Nia Long
Nia Long is an American actress known for playing Brandi in Boyz n the Hood and Beullah "Lisa" Wilkes on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She is also recognized for film roles in Friday, Love Jones, Soul Food, The Best Man, and Big Momma's House, as well as her award-winning performance in Third Watch.
Personal life
Nia Long has two sons, Massai Zhivago Dorsey II, born in 2000, and Kez Sunday Udoka, born in 2011. Kez is her son with former NBA player and coach Ime Udoka.
Long began dating Udoka in 2010, and the couple became engaged in 2015. Long said she had no plans to marry, and the couple split in December 2022.
Early acting and breakthrough roles
Long began acting as a child, appearing in the television film The B.R.A.T. Patrol. She later worked with acting coach Betty Bridges for 15 years and had an early television role as Kathryn "Kat" Speakes on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light, where she held a three-year contract from 1991 to 1994.
Her first major film role was Brandi in John Singleton's Boyz n the Hood (1991). She followed it with the role of Lisa Wilkes on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1994 to 1995, playing Will Smith's character's girlfriend and fiancée. The role had initially been intended for Jada Pinkett Smith.
Film and television roles
Long became a prominent figure in Black cinema through films including Friday, Love Jones, Soul Food, The Best Man, Boiler Room, Big Momma's House, Are We There Yet?, and Alfie. She portrayed Jordan Armstrong in The Best Man and reprised the role in The Best Man Holiday and the Peacock miniseries The Best Man: The Final Chapters.
On television, Long played NYPD officer Sasha Monroe on Third Watch from 2003 to 2005. Her later credits include House of Lies, Empire, Dear White People, NCIS: Los Angeles, blackAF, and Let the World See. She portrayed Katherine Jackson in the biopic Michael.
Awards and work beyond acting
Long won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for The Best Man and won two consecutive NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for Third Watch. She also won a Black Reel Award for Best Actress for The Best Man and American Black Film Festival awards for The Best Man Holiday.
Long expanded into directing and producing. She co-directed and appeared in Ashanti's music video "Baby" and directed Yolanda Adams's "This Too Shall Pass." She also appeared in Kanye West's "Touch the Sky" video, supported Black Girls Rock, served as a motivational speaker for the Sterling Children's Home in Barbados, and was named an official surrogate for Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign.
Quick facts
- Nia Long played Kathryn "Kat" Speakes on Guiding Light under a three-year contract from 1991 to 1994.
- She worked with acting coach Betty Bridges, the mother of actor Todd Bridges, for 15 years.
- Long auditioned for Alex Munday in Charlie's Angels, but the role went to Lucy Liu.
- Ice Cube has starred with Long in four films.
- Long won two consecutive NAACP Image Awards for her performance as Sasha Monroe on Third Watch.
- She won a Black Reel Award for Best Actress for The Best Man.
- Long co-directed and appeared in Ashanti's music video "Baby" and directed Yolanda Adams's "This Too Shall Pass."
- She was named an official surrogate for Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign.
- Long contributes her time to the Sterling Children's Home in Barbados as a motivational speaker.
- She portrayed Katherine Jackson in the biopic Michael.
FAQs about Nia Long
Is Nia Long fully black?
Her father, Doughtry Long, is described as a Black American, while her mother, Talita Long, is of Trinidadian descent. Long is also identified as Afro-American.
Is Nia Long still in a relationship?
Nia Long was in a relationship with Ime Udoka from 2010 until their split in December 2022. They became engaged in 2015 but did not marry.
What is Nia Long's nationality and ethnicity?
Nia Long is American and is identified as Afro-American. She is also of Trinidadian descent through her mother.
What state does Nia Long live in?
Nia Long has called Los Angeles, California, home.
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