Nia Long Biography
Nia Talita Long is a well-known American actress. She was born on October 30, 1970[1]. She is the recipient of a number of awards and honors, including three NAACP Image Awards as well as a Black Reel Award.
Long is perhaps most recognized for her appearances in the motion pictures Boyz n the Hood (1991), Love Jones, and Soul Food (all in 1997), The Best Man (1999) and its sequel The Best Man Holiday (2013), Big Momma’s House (2000), and its sequel Big Momma’s House 2 (2003). (2006). She is most known for her roles as Beullah “Lisa” Wilkes on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1991–1995) and Sasha Monroe on the criminal drama series Third Watch. Both of these roles were played by her on television (2003–2005)
Early life
Long’s mother, Talita Long (née Gillman), was a teacher and printmaker, and his father, Doughtry Long, was a high school teacher and poet. Long was born in Brooklyn, which is located in New York City. Her mother’s family is originally from Trinidad and Tobago. She is also related to Sommore, a famous actress and comedian who is her older half-sister.
When Long’s parents split up, she was only two years old at the time. When her mother relocated to Iowa City, Iowa, in order to pursue a career in the fine arts, she took her daughter with her. When Long was seven years old, her mother moved the family to South Los Angeles since it was where she intended to get married. Talita made the decision to remain in Los Angeles when she and her fiance decided to call off the wedding. Trenton, New Jersey was where Long’s father made his home.
She attended St. Mary’s Academy in Inglewood, California, after having completed the third through sixth grades at Paseo Del Rey Elementary School in Playa Del Rey, which was located in the same city as South Los Angeles. She also took classes in ballet, tap, and jazz, as well as gymnastics, guitar, and acting in addition to her scholastic studies. In 1989, she received her diploma from Westchester High School in Los Angeles.
Career
Betty Bridges, best known as the mother of Diff’rent Strokes star Todd Bridges, served as Long’s acting coach. Long was trained by Betty Bridges. Her first part was in The B.R.A.T. Patrol, a Disney television movie, in which she also starred opposite Sean Astin, Tim Thomerson, and Brian Keith. Her first significant role on television was a contract part as Kathryn “Kat” Speakes on the soap opera Guiding Light, which she held for a period of three years. From 1991 till 1994, Long played the role of Kat. Long was cast in the role of Brandi for Boyz n the Hood. Long, who was undertaking her “first true movie part,” expressed excitement about the project. It helped Long increase her confidence, which in turn helped her become a better performer. “It introduced me to the world in a way that it was okay for me to be who I am and yet find success,” she added. “It gave me the confidence to be myself and pursue my goals.” “I was not required to adhere to anyone or anything.” She played the role of Will Smith’s girlfriend and future wife on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1994 to 1995. Her character’s name was Beulah “Lisa” Wilkes. Jada Pinkett Smith was meant to play Lisa, but she was unable to do so since she was too short to compete with Will Smith, who is 6 feet 2 inches tall. As a result, Long was cast in the role. However, in the eighth episode of the second season of the sitcom, which aired in 1992 and was titled “She Ain’t Heavy,” Nia Long made her debut as Claudia, one of Will’s potential love interests, opposite Queen Latifah.
In the year 2000, Long was presented with the opportunity to play Alex Munday on the television show Charlie’s Angels; however, she declined the part, and it was ultimately awarded to Lucy Liu. She began her role as NYPD Officer Sasha Monroe in the drama Third Watch in 2003, which she maintained until the conclusion of the series in 2005. She joined the cast of the show in 2003. Long had appearances on the television show Everwood in 2005 and 2006, and he appeared on Boston Legal during the 2006–2007 season. In addition, Long starred in the television series Big Shots starring Michael Vartan and Dylan McDermott from the years 2007 to 2008. In the year 2016, Long began appearing on the television series Empire in a recurrent capacity. She was cast in the part of Giuliana, the proprietor of a club in Las Vegas.
Long has cameos in a variety of films, including Friday and Made in America, where he played supporting characters. Long has been in a number of films, some of which include Soul Food, Love Jones, Boiler Room, Big Momma’s House, Are We There Yet?, and The Best Man. In these movies, he either had a leading part or was a member of the primary ensemble. Ice Cube has been in four movies with her, while Regina King, a fellow graduate of Westchester High School, has appeared in two movies with her. Both “Soul Food” and the television series Third Watch featured Long in co-starring roles alongside Michael Beach.
Long has an appearance in the music video for “Touch the Sky” by Kanye West. She is responsible for directing the music video for “This Too Shall Pass” by Yolanda Adams. As a result of her work on the drama series Third Watch, she was awarded the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2004. Long assisted in directing the music video for Ashanti’s song “Baby” and also starred in the clip. In addition, she appeared as a guest on the sitcom Living Single during the first season of the show’s run. She provided the voice of Roberta Tubbs on The Cleveland Show[10] at the beginning, but Reagan Gomez-Preston eventually took over for her.
She reprised the part that she had played in the 1999 movie with her appearance in the 2013 film version of The Best Man Holiday. However, in contrast to the movie that inspired this remake, her character is involved in a mixed-race romance with a white man. In the movie, it is revealed that Long is interested in pursuing a relationship with a person of a different race, and Long offers the following justification: “We’re living in a modern society where it happens and it’s OK and it’s no disrespect to any black man.” “I love black men, but the reality is that the sistahs are marrying white men and the brothas are marrying white women and that’s the world that we live in and it’s not to be judged and if it works for you then embrace it.” “I love black men, but the reality is that the sistahs are marrying white men and the brothas are marrying white women and that’s the world that we live in and it In addition, the film’s director, Malcolm D. Lee, was in favor of the interracial love that was depicted on screen. “African-American women who are incredibly successful are unable to always find black male counterparts on that level. As a result, it is a little bit of a reflection of reality that black women are starting to date outside of their race — and why not?”
Fatal Affair, a psychological thriller produced by Netflix and starring Long, was released in July of 2020.
Personal life
Long is a father to a son who was born in the year 2000 thanks to a previous relationship. She has been romantically involved with Ime Udoka, the head coach of the Boston Celtics, from the year 2010. They welcomed a child in the year 2011, a son. The engagement took place in 2015, despite the fact that Long has declared that she does not intend to get married. After the recent issue at work involving Udoka, it is even less probable that something like this will occur.
As a volunteer motivational speaker, Long gives her time to the Sterling Children’s Home in Barbados.
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