including Men of Honor (2000), Undercover Brother (2002), Ray (2004), Freedomland (2006), The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), The Help (2011), The Birth of a Nation (2016), and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018). She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for portraying Oracene Price in the sports drama King Richard (2021). She has since starred in The Color Purple (2023), Origin (2023), and Nickel Boys (2024). 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), as well as the miniseries The Book of Negroes (2015) and series Quantico (2015–2017). She was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles in the miniseries When They See Us (2019) and Lovecraft Country (2021) series. Description above from the Wikipedia article Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Awards & recognition

  • Academy AwardBest Supporting Actress · 2022 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

The Mentalist

2008as Madeleine Hightower

When They See Us

2019as Sharonne Salaam

The Help

2011as Yule Mae Davis

Miss Virginia

2019as Lorraine Townsend

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

1999as Laura Chase

Third Watch

1999as Gail Moore

Blue Bloods

2010as Sylvia Marshall

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

2009as Candy

The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel

2020as Mattie Moss Clark

Abducted: The Carlina White Story

2012as Ann

The Practice

1997as Sharon Young

King Richard

2021as Oracene 'Brandy' Price

The Good Wife

2009as Linda Underwood

True Blood

2008as Diane

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

2001as Carmen Rivera

NCIS: Los Angeles

2009as Michelle Hanna

Ray

2004as Mary Ann Fisher

Men of Honor

2000as Jo

Sleepy Hollow

2013as Lori Mills

New York Undercover

1994

Designated Survivor

2016as Eleanor Darby

Lovecraft Country

2020as Hippolyta Freeman

The Express

2008as Marie Davis

The Color Purple

2023as Mama

Notorious

2009as Sandy

Numb3rs

2005as Ivy Kirk

Justified: City Primeval

2023as Carolyn

If Beale Street Could Talk

2018as Mrs. Hunt

Get on Up

2014as Vicki Anderson

Side Streets

1998as Brenda Boyce

The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat

2024as Odette Henry

Nickel Boys

2024as Hattie

The Birth of a Nation

2016as Nancy Turner

Quantico

2015as Miranda Shaw

The Book of Negroes

2015as Aminata Diallo

In Too Deep

1999as Denise

The Taking of Pelham 123

2009as Therese Garber

I Love You Phillip Morris

2009as Reba

Exhibiting Forgiveness

2024as Joyce

Pimp

2018as Gloria May

Origin

2023as Isabel Wilkerson

Missing

2012as Mary Dresden

Disappearing Acts

2000as Pam

Lovely & Amazing

2001as Lorraine

The Deliverance

2024as Rev Bernice James

A Map of the World

1999as Dyshett

Undercover Brother

2002as Sistah Girl

The Resident

2011as Sydney

The Caveman's Valentine

2001as Lulu

Desert Blue

1998as Agent Summers