
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
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.
Also Known As
Movie Appearances

HBCU Honors
as Self
TBA

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
as Candy
2009

The Subject
as Leslie
2021

Men of Honor
as Jo
2000

The Caveman's Valentine
as Lulu
2001

Undercover Brother
as Sistah Girl
2002

Freedomland
as Felicia
2006

Desert Blue
as Agent Summers
1999

The Express
as Marie Davis
2008

Brother to Brother
as Zora
2004

The Hungry Ghosts
as Nadia
2009

The Resident
as Sydney
2011

The Help
as Yule Mae Davis
2011

The Deliverance
as Rev Bernice James
2024

Cover
as Valerie Mass
2007

The Color Purple
as Mama
2023

The Tested
as Darraylynn Warren
2011

Girls Town
as Nikki
1996

The Opponent
2000

Money Matters
as Pamela Matters
2011
TV Appearances

Third Watch
as Gail Moore
1999

Numb3rs
as Ivy Kirk
2005

Justice
as Miranda Lee
2006

E-Ring
as Jocelyn Pierce
2005

Jonny Zero
2005

New York Undercover
1994

The Practice
as Sharon Young
1997

Law & Order: Criminal Intent
as Carmen Rivera
2001

The Mentalist
as Madeleine Hightower
2008

High Incident
as Officer Leslie Joyner
1996

The D.A.
2004

MDs
as Quinn Joyner
2002