Biography
Tyra Ferrell is an American actress. After high school she moved to New York and began her career on stage, appearing in the Broadway productions Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music (1981) and Ain't Misbehavin'. She made her screen debut in a small role in the 1981 comedy film So Fine and went on to appear in films including Lady Beware (1987), School Daze (1988), The Mighty Quinn (1989) and The Exorcist III (1990).
Ferrell gained notice for supporting roles in Boyz n the Hood (1991) as Mrs. Baker and Jungle Fever (1991). She starred in White Men Can't Jump (1992) and appeared in Poetic Justice (1993). On television she had a regular role in the short-lived sitcom City (1990) and recurring parts in Thirtysomething and the first season of ER (1994). Later credits include The Cape (1996–1997), The Shield (2002), Empire (2015) and Chicago P.D. (2018). She received NAACP Image Award nominations for Boyz n the Hood and the television film NTSB: The Crash of Flight 323 (2004).
