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.

Known For

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The Mentalist

Blue Bloods

NCIS: Los Angeles

Law & Order: Criminal Intent

The Good Wife

The Jennifer Hudson Show

True Blood

All Movies (54)

• Lucky Strike2026
• Nickel Boys2024 · as Hattie
• Exhibiting Forgiveness2024 · as Joyce
• The Deliverance2024 · as Rev Bernice James
• The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat2024 · as Odette Henry
• The Color Purple2023 · as Mama
• Origin2023 · as Isabel Wilkerson
• King Richard2021 · as Oracene 'Brandy' Price
• The Subject2021 · as Leslie
• The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel2020 · as Mattie Moss Clark
• Miss Virginia2019 · as Lorraine Townsend
• If Beale Street Could Talk2018 · as Mrs. Hunt
• Pimp2018 · as Gloria May
• Romeo and Juliet in Harlem2017 · as Lady Capulet
• The Birth of a Nation2016 · as Nancy Turner
• Of Mind and Music2014 · as Una Vida
• Get On Up2014 · as Vicki Anderson
• The Volunteer2013 · as Leigh
• Abducted: The Carlina White Story2012 · as Ann
• Money Matters2011 · as Pamela Matters
• The Help2011 · as Yule Mae Davis
• Game of Death2011 · as Rachel
• The Resident2011 · as Sydney
• The Tested2011 · as Darraylynn Warren
• I Love You Phillip Morris2010 · as Reba
• The Taking of Pelham 1 2 32009 · as Therese Garber
• Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story2009 · as Candy
• The Hungry Ghosts2009 · as Nadia
• Motherhood2009 · as Sample Sale Friend
• Notorious2009 · as Sandy
• The Express2008 · as Marie Davis
• The Prince of Motor City2008 · as Cora Neel
• Racing for Time2008 · as Officer Baker
• Cover2007 · as Valerie Mass
• Freedomland2006 · as Felicia
• Perception2005 · as Vera
• Ray2004 · as Mary Ann Fisher
• Brother to Brother2004 · as Zora
• Lovely & Amazing2002 · as Lorraine
• Undercover Brother2002 · as Sistah Girl
• John John in the Sky2001 · as Earlene
• The Caveman's Valentine2001 · as Lulu
• Disappearing Acts2000 · as Pam
• The Opponent2000
• Men of Honor2000 · as Jo
• A Map of the World1999 · as Dyshett
• In Too Deep1999 · as Denise
• Desert Blue1999 · as Agent Summers
• Side Streets1998 · as Brenda Boyce
• Ed's Next Move1996 · as Erica
• Girls Town1996 · as Nikki
• HBCU Honors— · as Self
• Liz Here Now— · as Liz Baxter
• The Body Is Water— · as Ree

All TV Shows (32)

• Lucky2026 · as Agent Billie Rand
• Justified: City Primeval2023 · as Carolyn
• The Jennifer Hudson Show2022 · as Self
• 61st Street2022 · as Martha Roberts
• Lovecraft Country2020 · as Hippolyta Freeman
• When They See Us2019 · as Sharonne Salaam
• Designated Survivor2016 · as Eleanor Darby
• Quantico2015 · as Miranda Shaw
• The Book of Negroes2015 · as Aminata Diallo
• Variety Studio: Actors on Actors2014 · as Self
• Sleepy Hollow2013 · as Lori Mills
• Missing2012 · as Mary Dresden
• Blue Bloods2010 · as Sylvia Marshall
• The Good Wife2009 · as Linda Underwood
• NCIS: Los Angeles2009 · as Michelle Hanna
• The Mentalist2008 · as Madeleine Hightower
• True Blood2008 · as Diane
• Justice2006 · as Miranda Lee
• E-Ring2005 · as Jocelyn Pierce
• Numb3rs2005 · as Ivy Kirk
• Jonny Zero2005 · as Gloria
• The D.A.2004
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self
• MDs2002 · as Quinn Joyner
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent2001 · as Carmen Rivera
• Third Watch1999 · as Gail Moore
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit1999 · as Laura Chase
• The Practice1997 · as Sharon Young
• High Incident1996 · as Officer Leslie Joyner
• New York Undercover1994
• The Oscars1953 · as Self
• Einstein— · as Captain Frost