Aunjanue L. Ellis
[[:Category:{{{Images}}}|Images]]
Aunjanue L. Ellis, born February 21, 1969 in San Francisco, California, is an American actress who played the role of Diane Hardwicke on the HBO original series True Blood. Making her debut on the episode "The First Taste" in the series' first season Aunjanue is a recurring character who was last seen in the Season 1 episode "Burning House of Love".
Biography
Aunjanue L. Ellis (first name pronounced on-zsa-new; born February 21, 1969) is an American actress known for her roles in Ray, in Undercover Brother, The Mentalist and The Help.
Ellis was born in San Francisco, California, and raised on her grandmother's farm in Mississippi. She attended Tougaloo College before transferring to Brown University, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts in African-American studies, while also studying acting with Jim Barnhill and John Emigh. She went on to study acting in the Graduate Acting Program at New York University. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
In 1995, she appeared as Ariel opposite Patrick Stewart's Prospero in a Broadway revival of William Shakespeare's The Tempest.
In January 2004, she performed in Regina Taylor's play Drowning Crow, at the Manhattan Theatre Club.
In the Spring, 2012 Hampton University semester, she was going to be teaching entertainment industry courses. She will also be featured in a Hampton Players and Company production, "Through the Crack."
Filmography
Film
Television
- New York Undercover
- Girls Town
- Ed's Next Move
- High Incident
- Side Streets
- Desert Blue
- In Too Deep
- A Map of the World
- The Practice (4 episodes)
- Third Watch (2 episodes)
- Men of Honor
- HBO First Look (1 episode)
- The Opponent
- Disappearing Acts
- The Caveman's Valentine
- Access Granted (1 episode)
- 100 Centre Street (3 episodes)
- Lovely & Amazing
- Undercover Brother
- MDs (10 episodes)
- Brother to Brother (as Zora Neale Hurston)
- Ray
- Jonny Zero (6 episodes)
- Freedomland
- E-Ring (11 episodes)
- Justice (8 episodes)
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent (1 episode)
- Cover (2007)
- Numb3rs (1 episode)
- True Blood
- Racing for Time
- The Border (1 episode)
- The Hungry Ghosts
- The Tested
- Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
- The Taking of Pelham 123
- The Mentalist (2010–11; recurring role) as Special Agent Madeleine Hightower
- Game of Death (2010)
- The Resident (2011)
- The Help (2011)
- Money Matters (2011)
- Missing (2012)
- "Abducted: The Carlina White Story (2012)
- NCIS: Los Angeles 2012 & 2013 as Michelle Hanna
Accolades
- 2001 - Nominated for an Image Award at the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for Men of Honor (2000).
- 2003 - Nominated for a Black Reel at the Black Reel Awards/Black Reel Awards of 2003 for Theatrical - Best Actress for Undercover Brother (2002).
- 2005 - Nominated for an Actor award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards/11th Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for Ray (2004) shared with Jamie Foxx, Terrence Howard, Regina King, Harry Lennix, Clifton Powell, Larenz Tate and Kerry Washington.
- 2010 - Nominated for NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
Notes
- Wiki: AunJanue Ellis Wiki
- IMDB: Aunjanue Ellis IMDB
Appearances
| Season one appearances | |||
| "Strange Love" | "The First Taste" | "Mine" | "Escape from Dragon House" |
| "Sparks Fly Out" | "Cold Ground" | "Burning House of Love" | "Fourth Man in the Fire" |
| "Plaisir D'Amour" | "I Don't Wanna Know" | "To Love Is to Bury" | "You'll Be the Death of Me" |