Teyonah Parris (/tiˈɒnə/ tee-ON;[1] born September 22, 1987)[2] is an American actress. A graduate of Juilliard School, she began acting in 2010. Her first prominent roles were those of secretary Dawn Chambers in the AMC drama series Mad Men (2012–2015), and a starring role in the 2014 independent film Dear White People. Since then, she has appeared in the drama series Empire (2014), Spike Lee's crime comedy Chi-Raq (2015), and the drama film If Beale Street Could Talk (2018).

Teyonah Parris
Parris in 2019
Born (1987-09-22) September 22, 1987 (age 37)
EducationJuilliard School (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active2010–present
SpouseJames Parris
Children1

In 2021, Parris starred in the horror film Candyman, and began portraying Monica Rambeau in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with the Disney+ series WandaVision.[3]

Early life and education

edit

Parris was born on September 22, 1987,[2] and raised in Hopkins, South Carolina.[citation needed] She attended Lower Richland High School until her sophomore year. She was accepted into the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities where she finished 11th and 12th grades, before attending and graduating from the Juilliard School.[4]

Career

edit

She made her television debut in 2010, with a guest-starring role on The Good Wife. In 2012, she was cast in a recurring role as Dawn Chambers in the AMC drama series, Mad Men.[5] She played the first major African American character on Mad Men.[6]

In 2014, Parris had her breakthrough role in the independent film Dear White People.[4][7] Later in that year, Parris began starring in the Starz comedy series, Survivor's Remorse.[8][9][10] In 2015, Parris went to star in the satirical drama film Chi-Raq directed by Spike Lee.[11] She received her first NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture nomination for this film.[12] She played the leading role in Where Children Play directed by Leila Djansi, and starred alongside David Oyelowo in Five Nights in Maine.[13][14] Later in 2015, she played R&B/Jazz singer Miki Howard in the biopic Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story.[15]

In 2016, Parris was cast as lead character in the period drama film Buffalo Soldier Girl about a woman who, disguised as a man, enlisted and fought with the African American Post Civil War era as a Buffalo Soldier.[16] In 2017, she had a recurring role on the Fox prime time soap opera Empire playing Detective Pamela Rose.[17] In early 2018, Parris was cast in a leading role on the CBS drama pilot Murder.[18] Also that year, she co-starred in If Beale Street Could Talk, a drama film written and directed by Barry Jenkins and based on James Baldwin's novel of the same name.[19] She played the lead role of Kaneisha in the 2018 Off-Broadway production of Slave Play at the New York Theatre Workshop.[20]

Parris plays the adult version of Monica Rambeau (introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Captain Marvel) in the Disney+ series WandaVision.[21] She reprised the role in The Marvels released in November 2023.[3]

Personal life

edit

In September 2022, Parris and her husband James announced that they were expecting their first child;[22] their daughter was born in early 2023.[23]

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
Year Title Role Notes
2010 Empire Corner Alma Short film
Wu is Dead Alma Short film
How Do You Know Riva
2013 A Picture of You Mika
2014 Dear White People Colandrea "Coco" Conners
They Came Together Wanda
2015 Five Nights in Maine Penelope
Where Children Play Bellissima Mccain
Chi-Raq Lysistrata
2016 Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story Miki Howard Also producer
90 Days Jessica Short
2018 If Beale Street Could Talk Ernestine Rivers
2019 Point Blank Taryn
2020 Charm City Kings Terri
The Photograph Asia
2021 Candyman Brianna Cartwright
2023 They Cloned Tyrone Yo-Yo
The Marvels Monica Rambeau
Dashing Through the Snow Allison Garrick

Television

edit
Year Title Role Notes
2010 The Good Wife Melinda Gossett Episode: "Double Jeopardy"
2012–15 Mad Men Dawn Chambers Recurring cast: season 5-7a, guest: season 7b
2013 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Karen Branston Episode: "Take the Money and Run"
2014–17 Survivor's Remorse Missy Vaughn Main cast
2017 Placeholders Marla 2 episodes
Empire Detective Pamela Rose Recurring cast: season 4
2018 Murder Det. Ayana Lake TV movie
2021 WandaVision Monica Rambeau / "Geraldine" Main cast
Marvel Studios: Assembled Herself Episode: "Assembled: The Making of WandaVision"
2024 Marvel Studios: Assembled Herself Episode: "Assembled: The Making of The Marvels"
What If...? Monica Rambeau (voice)
TBA No Good Deed Carla Upcoming series[24]

