Nia Long
American actress (born 1970)
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Key Takeaways
- Nia Talita Long ( NEE -yə ; born October 30, 1970) is an American actress.
- She then appeared in the films Friday (1995), Love Jones (1997), and Soul Food (1997).
- On television, she portrayed Sasha Monroe on the crime drama series Third Watch (2003–2005), and has starred on the Fox drama series Empire (2017), and the CBS action series NCIS: Los Angeles (2017–2018).
- Early life Long was born on October 30, 1970, in Brooklyn to Talita Long (née Gillman), a teacher and printmaker, and Doughtry Long, a high school teacher and poet.
- She has an older half-sister, the actress and comedian known as Sommore.
Nia Talita Long ( NEE-yə; born October 30, 1970) is an American actress. Best known for her work in Black cinema, Long rose to prominence after starring in the film Boyz n the Hood (1991), and for her portrayal of Beullah "Lisa" Wilkes on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1991–1995). She then appeared in the films Friday (1995), Love Jones (1997), and Soul Food (1997).
Long is known for her roles in the films The Best Man (1999) and Big Momma's House (2000). On television, she portrayed Sasha Monroe on the crime drama series Third Watch (2003–2005), and has starred on the Fox drama series Empire (2017), and the CBS action series NCIS: Los Angeles (2017–2018). Long has received several accolades, including two NAACP Image Awards and a Black Reel Award.
Early life
Long was born on October 30, 1970, in Brooklyn to Talita Long (née Gillman), a teacher and printmaker, and Doughtry Long, a high school teacher and poet. Her mother is of Trinidadian descent. She has an older half-sister, the actress and comedian known as Sommore. When Long was two years old, her parents divorced. She accompanied her mother, who moved to Iowa City, to study fine arts.
When Long was seven, her mother moved to South Los Angeles, where she planned to marry. She and her fiancé called off the wedding, but Talita chose to stay in Los Angeles. Long's father resided in Trenton, New Jersey. She was bused from South LA to Paseo Del Rey Elementary School in Playa Del Rey from 3rd grade through 6th grade, and attended St. Mary's Academy in Inglewood, California. In addition to her academic classes, she studied ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics, guitar, and acting. She graduated from Westchester High School in Los Angeles in 1989.
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