
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.
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Known For
Acting History
2024
Nickel Boys as Hattie
2024Exhibiting Forgiveness as Joyce
2024The Deliverance as Rev Bernice James
2024The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat as Odette Henry
2023The Color Purple as Mama
2023Origin as Isabel Wilkerson
2023Justified: City Primeval as Carolyn
2022The Jennifer Hudson Show as Self
202261st Street as Martha Roberts
2021King Richard as Oracene 'Brandy' Price
2021The Subject as Leslie
2020Lovecraft Country as Hippolyta Freeman
2020The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel as Mattie Moss Clark
2019Miss Virginia as Lorraine Townsend
2019When They See Us as Sharonne Salaam
2018If Beale Street Could Talk as Mrs. Hunt
2018Pimp as Gloria May
2017Romeo and Juliet in Harlem as Lady Capulet
2016Designated Survivor as Eleanor Darby
2016The Birth of a Nation as Nancy Turner
2015Quantico as Miranda Shaw
2015The Book of Negroes as Aminata Diallo
2014Variety Studio: Actors on Actors as Self
2014Of Mind and Music as Una Vida
2014Get on Up as Vicki Anderson
2013Sleepy Hollow as Lori Mills
2013The Volunteer as Leigh
2012Abducted: The Carlina White Story as Ann
2012Missing as Mary Dresden
2011Money Matters as Pamela Matters
2011The Help as Yule Mae Davis
2011Game of Death as Rachel
2011The Resident as Sydney
2011The Tested as Darraylynn Warren
2010Blue Bloods as Sylvia Marshall
2010I Love You Phillip Morris as Reba
2009NCIS: Los Angeles as Michelle Hanna
2009The Good Wife as Linda Underwood
2009The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 as Therese Garber
2009Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story as Candy
2009The Hungry Ghosts as Nadia
2009Motherhood as Sample Sale Friend
2009Notorious as Sandy
2008The Express as Marie Davis
2008The Mentalist as Madeleine Hightower
2008True Blood as Diane
2008The Prince of Motor City as Cora Neel
2008Racing for Time as Officer Baker
2007Cover as Valerie Mass
2006Justice as Miranda Lee
2006Freedomland as Felicia
2005E-Ring as Jocelyn Pierce
2005Numb3rs as Ivy Kirk
2005Jonny Zero
2005Perception as Vera
2004Ray as Mary Ann Fisher
2004The D.A.
2004Brother to Brother as Zora
2003Jimmy Kimmel Live! as Self
2002MDs as Quinn Joyner
2002Lovely & Amazing as Lorraine
2002Undercover Brother as Sistah Girl
2001Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Carmen Rivera
2001John John in the Sky as Earlene
2001The Caveman's Valentine as Lulu
2000Disappearing Acts as Pam
2000The Opponent
2000Men of Honor as Jo
1999Third Watch as Gail Moore
1999Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Laura Chase
1999A Map of the World as Dyshett
1999In Too Deep as Denise
1999Desert Blue as Agent Summers
1998Side Streets as Brenda Boyce
1997The Practice as Sharon Young
1996Ed's Next Move as Erica
1996Girls Town as Nikki
1996High Incident as Officer Leslie Joyner
1994New York Undercover
1953The Oscars as Self
—HBCU Honors as Self
—The Body Is Water as Ree
—Lucky as Agent Billie Rand
—Liz Here Now as Liz Baxter
—Lucky Strike









