Emayatzy Corinealdi
{{short description|American actress|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Emayatzy Corinealdi
| image = Emayatzy Corinealdi at Essence Festival of Culture July 2025 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Corinealdi on the 2025 Essence Carpet
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|01|14}}
| birth_place = Fort Knox, Kentucky, U.S.
| occupation = Actress
| years_active = 2000–present
| spouse =
| children =
}}
Emayatzy Corinealdi ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|ɛ|m|eɪ|ˈ|ɑː|t|s|i|_|ˌ|k|ɒr|ɪ|ˈ|n|ɑː|l|d|i}} {{respell|EM|ay|AHT|see|_|KORR|ih|NAHL|dee}}; born January 14, 1980) is an American actress. She starred in the Ava DuVernay 2012 drama film Middle of Nowhere, for which she won the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performer and received an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead nomination. Corinealdi later starred in the films Miles Ahead (2016), and The Invitation (2015). On television, she played the role of Belle in the 2016 remake of Roots. She also starred in Hand of God (2014–2017), Ballers (2017–2019), and The Red Line (2019). In 2022, Corinealdi began starring in the Hulu legal drama series, Reasonable Doubt.
Early life
Corinealdi was born January 14, 1980,{{cite news|last=Rose|first=Mike|title=Today's famous birthdays list for January 14, 2023 includes celebrities Dave Grohl, Carl Weathers|work=The Plain Dealer|date=January 14, 2023|accessdate=January 14, 2023|url=https://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/2023/01/todays-famous-birthdays-list-for-january-14-2023-includes-celebrities-dave-grohl-carl-weathers.html}} in Fort Knox, Kentucky,{{cite web| url= http://www.bet.com/topics/e/emayatzy-corinealdi.html | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140808110603/http://www.bet.com/topics/e/emayatzy-corinealdi.html | url-status= dead | archive-date= August 8, 2014 |title= Emayatzy Corinealdi | website= BET.com |publisher=BET Interactive, LLC |access-date= 29 December 2014}} the daughter of Rosemarie Hilton and Edward Corinealdi. Her father is Panamanian, while her mother is African-American from Ohio.[http://blackactors.net/2011/06/the-cast-of-ava-duvernays-middle-of-nowhere/ THE CAST OF AVA DUVERNAY'S 'MIDDLE OF NOWHERE'] at BlackActors.net{{cite news| url= http://www.backstage.com/interview/middle-nowhere-star-emayatzy-corinealdi-her-breakout-leading-role/ | title= Interview: 'Middle of Nowhere' Star Emayatzy Corinealdi on Her Breakout Leading Role | first= Jenelle |last= Riley |date= 11 September 2012 |access-date= 29 December 2014}} As a member of a military family, she was raised between Germany and the U.S. states in Ohio, Kansas, and New Jersey.{{cite news| title= Emayatzy Corinealdi finds a good role in 'Middle of Nowhere' | date= 13 October 2012| first= Nicole |last= Sperling |work= Los Angeles Times |url= https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2012-oct-13-la-et-mn-emayatzy-corinealdi-20121014-story.html | access-date= 29 December 2014}} She studied in New Jersey at the Actor's Training Studio, then at the William Esper Studio in New York City, and then at Playhouse West.
Career
In her early career, Corinealdi co-starred in a number of independent and short films, had the recurring role on the CBS daytime soap opera, The Young and the Restless, and appeared in the Hallmark television film, The Nanny Express (2008). In 2012, she made her feature film debut as the lead in the drama, Middle of Nowhere. Corinealdi won the 14th Annual American Black Film Festival Star Project,{{cite web| url= http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2014/09/look-book-favorite-emayatzy-corinealdi-style-beauty-looks/| work= Clutch Magazine| publisher= Sutton New Media LLC| title= Look Book: Our Favorite Emayatzy Corinealdi Style and Beauty Looks| author= Clutch| date= September 2014| access-date= 29 December 2014| archive-date= 6 November 2014| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141106143840/http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2014/09/look-book-favorite-emayatzy-corinealdi-style-beauty-looks/| url-status= dead}} an international acting competition for emerging multicultural artists. Later that year, she won the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor for the film.{{cite web| url= http://hellobeautiful.com/2012/11/28/middle-of-nowhere-emayatzy-corinealdi-wins-best-actor-gotham-film-awards/ | title= Emayatzy Corinealdi Of 'Middle Of Nowhere' Wins Gotham Film Awards' Best Actor | date= 28 November 2012 |first= Danielle |last= Young | website= HelloBeautiful.com | publisher= Interactive One| access-date= 29 December 2014}} She was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for best female lead.{{cite magazine| title= Spirit Awards reaction: Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, Benh Zeitlin, David O. Russell, more weigh in | magazine= Entertainment Weekly | first= Lindsey |last= Bahr |date= 27 November 2012}}
File:Middle of Nowhere cast2.jpg and Sharon Lawrence at the Middle of Nowhere premiere in 2012]]
In 2013, Corinealdi appeared in the short film The Door, part of Miu Miu's fashion series Women's Tales, which reunited her with her Middle of Nowhere director Ava DuVernay.{{cite web| url= http://www.miumiu.com/en/women_tales/5/film | title= "The Door" by Ava DuVernay, Women's Tales #5 | publisher= MiuMiu.com | access-date= 29 December 2014}} In 2014, Corinealdi was cast in the drama series Hand of God. Later that year, she won the role of Frances Taylor Davis, the wife of Miles Davis in the biographical film Miles Ahead.{{cite web |url=https://www.bet.com/article/vnabeo/emayatzy-corinealdi-joins-don-cheadle-s-miles-davis-biopic |title=Middle of Nowhere Star to Replace Zoe Saldana in Miles Davis Biopic |last1=Diaz |first1=Evelyn |date=25 June 2014 |website=BET.com |publisher=BET Interactive, LLC |access-date=16 November 2014}} She also starred in the horror film The Invitation and the coming-of-age drama Beats.
