Adina Porter
{{short description|American actress (born 1971)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Adina Porter
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Adina Elizabeth Porter
| birth_date =
| birth_place = New York, New York, U.S
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = State University of New York, Purchase (BFA)
| occupation = Actress
| yearsactive = 1988–present
| spouse = David Raymond Hecht (divorced){{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/03/style/adina-e-porter-and-david-r-hecht.html|title=Adina E. Porter and David R. Hecht|date=August 3, 1992|website=The New York Times}}
Larry Earl Madison (widowed){{cite web|url=http://liverampup.com/entertainment/adina-porter-talks-husband-got-children-married-life-previous-boyfriend.html|title=Adina Porter Talks About Husband; Got Her Children From Married Life Or A Previous Boyfriend?|website=LIVERAMPUP}}
}}
Adina Elizabeth Porter is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Lettie Mae Thornton on the HBO fantasy horror series True Blood (2008–2014), Kendra James on the HBO drama series The Newsroom (2012–2014), Indra on the CW science fiction drama series The 100 (2014–2020) and Sheriff Susan Peterkin on the Netflix teen drama series Outer Banks.
She received further recognition for her roles as Sally Freeman, Lee Harris, Beverly Hope, Dinah Stevens, and Chief Burleson on the first, sixth, seventh, eighth, and tenth seasons of the FX anthology series American Horror Story (2011–present).
Porter began her acting career appearing on Off-Broadway stage, winning the Obie Award in 1996 for Venus. She made her Broadway debut in the 2001 revival of The Women. For her work in American Horror Story, she has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and two Saturn Awards.
Life and career
Porter was born and raised in New York City, New York.{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/adina-porter/193382/|title=Adina Porter|work=TV Guide|access-date=October 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220713100103/https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/adina-porter/3000258832/ |archive-date=July 13, 2022}} She graduated from the State University of New York at Purchase.{{cite web|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/adina-porter/bio/193382/|title=Adina Porter|work=TV Guide|access-date=October 20, 2016}} Her first acting teacher was Butterfly McQueen. She has been married twice and has two children with her second husband, Larry Earl Madison Jr.
= Theater =
Porter began her acting career in the theatre, appearing in off Broadway plays and in regional theatre. Her off-Broadway credits include The Debutante Ball, Jersey City, Aven' U Boys, Girl Gone, Silence, Cunning, Exile, Dancing on Moonlight and Hurricane. In 1996, she received Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress for her performance in Venus.{{cite web|url=http://www.lortel.org/Archives/CreditableEntity/2323|title=Adina Porter - Lortel Archives|access-date=October 20, 2016}} Her Broadway debut came in 2001 with the Roundabout Theater's revival of The Women, directed by Scott Elliott, broadcast as part of PBS's Stage on Screen series, in addition, she performed in multiple productions at the New York Shakespeare Festival.
