Aunjanue Ellis
Encyclopedia
Aunjanue L. Ellis is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 actress known for her roles in Ray
Ray (film)
Ray is a 2004 biographical film focusing on 30 years of the life of rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles. The independently produced film was directed by Taylor Hackford and starred Jamie Foxx in the title role; Foxx received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.Charles was set to...

, in Undercover Brother
Undercover Brother
Undercover Brother is a 2002 American comedy film starring Eddie Griffin and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The screenplay is by Michael McCullers and co-executive producer John Ridley, who created the original internet animation characters. It spoofs blaxploitation films of the 1970s as well as a...

, and on The Mentalist
The Mentalist
The Mentalist is an American police procedural television series which debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS. The show was created by Bruno Heller, who is also the show's executive producer...

.

Ellis was born in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

, and raised on her grandmother's farm in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

. She attended Tougaloo College
Tougaloo College
Tougaloo College is a private, co-educational, liberal arts institution of higher education founded in 1869, in Madison County, north of Jackson, Mississippi, USA.Academically, Tougaloo College has received high ranks in recent years...

 before transferring to Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...

, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 in African-American studies, while also studying acting with Jim Barnhill and John Emigh
John Emigh
John Emigh is Professor Emeritus from the Departments of Theatre, Speech and Dance and of English at Brown University, Providence, RI. Emigh taught at Brown from 1967 to 2009.-Biography:...

. She went on to study acting in the Graduate Acting Program at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...

. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...

 Sorority.

In January 2004, she performed in Regina Taylor
Regina Taylor
Regina Taylor is an American actress and playwright. She has won several awards throughout her career, including a Golden Globe Award and NAACP Image Award.-Biography:...

's play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...

 Drowning Crow, at the Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club is a theater company located in New York City. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has grown since its founding in 1970 from an Off-Off Broadway showcase into one of the country’s most acclaimed...

.

Awards and nominations

  • 2001 - Nominated for an Image Award at the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
    NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
    The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture:-Stats:Performances that earned Oscar nominations or wins* Sophie Okonedo - Hotel Rwanda* Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls [won Image Award]...

     for Men of Honor
    Men of Honor
    Men of Honor is a 2000 drama film, starring Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding, Jr. The film was directed by George Tillman, Jr...

    (2000
    2000 in film
    The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....

    ).
  • 2003 - Nominated for a Black Reel at the Black Reel Awards
    Black Reel Awards
    The Black Reel Awards began in 2000 and were designed to annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films...

    /Black Reel Awards of 2003
    Black Reel Awards of 2003
    Here are the nominees and winners of the 2003 Black Reel Awards....

     for Theatrical - Best Actress for Undercover Brother
    Undercover Brother
    Undercover Brother is a 2002 American comedy film starring Eddie Griffin and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The screenplay is by Michael McCullers and co-executive producer John Ridley, who created the original internet animation characters. It spoofs blaxploitation films of the 1970s as well as a...

    (2002
    2002 in film
    The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...

    ).
  • 2005 - Nominated for an Actor award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards
    Screen Actors Guild Awards
    A Screen Actors Guild Award is an accolade given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by its members. The statuette given, a nude male figure holding both a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy, is called "The Actor"...

    /11th Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for Ray
    Ray (film)
    Ray is a 2004 biographical film focusing on 30 years of the life of rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles. The independently produced film was directed by Taylor Hackford and starred Jamie Foxx in the title role; Foxx received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.Charles was set to...

    (2004
    2004 in film
    The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...

    ) shared with Jamie Foxx
    Jamie Foxx
    Eric Marlon Bishop , professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a...

    , Terrence Howard
    Terrence Howard
    Terrence Dashon Howard is an American actor. Having his first major role in the 1995 film Mr. Holland's Opus, which subsequently led to a number of roles in films and high visibility among African American audiences. Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of well-reviewed television...

    , Regina King
    Regina King
    Regina King is an American film and television actress. She is well known for her role as Mary Jenkins's studious daughter, Brenda Jenkins, on the 1980s sitcom, 227, and for her critically acclaimed supporting role in the feature film Jerry Maguire...

    , Harry Lennix, Clifton Powell
    Clifton Powell
    -Movie career:Powell is known for playing the role of Pinky in the 2000 comedy film, Next Friday and its 2002 sequel, Friday After Next. Powell stars also in the Indie thriller Chain Letter.In 2009 he played "Bowman" in the film Just Another Day...

    , Larenz Tate
    Larenz Tate
    Larenz Tate is an American film and television actor.-Early life:Tate was born on the west side of Chicago, Illinois, the son of Peggy and Larry Tate. He is the youngest of three siblings whose family moved to California when he was nine years old...

     and Kerry Washington
    Kerry Washington
    Kerry Washington is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray , as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007...

    .
  • 2010 - Nominated for NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
    NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
    The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special:*Most Wins: Cicely Tyson, Halle Berry, Angela Bassett, Alfre Woodard- 2 wins*Most Nominations:-Stats:...

     for Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
    Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
    Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story is a 2009 movie directed by Thomas Carter, starring Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr. and NAACP Image Award winner Kimberly Elise. It is a movie based on the life story of world-renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson from 1961 to 1987. A Johnson and Johnson...


Filmography

  • New York Undercover
    New York Undercover
    New York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's 4th Precinct who were assigned to...

  • Girls Town
    Girls Town (1996 film)
    Girls Town is a 1996 movie debut by Jim Mckay that centers on the lives of three high-school aged women after the suicide of a friend. The Girls Town soundtrack was released on August 20, 1996 by Mercury Records.-Synopsis:...

  • Ed's Next Move
    Ed's Next Move
    Ed's Next Move is a 1996 American romantic comedy film written and directed by John C. Walsh. It stars Matt Ross and Callie Thorne. A micro-budget romantic comedy about a transplanted Midwesterner adapting to life in New York's East Village, the film appeared at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival...

  • High Incident
    High Incident
    High Incident is a police drama series produced by DreamWorks Television for the ABC network. The show was created by Steven Spielberg, Michael Pavone, Eric Bogosian and Dave Alan Johnson...

  • Side Streets
    Side Streets
    Side Streets is a 1998 Merchant Ivory film directed by Tony Gerber.Ensemble cast included Valeria Golino, Shashi Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Miho Nikaido, Art Malik, Victor Argo, Rosario Dawson, Jennifer Esposito.-Cast:*Valeria Golino - Sylvie Otti...

  • Desert Blue
    Desert Blue
    Desert Blue is a 1998 American comedy/drama film directed by Morgan J. Freeman and starring Brendan Sexton III, Kate Hudson, Christina Ricci, Casey Affleck, Sara Gilbert, and John Heard....

  • In Too Deep
  • A Map of the World
    A Map of the World
    A Map of the World is a novel by Jane Hamilton. It was the Oprah's Book Club selection for December 1999. It was made into a movie released in 1999 starring Sigourney Weaver, Julianne Moore, David Strathairn, Chloë Sevigny, Louise Fletcher and Marc Donato with a soundtrack by Pat Metheny.- Plot...

  • The Practice
    The Practice
    The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...

    (4 episodes)
  • Third Watch
    Third Watch
    Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....

    (2 episodes)
  • Men of Honor
    Men of Honor
    Men of Honor is a 2000 drama film, starring Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding, Jr. The film was directed by George Tillman, Jr...

  • HBO First Look
    HBO First Look
    HBO First Look is an American television show on HBO that chronicles up and coming movies. It first started in 1992 with a documentary on A League of Their Own starring Tom Hanks, and still airs today. The series shows behind-the-scenes looks at the filming and interviews with the actors. The show...

    (1 episode)
  • The Opponent
    The Opponent
    The Opponent is a sports drama film released in 2000. The film stars Erika Eleniak and James Colby.-Film synopsis:When Patty Sullivan gets tired of the abuse of her boyfriend, she decides to take boxing lessons to protect herself. During her practices, she gains the attention of fellow boxer, June...

  • Disappearing Acts
    Disappearing Acts
    Disappearing Acts is a 2000 romantic drama, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, and stars Sanaa Lathan, Wesley Snipes, and Regina Hall. The film is an adaptation of the New York Times best-selling novel Disappearing Acts, by Terry McMillan....

  • The Caveman's Valentine
    The Caveman's Valentine
    The Caveman's Valentine is a 2001 American mystery-drama film directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Samuel L. Jackson based on George Dawes Green's novel of the same name. The film was released by Universal Focus, a subsidiary of Universal Studios and Focus Features.-Plot:A former family man and...

  • Access Granted
    Access Granted
    Access Granted is an American television series that features an in depth look at the planning and production of R&B and hip hop music videos. Each week, a different artist and their new music video are featured, with the video premiering at the end of the episode. The series began airing in 2001...

    (1 episode)
  • 100 Centre Street
    100 Centre Street
    100 Centre Street is an American legal drama created by Sidney Lumet and starring Alan Arkin.-Premise:The show takes its name for the street address of the criminal division of the New York Supreme Court for New York County. The show aired in the United States on the A&E Network cable television...

    (3 episodes)
  • Lovely & Amazing
    Lovely & Amazing
    Lovely & Amazing is a 2001 American dramedy film written and directed by Nicole Holofcener.-Plot:The story focuses on Jane Marks, her adult daughters Michelle and Elizabeth, and her pre-teen adopted African American daughter Annie, each of whom allows her personal insecurities to affect her life...

  • Undercover Brother
    Undercover Brother
    Undercover Brother is a 2002 American comedy film starring Eddie Griffin and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The screenplay is by Michael McCullers and co-executive producer John Ridley, who created the original internet animation characters. It spoofs blaxploitation films of the 1970s as well as a...

  • MDs
    MDs (TV series)
    MDs was a TV show that aired on ABC in 2002. It starred William Fichtner as Dr. Bruce Kellerman and John Hannah as Dr. Robert Dalgety. The series only lasted one season, and though 10 episodes were filmed, only 8 were ever aired. The series was never released on DVD and it is very hard to find.-...

    (10 episodes)
  • Brother to Brother (as Zora Neale Hurston
    Zora Neale Hurston
    Zora Neale Hurston was an American folklorist, anthropologist, and author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance...

    )
  • Ray
    Ray (film)
    Ray is a 2004 biographical film focusing on 30 years of the life of rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles. The independently produced film was directed by Taylor Hackford and starred Jamie Foxx in the title role; Foxx received an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance.Charles was set to...

  • Jonny Zero
    Jonny Zero
    Jonny Zero is an action-crime drama television series that aired on the Fox network in 2005. It starred Franky G, GQ, and Brennan Hesser. It was cancelled after eight episodes. It began airing on Monday nights on ABC TV in Australia in early 2007.-Plot:...

    (6 episodes)
  • Freedomland
    Freedomland (film)
    Freedomland is a 2006 American crime drama-mystery film starring Samuel L. Jackson and Julianne Moore. Richard Price adapted his own novel, which touches on themes of covert racism. Joe Roth directed the film.-Plot:...

  • E-Ring
    E-Ring
    E-Ring is an American television military drama, created by Ken Robinson and David McKenna and executive produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, that premiered on NBC on September 21, 2005...

    (11 episodes)
  • Justice
    Justice (TV series)
    Justice is an American legal drama produced by Jerry Bruckheimer that aired on Fox in the USA and CTV in Canada. The series also aired on Warner Channel in Latin America, Nine Network in Australia, and on TV2 In New Zealand....

    (8 episodes)
  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent
    Law & Order: Criminal Intent
    Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...

    (1 episode)
  • Cover
    Cover (film)
    Cover is a drama thriller film starring Aunjanue Ellis, Razaaq Adoti, Vivica A. Fox, and Leon. The film was produced and directed by Bill Duke and open at selective theaters on February 22, 2008.-Plot synopsis:...

    (2007
    2007 in film
    This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...

    )
  • Numb3rs
    NUMB3RS
    Numb3rs is an American television drama which premiered on CBS on January 23, 2005, and concluded on March 12, 2010. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, and follows FBI Special Agent Don Eppes and his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes , who helps Don solve crimes...

    (1 episode)
  • Racing for Time
    Racing for Time
    Racing for Time is a 2008 Lifetime Original Movie, starring Charles S. Dutton, and Elizabeth Pena.-Synopsis:Cleveland "Stack" Stackhouse is a guard with the Texas Correctional Youth Authority who witnesses the cycle of destructive choices and racial tensions among female teen offenders and decides...

  • The Border
    The Border (TV series)
    The Border is a Canadian drama airing on CBC Television and 20 other TV networks worldwide. It was created by Peter Raymont, Lindalee Tracey, Janet MacLean and Jeremy Hole of White Pine Pictures. The Executive in Charge of Production is Janice Dawe. Episodes in the first season were directed by...

    (1 episode)
  • The Hungry Ghosts
    The Hungry Ghosts
    The Hungry Ghosts is a 2009 American dramatic film written and directed by Michael Imperioli. The film marked the directorial debut of Imperioli. -Plot:...

  • The Tested
    The Tested
    The Tested is a 2009 independent feature film written and directed by Russell Costanzo and produced by Melissa B. Miller of . It is based on the award winning short of the same name.Chosen to participant in the 2009 & in New York City...

  • Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
    Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
    Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story is a 2009 movie directed by Thomas Carter, starring Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr. and NAACP Image Award winner Kimberly Elise. It is a movie based on the life story of world-renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson from 1961 to 1987. A Johnson and Johnson...

  • The Taking of Pelham 123
  • The Mentalist
    The Mentalist
    The Mentalist is an American police procedural television series which debuted on September 23, 2008, on CBS. The show was created by Bruno Heller, who is also the show's executive producer...

    (2010-11; recurring role) as Special Agent Madeleine Hightower
  • Game of Death
    Game of Death
    The Game of Death is a 1972 film starring Bruce Lee. It was almost the last film Bruce Lee had planned to be the demonstration piece of his martial art Jeet Kune Do. Over 100 minutes of footage was shot before his death, some of which was later misplaced in the Golden Harvest archives...

    2010
  • The Help
    The Help
    The Help is an American situation comedy television series which premiered on The WB on March 5, 2004. The show was a raunchy comedy that focused on the hard-lucked life of a beauty school dropout, who now must work for the wealthy and spoiled Ridgeway family. The rest of the hired help are also...

    2011

External links

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