Emayatzy Corinealdi

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Emayatzy Corinealdi
Corinealdi at the 2015 Comic-Con International in San Diego
Born (1980-01-14) January 14, 1980 (age 44)
OccupationActress
Years active2000–present

Emayatzy Corinealdi (/ˌɛmˈɑːtsi ˌkɒrɪˈnɑːldi/ EM-ay-AHT-see KORR-ih-NAHL-dee; born January 14, 1980) is an American actress. She starred in the Ava DuVernay 2012 drama film Middle of Nowhere for which she won Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performer and received Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead nomination. Corinealdi later starred in films Miles Ahead (2016), and The Invitation (2015). On television, she played the role of Belle in the 2016 remake of Roots. She also starred in Hand of God (2014–2017), Ballers (2017–2019), and The Red Line (2019). In 2022, Corinealdi began starring in the Hulu legal drama series, Reasonable Doubt.

Early life

Corinealdi was born January 14, 1980,[1] in Fort Knox, Kentucky,[2] the daughter of Rosemarie Hilton and Edward Corinealdi. Her father is Panamanian, while her mother is African-American from Ohio.[3][4] As a member of a military family, she was raised between Germany and the U.S. states in Ohio, Kansas, and New Jersey.[4][5] She studied in New Jersey at the Actor's Training Studio, then at the William Esper Studio in New York City, and then at Playhouse West.[5]

Career

In her early career, Corinealdi co-starred in a number of independent and short films, had the recurring role on the CBS daytime soap opera, The Young and the Restless, and appeared in the Hallmark television film, The Nanny Express (2008). In 2012, she made her feature film debut as the lead in the drama, Middle of Nowhere. Corinealdi won the 14th Annual American Black Film Festival Star Project,[6] an international acting competition for emerging multicultural artists. Later that year, she won the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor for the film.[7] She was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for best female lead.[8]

with Lorraine Toussaint and Sharon Lawrence at the Middle of Nowhere premiere in 2012

In 2013, Corinealdi appeared in the short film The Door, part of Miu Miu's fashion series Women's Tales, which reunited her with her Middle of Nowhere director Ava DuVernay.[9] In 2014, Corinealdi was cast in the drama series Hand of God. Later that year, she won the role of Frances Taylor Davis, the wife of Miles Davis in the biographical film Miles Ahead.[10] She also starred in the horror film The Invitation and the coming-of-age drama Beats.

In 2016, Corinealdi played the role of Kunta Kinte's wife, Belle, in A&E's Roots reboot.[11] From 2017 to 2019, she had a recurring role in the HBO comedy-drama series, Ballers, and in 2019 starred in the Ava DuVernay-produced limited series The Red Line on CBS.[12] In 2022, she was cast in her first series television leading role in the Hulu legal drama Reasonable Doubt produced by Kerry Washington.[13][14]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Mortality - Short
2003 Pretty Lady Azizi
2004 A Taste of Us Audrey Thomas Short
Vampz Eve Video
2005 Beauty Shop Client of Ida
2006 Finding the Boom-Bap Beauty Short
My American Nurse -
2007 Akira's Hip-Hop Shop Daphne
Cordially Invited Grace Ingrahm
2008 Natural Beauty Virginia Short
Wednesday Again Roberta
2009 Think Twice Najah Short
After the Storm Patrice Short
The Chase Trisha Short
2010 It Looks Just Like You - Short
2012 Middle of Nowhere Ruby
The Silent Treatment Loretta Short
2013 The Door V Short
Lu Martha Short
2014 Teacher in a Box Mrs Tandon Short
In the Morning Cadence
Addicted Brina
2015 The Invitation Kira
Miles Ahead Frances Taylor Davis
2019 Beats Vanessa Robinson

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2007 The Young and the Restless Nurse Susan Mehta Regular cast
Katrina Katrina TV movie
Demons Girl TV movie
2008 The Nanny Express Lorraine TV movie
2010 Romantically Challenged Tiffany Episode: "Rebecca's One Night Stand"
2014 Criminal Minds Ellen Samsen Episode: "The Edge of Winter"
Gun Hill Janelle Evans TV movie
2014–17 Hand of God Tessie Graham Main cast
2015 Rosewood Gigi Gaston Episode: "Fashionistas and Fasciitis"
2016 Roots Belle Episode: "Part 2 & 4"
2017 The Get Noelle TV movie
2017–19 Ballers Candace Brewer Recurring cast (season 3–5)
2019 The Red Line Tia Young Main cast
2020 Evil Sonya Episode: "Justice x 2"
2022—present Reasonable Doubt Jax Stewart Main cast

Awards and nominations

Year Awards Category Recipient Outcome
2012 Gotham Awards Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performer Middle of Nowhere Won
African-American Film Critics Association African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Won
2013 Independent Spirit Award Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead Nominated
NAACP Image Award NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated
Black Reel Awards Black Reel Award for Best Actress Nominated
Black Reel Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Nominated
Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble Nominated
Village Voice Film Poll Village Voice Film Poll Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Nominated
2017 NAACP Image Award NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Roots Nominated
Black Reel Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series Nominated
2019 Black Reel Awards Outstanding Actress, TV Movie/limited series The Red Line Nominated

References

  1. ^ Rose, Mike (January 14, 2023). "Today's famous birthdays list for January 14, 2023 includes celebrities Dave Grohl, Carl Weathers". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  2. ^ "Emayatzy Corinealdi". BET.com. BET Interactive, LLC. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  3. ^ THE CAST OF AVA DUVERNAY'S 'MIDDLE OF NOWHERE' at BlackActors.net
  4. ^ a b Riley, Jenelle (11 September 2012). "Interview: 'Middle of Nowhere' Star Emayatzy Corinealdi on Her Breakout Leading Role". Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  5. ^ a b Sperling, Nicole (13 October 2012). "Emayatzy Corinealdi finds a good role in 'Middle of Nowhere'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  6. ^ Clutch (September 2014). "Look Book: Our Favorite Emayatzy Corinealdi Style and Beauty Looks". Clutch Magazine. Sutton New Media LLC. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  7. ^ Young, Danielle (28 November 2012). "Emayatzy Corinealdi Of 'Middle Of Nowhere' Wins Gotham Film Awards' Best Actor". HelloBeautiful.com. Interactive One. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  8. ^ Bahr, Lindsey (27 November 2012). "Spirit Awards reaction: Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, Benh Zeitlin, David O. Russell, more weigh in". Entertainment Weekly.
  9. ^ ""The Door" by Ava DuVernay, Women's Tales #5". MiuMiu.com. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  10. ^ Diaz, Evelyn (25 June 2014). "Middle of Nowhere Star to Replace Zoe Saldana in Miles Davis Biopic". BET.com. BET Interactive, LLC. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  11. ^ "Emayatzy Corinealdi". Interview Magazine. May 27, 2016.
  12. ^ "'The Red Line' Star Emayatzy Corinealdi on How the Show Influenced Her Real-Life Activism". 30 April 2019.
  13. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 29, 2021). "Onyx Collective's 'Reasonable Doubt' Gets Hulu Series Order; Emayatzy Corinealdi To Star, Kerry Washington To Direct".
  14. ^ "Emayatzy Corinealdi Says 'Reasonable Doubt' Shows the "Complexity" of Black Characters and Storytelling". Shondaland. September 27, 2022.

External links