= Television and film =
Porter began her screen career playing guest starring roles on television dramas include Law & Order, New York Undercover, Brooklyn South, and NYPD Blue. She had a recurring role as housekeeper Gwen Walker in the NBC period drama American Dreams from 2002 to 2003.{{cite web|title=True Blood: Actor Bio: Adina Porter|url=http://www.hbo.com/true-blood/cast-and-crew/index.html#/true-blood/cast-and-crew/lettie-mae-thornton/bio/adina-porter.html|publisher=HBO.com|access-date=June 23, 2012}} In film, she made her debut in 1992 Leopold/Loeb New Queer Cinema feature, Swoon. She went to appear in small roles in films The Peacemaker (1997), Gia (1998), Body Shots (1999), The Fluffer (2001), and The Salon (2005). In 2005, Porter played Ricky in the film adaptation of Ruben Santiago-Hudson's play Lackawanna Blues for HBO. She received Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress: Television Movie/Cable for her role. She went to appear ER, Prison Break, Without a Trace, House, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
In 2008, Porter was cast as Lettie Mae Thornton, mother to Rutina Wesley's Tara Thorton, in the HBO drama series, True Blood. She was promoted to series regular in seventh and final season of show.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/true-blood-promotes-adina-porter-651066|title='True Blood' Promotes Adina Porter to Series Regular|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 25, 2013|access-date=October 20, 2016}} In 2012, she guest starred in an episode of Grey's Anatomy.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/greys-anatomy-season-9-spoilers-true-blood-newsroom-370850|title='Grey's Anatomy': 'True Blood,' 'Newsroom' Actress Checks In|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=September 17, 2012|access-date=October 20, 2016}} From 2012 to 2014, she also had a recurring role on the HBO series The Newsroom playing Kendra James. In 2014, she began appearing in a recurring role as Indra in the CW post-apocalyptic drama, The 100. Porter also starred in two unsold drama pilots for ABC, Doubt in 2013, and The Jury in 2016.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/02/dewanda-wise-shots-fired-fox-event-series-1201704761/|title=DeWanda Wise Aims At 'Shots Fired'; Adina Porter Joins 'The Jury'|first=Denise|last=Petski|date=February 18, 2016|work=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=October 20, 2016}} In 2016, she played Pearly Mae during first season of WGN America period drama Underground.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/04/adina-porter-underground-true-blood-1201410734/|title=Adina Porter Cast In WGN America's 'Underground'|first=Erik|last=Pedersen|date=April 15, 2015|work=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=October 20, 2016}} Later that year, Porter was cast as Lee Harris in the FX anthology series American Horror Story: Roanoke, after previously appearing as a minor character in American Horror Story: Murder House in 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Who-Does-Adina-Porter-Play-American-Horror-Story-42394729|title=American Horror Story: If You Watched Season 1, You've Already Seen This Actress|first=Maggie|last=Pehanick|date=September 15, 2016|website=popsugar.com|access-date=October 20, 2016}} For her performance in Roanoke, she received critical acclaim and was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television. She later portrayed Beverly Hope in American Horror Story: Cult where she received similar praise from critics and received a second Saturn Award nomination, as well as a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. She was later promoted to series regular for American Horror Story’s eight season entitled Apocalypse, playing Dinah Stevens. In 2021 she appeared again as a main character in the tenth season of the series, Double Feature, where she played Chief Burleson. In 2020 she played as Sheriff Susan Peterkin in Outer Banks.
Filmography
= Film =
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1992
| Swoon | Stenographer | |
| 1997
| Police NYPD | |
| 1998
| Gia | Girl at Group Therapy | |
| 1999
| Detective Thompson | |
| 2001
| Silver | |
| 2002
| Lauren Gunther | |
| 2005
| Percy's wife | |
| 2010
| Gretchen's Associate | Uncredited{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} |
| 2011
| Cheryl | |
| 2017
| Bree Wilson | |
| 2019
| Annette Johnson | |
| 2023
|Tasha | |
