Who is LaTanya Richardson Jackson?
American actress, film producer and director LaTanya was born in Atlanta, Georgia USA, on 21 October 1949, meaning that her zodiac sign’s Libra. She’s had roles in close to 60 movies and TV series, and is perhaps still best known for her playing of Cooper in the critically acclaimed 1998 crime action thriller movie “US Marshals”, directed by Stuart Baird, and which starred Tommy Lee Jones, Wesley Snipes and Robert Downey Jr. It follows US Marshal Samuel Gerard and his team as they’re trying to catch the murderer Sheridan; the movie was nominated for a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Duo – Action/Adventure, for Tommy Lee Jones and Wesley Snipes.
Education and early life
LaTanya was raised in Atlanta by her parents, about whom she rarely speaks in public because she respects their privacy, however, most of LaTanya’s fans believe that her mother was a housewife, and her father a labourer who struggled to put food on the table. LaTanya hasn’t spoken of having siblings, but it’s believed that she was raised alongside two brothers and a sister.
She fell in love with acting while attending a high school in Atlanta, starring in many school plays and in a couple performed at a community theatre. LaTanya matriculated in 1968 and in 1970 enrolled at black liberal arts university for women Spelman College, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in 1974.
For the following eight years, LaTanya had many off-Broadway roles in plays, then in 1982 chose to take a break from acting to focus on raising her daughter. She made her debut TV series appearance in the 1989 drama “Dream Street”, and has since been active in the film industry.
Roles in TV series
LaTanya gained recognition in 1990, when cast to play various characters in the historical documentary mini-series “The Civil War”, which starred David McCullough, Sam Waterston and Julie Harris; it covered the American Civil War, and won 16 of its 19 award nominations.
LaTanya could then have been seen appearing in an episode or two of the crime mystery “Law & Order”, the comedy “Frannie’s Turn”, and the drama “Civil Wars”. In 1998 and 1999, she played Attorney Yvette Rose in the fantasy comedy “Ally McBeal”, which David E. Kelley created, and which starred Jane Krakowski, Greg Germann and Calista Flockhart. It follows the life of attorney Ally, aired from 1997 to 2002, and won 50 of its 165 award nominations.
LaTanya had only two TV series roles in the 2000s, playing Atallah Sims in 11 episodes of the 2002 crime drama “100 Centre Street”, and Sheila in the 2003 episode “Chapter Sixty-Two” of the comedy “Boston Public”.
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In 2014 and 2015, she portrayed Lieutenant Dee Ann Carver in the popular crime mystery “Blue Bloods”, which Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess created, and which today stars Will Estes, Bridget Moynahan and Donnie Wahlberg. It follows a family of police officers in New York State, the series has been running since 2010, and has won four of its 21 award nominations.
LaTanya’s three most recent TV series roles have been in the 2018 episode “Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart” of the biographical musical documentary “American Masters”, the 2018 episode “The Creator” of the crime action “Luke Cage”, and four episodes of the romantic drama “Grey’s Anatomy” since 2017.
Roles in movies
LaTanya’s debut film appearance was her playing of Caseworker in the 1991 comedy “Hangin’ with the Homeboys”, and the same year saw her appear in the comedy “The Super” and the drama “Fried Green Tomatoes”.
In 1992, she played Lorraine in the evergreen biographical historical drama “Malcolm X”, which Spike Lee directed, and which starred Delroy Lindo, Angela Bassett and Denzel Washington. It follows the life of the influential Black Nationalist leader Malcolm X, and the movie won 20 of its 46 award nominations. Some of LaTanya’s other notable performances in the ‘90s were in the 1993 romantic comedy “Sleepless in Seattle”, the 1996 western mystery “Lone Star”, and the 1999 biographical musical “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge”.
She didn’t have many roles in the 2000s, but what marked the decade for her was perhaps her playing of Carol in the 2009 romantic drama “Mother and Child”, written and directed by Rodrigo Garcia, and which starred Naomi Watts, Annette Bening and Kerry Washington. It follows the lives of three women, and the movie won four of its 16 award nominations.
LaTanya’s since appeared in only two movies: the 2013 historical family drama “The Watsons Go to Birmingham”, and the 2019 drama “Juanita”.
Juanita – movie trailer: https://t.co/cRyyvI5poO
starring Alfre Woodard, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Blair Underwood, Adam Beach, Ashlie Atkinson, Elaine Miles, and Sam Hennings#Juanita #JuanitaMovie pic.twitter.com/yVABJNaMoa
— Upcoming Movies (@teasertrailer) February 12, 2019
Other credits
LaTanya directed the 2000 drama movie “Hairstory”, produced six episodes of the 2020 historical documentary mini-series “Enslaved”, and the 2022 episode “Reggie” of the drama series “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey”.
She’s made a guest appearance in numerous talk-shows, most recently in “CBS Saturday Morning”, “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”, and “The View”.
Awards and nominations
LaTanya won a 2021 Canadian Screen Award for Best History Documentary Program or Series, for her performance in “Enslaved”.
She was also nominated for a 2014 Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series, for her performance in “The Watsons Go to Birmingham”, and a 2016 Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special, for “Show Me a Hero”.
Love life and relationships
LaTanya met her future husband, famous American actor and producer Samuel L. Jackson while she was still attending Spelman College, and he was attending the all-male Morehouse College.
The two married on 18 August 1980, in a large ceremony attended by more than 200 of their family members and friends. In 1982, she gave birth to their daughter Zoe Jackson, who’s today a film producer and assistant director, and is perhaps best known for producing the 2020 reality competition show “RuPaul’s Drag Race”.
One can say that Samuel’s today amongst the most popular actors in the US; he was nominated for a 1995 Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, for his performance in “Pulp Fiction”, and won an Honorary Oscar on 25 March 2022.
LaTanya hasn’t spoken of other men whom she’s been with, she’s married to Samuel L. Jackson as of December 2022, and they have a daughter together.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ClmAe4mJeLu/
Interesting facts and hobbies
LaTanya’s active on Instagram and is followed by more than 70,000 people, while she’s posted over 500 pictures and videos onto the social media network.
She loves spending her spare time with her husband, and has featured him in most of her Instagram pictures. The two are both passionate about travelling, and have been to more than 50 countries all around the world together; LaTanya mostly enjoys traveling to France.
Summer’s her favorite season, mostly because she loves being close to the ocean.
Her favorite actresses are Kate Winslet and Rosario Dawson, and some of her favorite movies are “The Mountain Between Us”, “Swift” and “Labor Day”.
Height, eyes and wealth
LaTanya’s age is 73. She has brown eyes and long curly black hair, weighs around 130lbs (60kgs), and is 5ft 4ins (1.62m) tall.
LaTanya’s net worth’s been estimated at over $10 million as of December 2022, and her husband Samuel’s at more than $250 million.
