Biography
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is an American actress. She was born on 21 February 1969 in San Francisco, California, and raised in Mississippi. She studied at Tougaloo College, Brown University and New York University before beginning her professional career on stage.
Her film roles include Jo in Men of Honor (2000), Mary Ann Fisher in Ray (2004), Therese Garber in The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009), Yule Mae Davis in The Help (2011), Oracene Price in King Richard (2021) and Hattie in Nickel Boys (2024). She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for King Richard.
On television she has appeared in True Blood (2008), The Mentalist (2010–2013), When They See Us (2019) and Lovecraft Country (2021). She was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards for the latter two. She played Agent Billie Rand in the 2026 miniseries Lucky.