In 2016, Corinealdi played the role of Kunta Kinte's wife, Belle, in A&E's Roots reboot.{{Cite web|url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/culture/emayatzy-corinealdi|title=Emayatzy Corinealdi|date=May 27, 2016|website=Interview Magazine}} From 2017 to 2019, she had a recurring role in the HBO comedy-drama series, Ballers, and in 2019 starred in the Ava DuVernay-produced limited series The Red Line on CBS.{{cite web | url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/features/the-red-line-emayatzy-corinealdi-interview-politics-1203153506/ | title='The Red Line' Star Emayatzy Corinealdi on How the Show Influenced Her Real-Life Activism | date=30 April 2019 }} In 2022, she was cast in her first series television leading role in the Hulu legal drama Reasonable Doubt produced by Kerry Washington.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/09/onyx-collective-reasonable-doubt-hulu-series-emayatzy-corinealdi-star-kerry-washington-direct-1234846683/|title=Onyx Collective's 'Reasonable Doubt' Gets Hulu Series Order; Emayatzy Corinealdi To Star, Kerry Washington To Direct|first1=Nellie|last1=Andreeva|date=September 29, 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/a41396097/emayatzy-corinealdi-reasonable-doubt/|title=Emayatzy Corinealdi Says 'Reasonable Doubt' Shows the "Complexity" of Black Characters and Storytelling|date=September 27, 2022|website=Shondaland}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" |Notes |
|---|
| 2000
| Mortality | - | Short |
| 2003
| Pretty Lady | Azizi | |
| rowspan=2| 2004
| A Taste of Us | Audrey Thomas | Short |
| Vampz
| Eve | Video |
| 2005
| Client of Ida | |
| rowspan=2| 2006
| Finding the Boom-Bap | Beauty | Short |
| My American Nurse
| - | |
| rowspan=2| 2007
| Akira's Hip-Hop Shop | Daphne | |
| Cordially Invited
| Grace Ingrahm | |
| rowspan=2| 2008
| Natural Beauty | Virginia | Short |
| The Nanny Express
| Lorraine | TV movie |
| rowspan=3| 2009
| Think Twice | Najah | Short |
| After the Storm
| Patrice | Short |
| The Chase
| Trisha | Short |
| 2010
| It Looks Just Like You | - | Short |
| 2011
| I Won't Complain | - | Short |
| rowspan=2| 2012
| Ruby | |
| The Silent Treatment
| Loretta | Short |
| rowspan=2| 2013
| The Door | V | Short |
| Lu
| Martha | Short |
| rowspan=4| 2014
| Teacher in a Box | Mrs Tandon | Short |
| Gun Hill
| Janelle Evans | TV movie |
| In the Morning
| Cadence | |
| Addicted
| Brina | |
| rowspan=2| 2015
| Kira | |
| Miles Ahead
| |
| 2019
| Beats | Vanessa Robinson | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 2007
| Nurse Susan Mehta | Regular Cast |
| 2010
| Tiffany | Episode: "Rebecca's One Night Stand" |
| 2014
| Ellen Samsen | Episode: "The Edge of Winter" |
| 2014–17
| Tessie Graham | Main Cast |
| 2015
| Rosewood | Gigi Gaston | Episode: "Fashionistas and Fasciitis" |
| 2016
| Roots | Belle | Episode: "Part 2 & 4" |
| 2017–19
| Ballers | Candace Brewer | Recurring Cast: Season 3–5 |
| 2019
| Tia Young | Main Cast |
| 2020
| Evil | Sonya | Episode: "Justice x 2" |
| 2022-
| Jax Stewart | Main Cast |
Awards and nominations
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|1538675}}
{{Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corinealdi, Emayatzy}}
Category:21st-century American actresses
Category:Actresses from Kentucky
Category:Actresses from New Jersey
Category:American film actresses
Category:American people of Panamanian descent
Category:American television actresses
Category:21st-century African-American actresses
Category:20th-century African-American actresses