Actors - Nia Long

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	Actors - Nia Long

Nia Long (born Nitara Carlynn Long on October 30, 1970 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American actress.

Biography

Early life and career

Her name Nitara comes from one of the seven days of Kwanzaa and means life purpose. She was born to Trinidadian parents, Doc and Talita Long; They divorced when Nia was two years old. Nia and her mother moved to Iowa City, Iowa, where her mother studied fine arts, and then to a lower-middle-class South Los Angeles neighborhood when Nia was seven. She attended Catholic school and studied ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics, guitar and acting. Due to the lack of employment opportunities in the Arts in Los Angeles when Nia and Talita first arrived there, Talita took various low-paying jobs, despite having two master's degrees, that resulted in financial struggle for them. Nia's motivation to be successful was driven by her desire to help ease her mother's financial burden.

Hollywood career

For 15 years, Nia was instructed by acting coach Betty Bridges, better known as the mother of Diff'rent Strokes child star Todd Bridges. Her first notable role was a three-year stint as Kathryn "Kat" Speakes on the soap opera Guiding Light (1991-1994). During that time, she appeared in movies such as Boyz N the Hood
, Friday, and Made in America. From 1994 to 1995, she played Will Smith's love interest on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Since then, she has appeared in leading roles in films such as Soul Food, Boiler Room
, and Big Momma's House
. In 2003, she joined the cast of the drama Third Watch.

Personal life

Nia and actor Massai Z. Dorsey have a son, Massai Zhivago Dorsey II, born on November 26th, 2000. They were to marry in June 2001, but ended their relationship before then.

Filmography

Film

Are We Done Yet?
(2007)
Big Momma's House 2
(2006)
Are We There Yet?
(2005)
Alfie
(2004)
How to Get the Man's Foot Outta Your Ass (2004)
Big Momma's House
(2000)
Boiler Room
(2000)
The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy (2000)
The Secret Laughter of Women (1999)
Held Up (1999)
Stigmata
(1999)
The Best Man
(1999)
In Too Deep
(1999)
Butter (1998)
Soul Food (1997)
Hav Plenty (1997)
Love Jones
(1997)
Friday (1995)
Made in America (1993)
Boyz N The Hood (1991)
Buried Alive (1990)

Television

Third Watch (2003-2005)
Sightings: Heartland Ghost (2002)
If These Walls Could Talk 2
(2000)
Black Jaq (1998)
Live Shot (1995)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1994-1996)
The Guiding Light (1991-1994)
The B.R.A.T. Patrol (1986)

Trivia

Appears in the video for Kanye West's Touch The Sky.
Directed Yolanda Adams's music video for This Too Shall Pass.
Voted one of the 50 most beautiful people in the World 2000 by People Magazine.
Took Third Place by the readers of Black Men's Magazine for "The 10 Sexiest Women of the Year" 2000.
Won a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2004 for Third Watch.
Half-sister of comedian Sommore
.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Nia Long ]

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