Nia Long's Iconic Performance In The Best Man

Nia Long was 29 years old when she played Jordan Armstrong in the 1999 film The Best Man. Long was cast as the would-be flame of novelist Harper Stewart, played by Taye Diggs. The film, which follows a writer preparing to be the best man at his friend's wedding, became an instant classic and cemented Long's image as every man's dream girl. Long reprised her role in the film's sequel, The Best Man Holiday, in 2013.

Nia Long's career

Nia Long is an American actress, best known for her work in Black cinema. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1970, and made her film debut in 1991, starring in Boyz n the Hood. Long's acting coach was Betty Bridges, the mother of Diff'rent Strokes star Todd Bridges. Long's early career also included a three-year contract role on the soap opera Guiding Light, and a part in the Disney television film The B.R.A.T Patrol.

Long's breakout role came in 1994 when she played Will Smith's girlfriend on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She received her first NAACP Image Award nomination for her performance on Guiding Light in 1993, and in 1997, she was nominated again for her role in Love Jones. Long has since gone on to receive several accolades, including two NAACP Image Awards and a Black Reel Award.

Long has had a successful career in both film and television. Her notable film roles include Soul Food (1997), Love Jones (1997), The Best Man (1999), and its sequel The Best Man Holiday (2013), Big Momma's House (2000), and Are We There Yet? (2005). On television, she has appeared in Third Watch (2003–2005), Empire (2017), and NCIS: Los Angeles (2017–2018). Long has also worked behind the camera, making her directorial debut co-directing Ashanti's music video "Baby".

Long has expressed a passion for serving her community and has family roots in Trinidad, Grenada, and Barbados. She lends her support to Black Girls Rock, an organisation that promotes the arts for young women of colour.

Nia Long's early life

Nia Long was 29 years old when she starred in the 1999 film "The Best Man". Long was born on October 30, 1970, in Brooklyn, New York City, to Talita Long (née Gillman), a teacher and printmaker, and Doughtry Long, a high school teacher and poet. Her mother is of Trinidadian descent. She has an older half-sister, the actress and comedian known as Sommore. When Long was two years old, her parents divorced. She accompanied her mother, who moved to Iowa City to study fine arts.

When Long was seven, her mother moved to South Los Angeles, where she planned to marry. Although she and her fiancé called off the wedding, Talita chose to stay in Los Angeles. Long's father resided in Trenton, New Jersey. She was bused from South LA to Paseo Del Rey Elementary School in Playa Del Rey from 3rd grade through 6th grade and attended St. Mary's Academy in Inglewood, California. In addition to her academic classes, she studied ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics, guitar, and acting. She graduated from Westchester High School in Los Angeles in 1989.

Long's acting coach was Betty Bridges, better known as the mother of Diff'rent Strokes star Todd Bridges. Her earliest role was in the Disney television film "The B.R.A.T. Patrol". Her first notable role on television was a three-year contract role as Kathryn "Kat" Speakes on the soap opera "Guiding Light". Long portrayed Kat from 1991 to 1994. Long also played Brandi in "Boyz n the Hood", which was her "first real movie role". The film excited Long and helped build her confidence as an actress. "It introduced me to the world in a way that it was okay for me to be who I am and still find success,' she said. 'I didn't have to conform to anything.'

Nia Long's family

Nia Long was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Talita (Gillman) Long, a teacher and printmaker, and Doughtry Long, a high school teacher and poet. Her mother is of Trinidadian descent, and the family also has roots in Grenada and Barbados. Long's father resided in Trenton, New Jersey, after her parents divorced when she was two years old. Long has an older half-sister, the actress and comedian Sommore.

Long accompanied her mother when she moved to Iowa City to study fine arts. When Long was seven, her mother moved to South Los Angeles, where she planned to marry. Although the wedding was called off, Talita chose to stay in Los Angeles. Long attended elementary school in Playa Del Rey and later St. Mary's Academy in Inglewood, California. In addition to her academic classes, she studied ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics, guitar, and acting. She graduated from Westchester High School in Los Angeles in 1989.

Long has two sons with two partners. She gave birth to Massai Zhivago Dorsey II, her only child with her ex-fiancé, actor Massai Z. Dorsey, in November 2000. She and her former fiancé, Ime Udoka, a professional basketball coach, had a son, Kez Sunday Udoka, in November 2011. Long and Udoka were together for over a decade before splitting in 2022.

Nia Long's accolades

Nia Long was 29 years old when she starred in the 1999 film "The Best Man".

Nia Long has received several accolades over her career, including:

• Three NAACP Image Awards for her work in "Third Watch", The Best Man and The Banker.
• A Black Reel Award.
• A lifetime achievement award from Tennessee State University in recognition of her range within the entertainment industry.
• An NAACP Image Award nomination for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture" for her role in The Banker.

Nia Long's other work

Nia Long was 29 when she starred in the 1999 film The Best Man. Known for her work in Black cinema, Long has had a prolific career in both film and television.

Long's first film role was in John Singleton's 1991 classic Boyz n the Hood, which she described as her "first real movie role". She has since gone on to star in several notable films, including Friday (1995), Love Jones (1997), Soul Food (1997), The Best Man (1999), Big Momma's House (2000), Are We There Yet? (2005), and The Best Man Holiday (2013). She has also had supporting roles in Stigmata, Alfie, The Broken Hearts Club, and Made in America.

Long has also appeared in numerous television shows. From 1991 to 1994, she played Kathryn "Kat" Speakes on the soap opera Guiding Light. She then portrayed Beullah "Lisa" Wilkes, Will Smith's girlfriend, on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1994 to 1995. In 2003, she joined the cast of the drama series Third Watch as NYPD officer Sasha Monroe, a role that earned her two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. Long has also appeared in Boston Legal (2006-2007), Big Shots (2007-2008), and Empire (2016). She reprised her role from The Best Man in the 2022 Peacock miniseries The Best Man: The Final Chapters.

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