Nia Long

Biography

Nia Talita Long ( NEE-yə; born October 30, 1970) is an American actress. Best known for her work in black cinema, Long rose to prominence after starring in the film Boyz n the Hood (1991), and for her portrayal of Beullah "Lisa" Wilkes on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1991–1995). Long then appeared in the films Friday (1995), Love Jones (1997), and Soul Food (1997). Long is known for her roles in the films The Best Man (1999), Big Momma's House (2000) and the Michael Jackson biopic Michael (2026), where she portrayed his mother Katherine Jackson. On television, Long portrayed Sasha Monroe on the crime drama series Third Watch (2003–2005) and has starred on the Fox drama series Empire (2017), and the CBS action series NCIS: Los Angeles (2017–2018). Long has received several accolades, including two NAACP Image Awards and a Black Reel Award.

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