It’s safe to say that Aunjanue Ellis is having a moment. The 53-year-old actress has recently been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in King Richard, and she’s currently being celebrated by Hollywood’s elite. The movie saw the Oscar-nominated actress play Oracene Williams alongside Hollywood icon Will Smith. However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Ellis. In an episode of the PEOPLE Every Day podcast, she stated that the film makers were originally interested in other actresses. Ellis recalls how she competed with other high-profile names for the role. On The Envelope podcast, Ellis shared she never felt her role would lead to this kind of acclaim. Thankfully, Ellis’ persistence paid off and she landed the role that has now brought her Oscar-nomination glory.
Aunjanue Ellis has had a long and successful career in television since the 90s. She has appeared in a number of television shows and movies. Perhaps best known for her role in the hit HBO series True Blood, Ellis has also made appearances in The Practice, The Mentalist, and Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story. In addition to her work on television, Ellis has also starred in a number of television films, including Abducted: The Carlina White Story and The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel. Ellis played the leading role in the critically acclaimed miniseries The Book of Negroes, for which she received a Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination for Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries. She is a talented and versatile actress who always brings something interesting to her roles.
