Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

Acting
Born Feb 21, 1969
From San Francisco, California, USA

Aunjanue L. Ellis-Taylor (born February 21, 1969) is an American actress. She has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. She has appeared in numerous films, including Men of Honor (2000), Undercover Brother (2002), Ray (2004), Freedomland (2006), The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), The Help (2011), The Birth of a Nation (2016), and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018). She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for portraying Oracene Price in the sports drama King Richard (2021). She has since starred in The Color Purple (2023), Origin (2023), and Nickel Boys (2024). On television, Ellis had regular and recurring roles in the series High Incident (1996–1997), The Practice (1999), True Blood (2008), and The Mentalist (2010–2013). She also appeared in several television films, such as Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (2009), Abducted: The Carlina White Story (2013), and The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (2020), as well as the miniseries The Book of Negroes (2015) and series Quantico (2015–2017). She was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for her roles in the miniseries When They See Us (2019) and Lovecraft Country (2021) series. Description above from the Wikipedia article Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Filmography — Acting

The Help
8.2
2011

The Help

Yule Mae Davis

Ray
7.4
2004

Ray

Mary Ann Fisher

Men of Honor
7.5
2000

Men of Honor

Jo

King Richard
7.6
2021

King Richard

Oracene 'Brandy' Price

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story
7.8
2009

Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

Candy

The Resident
5.8
2011

The Resident

Sydney

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
6.4
2009

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

Therese Garber

The Color Purple
7.0
2023

The Color Purple

Mama

Nickel Boys
6.6
2024

Nickel Boys

Hattie

I Love You Phillip Morris
6.4
2010

I Love You Phillip Morris

Reba

Notorious
6.9
2009

Notorious

Sandy

Origin
6.4
2023

Origin

Isabel Wilkerson

The Birth of a Nation
6.6
2016

The Birth of a Nation

Nancy Turner

In Too Deep
6.4
1999

In Too Deep

Denise

Undercover Brother
5.9
2002

Undercover Brother

Sistah Girl

The Deliverance
6.0
2024

The Deliverance

Rev Bernice James

Get On Up
6.8
2014

Get On Up

Vicki Anderson

Freedomland
5.2
2006

Freedomland

Felicia

Lovely & Amazing
6.0
2002

Lovely & Amazing

Lorraine

Game of Death
5.0
2011

Game of Death

Rachel

If Beale Street Could Talk
6.9
2018

If Beale Street Could Talk

Mrs. Hunt

Desert Blue
5.7
1999

Desert Blue

Agent Summers

Motherhood
5.0
2009

Motherhood

Sample Sale Friend

Pimp
6.2
2018

Pimp

Gloria May

Side Streets
6.4
1998

Side Streets

Brenda Boyce

Disappearing Acts
6.1
2000

Disappearing Acts

Pam

The Express
7.1
2008

The Express

Marie Davis

The Caveman's Valentine
5.8
2001

The Caveman's Valentine

Lulu

A Map of the World
6.0
1999

A Map of the World

Dyshett

Cover
5.0
2007

Cover

Valerie Mass

The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat
6.6
2024

The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat

Odette Henry

Perception
2005

Perception

Vera

2008

The Prince of Motor City

Cora Neel

Racing for Time
5.8
2008

Racing for Time

Officer Baker

Abducted: The Carlina White Story
7.7
2012

Abducted: The Carlina White Story

Ann

Girls Town
5.2
1996

Girls Town

Nikki

Exhibiting Forgiveness
6.2
2024

Exhibiting Forgiveness

Joyce

Romeo and Juliet in Harlem
2017

Romeo and Juliet in Harlem

Lady Capulet

The Opponent
4.9
2000

The Opponent

The Volunteer
2013

The Volunteer

Leigh

Brother to Brother
4.8
2004

Brother to Brother

Zora

The Subject
3.9
2021

The Subject

Leslie

Of Mind and Music
5.7
2014

Of Mind and Music

Una Vida

The Tested
3.0
2011

The Tested

Darraylynn Warren

The Hungry Ghosts
1.0
2009

The Hungry Ghosts

Nadia

Ed's Next Move
3.8
1996

Ed's Next Move

Erica

John John in the Sky
5.8
2001

John John in the Sky

Earlene

Miss Virginia
8.1
2019

Miss Virginia

Lorraine Townsend

The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel
7.7
2020

The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel

Mattie Moss Clark

The Body Is Water

Ree

2026

Lucky Strike

Liz Here Now

Liz Baxter

Money Matters
4.7
2011

Money Matters

Pamela Matters

HBCU Honors

HBCU Honors

Self

Filmography — Crew