= Television =
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1990
| Woman Neighbor | Episode: "Out of the Half-Light" |
| 1994
| Sheryl Decker | Episode: "Nurture" |
| 1994
| Jasmine Hopkins | Episode: Pilot |
| 1995
| Mary Byman | Episode: "Savages" |
| 1997
| Angela Withers | Episode: "Life Under Castro" |
| 1998
| Rachel | Episode: "Repentance" |
| 1999
| Angela Jackson | Episode: "The Grinch" |
| 2000
| Ella's Assistant | Episode: Pilot |
| 2000
| {{TableTBA|N/A}} | Episode: "Unnecessary Roughness" |
| 2000
| Diane | Episode: "Where's the Justice in That?" |
| 2000
| Hazina | Episode: "Smoochas Gracias" |
| 2001
| Tisha | Episode: "Dying to Testify" |
| 2002
| Malia | Episode: "Compassionate Release" |
| 2002
| Assistant D. A. | Episode: "Monster" |
| 2002
| Vicki Moran | Episode: "Prisoner Exchange" |
| 2002–2003
| Gwen Walker | Recurring role (seasons 1–2), 15 episodes |
| 2003
| Ifeoma Okafor | Episode: "Meet the Grandparents" |
| 2005
| ER | Mrs. Hopkins | Episode: "Back in the World" |
| 2005
| {{TableTBA|N/A}} | Episode: "A Child of God" |
| 2005
| CSI: NY | Shannon Goodall | Episode: "On the Job" |
| 2005
| Leticia Barris |
| 2005
| Ricky | Television film |
| 2006
| Harriet Lewis | Episode: "Watch Over Me" |
| 2007
| Claudia | Episode: "Family" |
| 2007
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Janelle Odami | Episode: "Fight" |
| 2007, 2010
| Tamara Cooley | Episodes: "Everything's Got a Shelf Life", "So Help You God" |
| 2008–2014
| Main role (seasons 1, 7); recurring role (seasons 2–3); special guest role (seasons 4–6); 32 episodes |
| 2009
| Laticia Myers | Episode: "Jurisprudence" |
| 2009
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Denise Devine | Episode: "Coup de Grace" |
| 2009
| Operating Instructions | Celia | Television film |
| 2010
| Nancy Breton | Episode: "The Match" |
| 2010
| Detective Sweeney | Episode: "Cold Case" |
| 2011
| Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior | Jeanette Rawlins | Episode: "Two of a Kind" |
| 2011
| Stacy | Episode: "A Step Too Far" |
| 2011
| American Horror Story: Murder House | Sally Freeman | Episode: "Murder House" |
| 2011
| Detective Kendra Cannon | Episode: "The Great Wall of Silence" |
| 2011–2012
| Ringer | Principal Caruso | Episodes: "The Poor Kids Do It Everyday", "What Are You Doing Here, Ho-Bag?" |
| 2012
| Ms. Estelle | Episode: "Life After Death" |
| 2012
| Dr. Ramsey | Episode: "Remember the Time" 9x2 |
| 2012
| Glee | History Teacher | Episode: "The Role You Were Born to Play" |
| 2012
| Nandi LaMarche | Episode: "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street" |
| 2012–2014
| Kendra James | Recurring role, 23 episodes |
| 2014–2020
| The 100 | Indra | Recurring role (seasons 2–7), 54 episodes |
| 2015
| Susie | Episode: Pilot |
| 2015
| G.R. Leader | Episode: "Ten Thirteen" |
| 2016–2017
| Pearly Mae | Recurring role, 7 episodes |
| 2016
| FBI Agent Emily Clark | Episode: "The Wedding" |
| 2016
| American Horror Story: Roanoke | Recurring role, 9 episodes |
| 2017
| Vicky | 4 episodes |
| 2017
| Beverly Hope | Recurring role, 10 episodes |
| 2018
| American Horror Story: Apocalypse | Main role, 7 episodes |
| 2019
| Sarah Graveler | 3 episodes |
| 2020
| Sheriff Peterkin | Recurring role, 8 episodes |
| 2021
| American Horror Story: Double Feature | Chief Burleson | Main role; 4 episodes |
| 2022
|The Prioress |Main role; 6 episodes |
| 2023
| Lillian | Main role, 7 episodes |
| 2023
| The Voice | Main role (voiceover) 9 episodes |
| 2024
|Enid Collins |Recurring role, 3 episodes |
| 2025
| Smoke | Brenda Cephus | Upcoming miniseries |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||||
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006
| Best Supporting Actress: Television Movie/Cable | {{nom}} | ||||
| 2017
| Best Supporting Actress on Television | American Horror Story: Roanoke | {{nom}} | ||||
| 2018
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie | {{nom}} | ||||
| 2018
| Best Supporting Actress on Television | {{nom}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0692013}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Porter, Adina}}
Category:Actresses from New York City
Category:20th-century American actresses
Category:21st-century African-American actresses
Category:21st-century American actresses
Category:Obie Award recipients
Category:American television actresses
Category:American film actresses
Category:American stage actresses