Awards and nominations

edit
Association Year Work Category Result Ref.
AAFCA Awards 2015 Chi-Raq Best Actress Won [25]
Black Reel Awards 2015 Dear White People Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female Won [26]
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture Nominated
2016 Chi-Raq Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture Won [27]
2017 Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series (as producer) Nominated [28]
Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie or Limited Series Nominated
2021 WandaVision Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards 2021 WandaVision Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Movie Nominated [29]
Hollywood Film Festival 2017 90 Days Exceptional Emerging Artist - Acting Won [30]
MTV Movie & TV Awards 2021 WandaVision Best Hero Nominated [31]
NAACP Image Awards 2016 Chi-Raq Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated [32]
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2013 Mad Men Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated [33]
Seattle Film Critics Society 2018 If Beale Street Could Talk Best Ensemble Cast Nominated [34]
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association 2018 If Beale Street Could Talk Best Acting Ensemble Nominated [35]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Jessie T. Usher and Teyonah Parris Play #TRUTHORDARE". Summer in the City. MTV. August 30, 2017. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2020 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ a b "Celebrity birthdays for the week of Sept. 19-24". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2022-09-22. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  3. ^ a b "'Captain Marvel 2' Reveals New Release Date, Roles for Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau". Collider. 2020-12-11. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  4. ^ a b "'Mad Men' secretary lands a new job with 'Dear White People'". New York Post. 11 October 2014. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Q&A – Teyonah Parris (Dawn)". amc.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Mad Men: Teyonah Parris Becomes First African American In Mad Men Office". Black Enterprise. 13 April 2012. Archived from the original on 15 December 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  7. ^ A. O. SCOTT (16 October 2014). "Advanced Course in Diversity:'Dear White People,' About Racial Hypocrisy at a College". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 November 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  8. ^ Tiggett, Jai (23 October 2014). "Interview: Teyonah Parris Tells S&A About Color on TV, Be - Shadow and Act". Shadow and Act. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  9. ^ "Teyonah Parris on Survivor's Remorse and Mad Men -- Vulture". Vulture. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  10. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (3 March 2014). "'Mad Men' Alum Boards Starz's LeBron James Comedy (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
  11. ^ Los Angeles Times (2 December 2015). "Teyonah Parris hopes to 'inspire change' with her role in Spike Lee's 'Chi-Raq'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 13 August 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  12. ^ Hipes, Patrick (8 December 2015). "NAACP Image Award Nominations 2015 — Full List - Deadline". Deadline. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  13. ^ Tambay A. Obenson (20 July 2015). "Trailer: Teyonah Parris Toplines Leila Djansi's 'Where Ch - Shadow and Act". Shadow and Act. Archived from the original on 8 February 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  14. ^ Barker, Andrew (13 September 2015). "'Five Nights in Maine' Review: David Oyelowo, Dianne Wiest Mourn a Death in the Family - Variety". Variety. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  15. ^ Tambay A. Obenson (21 December 2015). "Teyonah Parris Stars in TV One's Original Movie on Life o - Shadow and Act". Shadow and Act. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  16. ^ Busch, Anita (5 May 2016). "Teyonah Parris In Talks To Star In 'Buffalo Soldier Girl'". Deadline. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  17. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (27 September 2017). "'Empire': Teyonah Parris To Recur In season 4 Of Fox Series". Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  18. ^ Otterson, Joe (5 February 2018). "Teyonah Parris to Star in CBS Pilot 'Murder'". Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  19. ^ "Teyonah Parris in Talks to Join Barry Jenkins' "Moonlight" Follow-Up "If Beale Street Could Talk" (Exclusive)". 25 September 2017. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  20. ^ Clement, Olivia (2018-12-07). "Slave Play Extends Another 2 Weeks at NYTW". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2019-10-08. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  21. ^ Nolan, L.D. (July 20, 2019). "WandaVision Casts Mad Men Alum As Its Adult Monica Rambeau". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  22. ^ Slater, Georgia (September 8, 2022). "Teyonah Parris Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby with Husband James: 'Very Excited'". People. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  23. ^ Slater, Georgia (March 6, 2023). "Teyonah Parris and Husband James Welcome First Baby, a Daughter, in Home Birth: 'So Blessed'". People. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  24. ^ Grobar, Matt (December 15, 2023). "Netflix's 'No Good Deed' Adds Linda Cardellini, Luke Wilson, Teyonah Parris, Abbi Jacobson & Poppy Liu". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  25. ^ McNary, Dave (2015-12-07). "'Straight Outta Compton' Named Top Film by African-American Film Critics". Variety. Archived from the original on 2022-09-21. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  26. ^ "And the Nominees Are . . ". The Black Reel Awards. 2014-12-17. Archived from the original on 2016-03-27. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  27. ^ "16th Annual Black Reel Award Nominations". The Black Reel Awards. 2015-12-16. Archived from the original on 2019-12-07. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  28. ^ leothescorpio (2017-07-10). "1st Annual Black Reel Awards for Television Nominations". GoldDerby. Archived from the original on 2020-08-03. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  29. ^ Pedersen, Erik (July 8, 2021). "HCA TV Awards Nominations: 'Ted Lasso' Leads Programs For Inaugural Honors; NBC, HBO & Netflix Lead Nets". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2021.
  30. ^ "2017 Honorees". Hollywood Film Awards. Archived from the original on 2017-10-22. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  31. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (April 19, 2021). "MTV Movie & TV Awards: 'WandaVision,' 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' Among Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  32. ^ Variety Staff; Staff, Variety (2016-02-06). "'Straight Outta Compton,' 'Empire,' Michael B. Jordan Top NAACP Image Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on 2017-07-03. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  33. ^ "The 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards | Screen Actors Guild Awards". www.sagawards.org. Archived from the original on 2018-12-04. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  34. ^ "2018 Seattle Film Awards Archives". Seattle Film Critics Society. Archived from the original on 2022-09-21. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  35. ^ "2018 WAFCA Award Winners - The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA)". www.wafca.com. Archived from the original on 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
edit