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Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor

Actor, also producer · Born February 21, 1969 (57) · San Francisco, California, USA

Oscar nominee · Primetime Emmy nominee · Golden Globe nominee · 3 other major award bodies

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.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 21, 1969 (57)
From
San Francisco, California, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
66 on MovieCove · 84 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 22% in 30 days

What are Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor's films like?

Across their 40 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Drama15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Biography6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 35th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 25th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
26%
Bonds
21%
Morality
19%
Survival
19%
Society
9%
Power
6%
Family bonds12 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity9 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice9 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth5 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma5 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 33 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 4 · Serious 9 · Dark 20

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 24 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 16 · Intense 13

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 13 · Shifting 17 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 28 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 18 · Even-paced 14 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 11 · Engaged 18 · Full focus 4

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 4 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 19

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 20 · Open-ended 12 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

26 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 9 of 26 analyzed roles.

Ally
9 of 26
Hero
5 of 26
Mentor
5 of 26
Herald
3 of 26
Threshold guardian
2 of 26
Shadow
2 of 26
Show the 26 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
27
Melancholic
21
Hopeful
14
Dread
9
Contemplative
8
Other
23

How their films linger

Hopeful16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet24
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 48 of their 66 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (16).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

84 credits, 66 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Lucky(2026)

    Show 7 episodes · as Agent Billie Rand

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • Lucky Strike(2026)

    as Mrs. Caldwell

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Nickel Boys(2024)

    as Hattie

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Exhibiting Forgiveness(2024)

    as Joyce

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Deliverance(2024)

    as Rev Bernice James

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat(2024)

    as Odette Henry

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Grace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Executive Producer

  • The Color Purple(2023)

    as Mama

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Origin(2023)

    Executive Producer · as Isabel Wilkerson

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Justified: City Primeval(2023)

    Show 8 episodes · as Carolyn

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • 61st Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · as Martha Roberts

  • King Richard(2021)

    as Oracene 'Brandy' Price

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Subject(2020)

    Producer · as Leslie

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Lovecraft Country(2020)

    Show 10 episodes · as Hippolyta Freeman

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel(2020)

    as Mattie Moss Clark

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Release(2020)

    Show as Ida

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

  • Miss Virginia(2019)

    as Lorraine Townsend

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • When They See Us(2019)

    Show 4 episodes · as Sharonne Salaam

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • If Beale Street Could Talk(2018)

    as Mrs. Hunt

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Pimp(2018)

    as Gloria May

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Romeo and Juliet in Harlem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Lady Capulet

  • Designated Survivor(2016)

    Show 6 episodes · as Eleanor Darby

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • The Birth of a Nation(2016)

    as Nancy Turner

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Quantico(2015)

    Show 44 episodes · as Miranda Shaw

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all shows

  • The Book of Negroes(2015)

    Show 6 episodes · as Aminata Diallo

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • Of Mind and Music(2014)

    as Una Vida

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Get on Up(2014)

    as Vicki Anderson

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Sleepy Hollow(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Lori Mills

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • The Volunteer(2013)

    as Leigh

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Abducted: The Carlina White Story(2012)

    as Ann

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Missing(2012)

    Show 3 episodes · as Mary Dresden

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Money Matters(2011)

    as Pamela Matters

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Help(2011)

    as Yule Mae Davis

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Game of Death(2011)

    as Rachel

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • The Resident(2011)

    as Sydney

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Tested (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Darraylynn Warren

  • Blue Bloods(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Sylvia Marshall

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • I Love You Phillip Morris(2009)

    as Reba

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • NCIS: Los Angeles(2009)

    Show 7 episodes · as Michelle Hanna

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all shows

  • The Good Wife(2009)

    Show 1 episode · as Linda Underwood

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • The Taking of Pelham 123(2009)

    as Therese Garber

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story(2009)

    as Candy

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Hungry Ghosts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Nadia

  • Motherhood(2009)

    as Sample Sale Friend

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Notorious(2009)

    as Sandy

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Express(2008)

    as Marie Davis

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Mentalist(2008)

    Show 17 episodes · as Madeleine Hightower

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • True Blood(2008)

    Show 3 episodes · as Diane

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • The Prince of Motor City(2008)

    as Cora Neel

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Racing for Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    as Officer Baker

  • Cover(2007)

    as Valerie Mass

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 9 episodes · as Miranda Lee

  • Freedomland(2006)

    as Felicia

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • E-Ring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 22 episodes · as Jocelyn Pierce

  • Numb3rs(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Ivy Kirk

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all shows

  • Jonny Zero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 6 episodes · as Gloria

  • Perception (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Vera

  • Ray(2004)

    as Mary Ann Fisher

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The D.A. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Brother to Brother(2004)

    as Zora

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • MDs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 11 episodes · as Quinn Joyner

  • Lovely & Amazing(2001)

    as Lorraine

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Undercover Brother(2002)

    as Sistah Girl

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Carmen Rivera

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • John John in the Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Earlene

  • The Caveman's Valentine(2001)

    as Lulu

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Disappearing Acts(2000)

    as Pam

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Opponent(2000)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Men of Honor(2000)

    as Jo

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Third Watch(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · as Gail Moore

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Laura Chase

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • A Map of the World(1999)

    as Dyshett

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • In Too Deep(1999)

    as Denise

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Desert Blue(1998)

    as Agent Summers

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Side Streets(1998)

    as Brenda Boyce

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Practice(1997)

    Show 4 episodes · as Sharon Young

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Ed's Next Move(1996)

    as Erica

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Girls Town(1996)

    as Nikki

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • High Incident (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 32 episodes · as Officer Leslie Joyner

  • New York Undercover(1994)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • Einstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · as Captain Frost

  • Liz Here Now (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer · as Liz Baxter

  • The Body Is Water (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Ree

  • Untitled Sister Rosetta Tharpe Biopic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Writer

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 83 titles, 79 of them dated from 1994 to 2026; peak year 2024.

Biggest box office

Men of Honor (2000)

$82M worldwide

Highest rated

The Mentalist (2008)

Midcredits 96th

Film career

MilestoneNomination
19942026

Peak 2024 · their film career is on the way up. Top draw in 11 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

Show 2 more milestones
  • 2021Oscar nomination· King Richard
  • 2023First top-billed film· Origin

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting81 of 83: 79 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thWriting1 of 83: 1 only writing, 0 with another roleProducing3 of 83: 1 only producing, 2 with another role

By decade

1990s11 · acting2000s31 · acting2010s22 · acting2020s15 · 14 acting · 2 crew

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 6% of 32 roles
99041424

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

12 major nominations and no wins, 2005–2025.

  1. 2025
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress
  2. 2024
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Actress in a Drama Series
  3. 2022
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress
  4. 2021
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  5. 2019
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
  6. 2005
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 45; across their 33 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 64th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Approval · how many liked their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Reach · how many have seen their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Midcredits score across 66 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up25
  • 50th to 74th23
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

28 of their 66 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Divisive5
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser28
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed18

Most divisive · actor

The Prince of Motor City (2008)

98th percentile spread · 45% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

When They See Us (2019)

Midcredits 99th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the acting 74/100 in their films, across 29 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor's work okay for kids?

Across up to 20 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore15 titles47–82 · median 60 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity20 titles17–61 · median 45 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity17 titles34–80 · median 58 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs14 titles18–57 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense13 titles39–82 · median 60 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor work with?

People who share at least 2 of Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Vondie Curtis-Hall shares the most, 3.

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles