Nia Talita Long ( ; 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.
Early life
Long was born on October 30, 1970, in Brooklyn to Talita Long (née Gillman), a teacher and printmaker, and Doughtry Long, a high school teacher and poet. Her mother is of Trinidadian descent. Long has an older half-sister, the actress and comedian known as Sommore. When Long was two years old, her parents divorced. Long 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. Doughtry and his fiancé called off the wedding, but 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 third grade through sixth grade and attended St. Mary's Academy in Inglewood, California. In addition to her academic classes, Long studied ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics, guitar, and acting. She graduated from Westchester High School in Los Angeles in 1989.
Career
Long's acting coach was Betty Bridges, better known as the mother of Diff'rent Strokes star Todd Bridges. Long portrayed Kat from 1991 to 1994. Long also played Brandi in Boyz n the Hood. From 1994 to 1995, she played Will Smith's girlfriend and fiancée Beulah "Lisa" Wilkes on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. In 2003, Long joined the cast of the drama Third Watch, where she played NYPD officer Sasha Monroe, continuing until the series finale in 2005. In 2005 and 2006, Long appeared on Everwood, and guest-starred on Boston Legal during its 2006–2007 season. She then starred alongside Michael Vartan and Dylan McDermott in Big Shots from 2007 to 2008. In 2016, Long was cast as Giuliana, a Las Vegas club owner, in a recurring role on the TV series Empire.
Long has had supporting roles in a number of films such as Friday and Made in America. She has also played a leading role, or was a member of the primary ensemble, in several films,
In July 2020, Long starred in the Netflix psychological thriller Fatal Affair. In 2022, Long starred in the Peacock miniseries The Best Man: The Final Chapters, once again reprising her role from the previous films.
She played Katherine Jackson in the Michael Jackson biopic Michael (2026).
Personal life
Long contributes her time to the Sterling Children's Home in Barbados as a motivational speaker.
In 2010, Long started dating then–National Basketball Association player Ime Udoka. Long also has an older son, born in 2000, from a previous relationship. The couple split in December 2022 after Udoka, who had become head coach of the Boston Celtics, was revealed to have had an affair with a Celtics staff member.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1990
| Buried Alive
| Fingers
|
|-
| 1991
| Boyz n the Hood
| Brandi
|
|-
| 1993
| Made in America
| Zora Mathews
|
|-
| 1995
| Friday
| Debbie
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1997
| Love Jones
| Nina Mosley
|
|-
| Hav Plenty
| Trudy
|
|-
| Soul Food
| Robyn "Bird" Joseph
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1998
| Butter
| Carmen Jones
|
|-
| The Secret Laughter of Women
| Nimi Da Silva
|
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1999
| In Too Deep
| Myra
|
|-
| The Best Man
| Jordan Armstrong
|
|-
| Stigmata
| Donna Chadway
|
|-
| Held Up
| Rae
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2000
| The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy
| Leslie
|
|-
| Boiler Room
| Abbie Halpert
|
|-
| Big Momma's House
| Sherry Pierce
|
|-
| 2003
| BAADASSSSS!
| Sandra
|
|-
| 2004
| Alfie
| Lonette
|
|-
| 2005
| Are We There Yet?
| Suzanne Kingston
|
|-
| 2006
| Big Momma's House 2
| Sherry Pierce-Turner
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2007
| Premonition
| Annie
|
|-
| Are We Done Yet?
| Suzanne Persons
|
|-
| 2008
| Gospel Hill
| Yvonne Palmer
|
|-
| 2010
| Mooz-lum
| Safiyah
|
|-
| 2013
| The Best Man Holiday
| Jordan Armstrong
|
|-
| 2014
| The Single Moms Club
| May Miller
|
|-
| 2016
| Keanu
| Hannah
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2017
| Roxanne Roxanne
| Peggy
|
|-
| Lemon
| Cleo
|
|-
| 2019
| 47 Meters Down: Uncaged
| Jennifer
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2020
| The Banker
| Eunice Garrett
|
|-
| Fatal Affair
| Ellie Warren
|
|-
| Life in a Year
| Catherine
|
|-
| 2022
| Look Both Ways
| Lucy Galloway
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2023
| You People
| Fatima Mohammed
|
|-
| Missing
| Grace
|
|-
| 2026
| Michael
|
|
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1986
| 227
| Girl
| Episode: "Slam Dunked"
|-
| The Disney Sunday Movie
| Darla Perkins
| Episode: "The B.R.A.T Patrol"
|-
| 1991
| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
| Claudia
| Episode: "She Ain't Heavy"
|-
| 1991–1993
| Guiding Light
| Katherine "Kat" Speakes
| Regular cast
|-
| 1993
| Living Single
| Stacey Evans
| Episode: "Love Takes a Holiday"
|-
| 1994–1995
| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
| Beullah "Lisa" Wilkes
| Recurring cast (season 5)
|-
| 1995
| Live Shot
| Ramona Greer
| Recurring cast
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1996
| ER
| Christy Wilson
| Episode: "Baby Shower"
|-
| Moesha
| Babysitter
| Episode: "A Concerted Effort: Part 1 & 2"
|-
| 2000
| If These Walls Could Talk 2
| Karen
| TV movie
|-
| 2001–2002
| Judging Amy
| Andrea Solomon
| Recurring cast (season 3)
|-
| 2002
| Sightings: Heartland Ghost
| Lou
| TV movie
|-
| 2003–2005
| Third Watch
| Officer Sasha Monroe
| Main cast (season 5–6)
|-
| 2006
| Everwood
| Cassie
| Episode: "Truth"
|-
| 2007
| Boston Legal
| Vanessa Walker
| Recurring cast (season 3)
|-
| 2007–2008
| Big Shots
| Katie Graham
| Main cast
|-
| 2009
| Celebrity Ghost Stories
| Herself
| Episode: "Tom Arnold/Nia Long/Carni Wilson/Dee Snider"
|-
| 2009–2010
| The Cleveland Show
| Roberta Tubbs (voice)
| Main cast (season 1)
|-
| 2010
| Black Girls Rock!
| Herself/Host
| Main host
|-
| 2011
| Chase
| Melissa Randolph
| Episode: "Narco: Part 2"
|-
| 2013
| House of Lies
| Tamara
| Recurring cast (season 2)
|-
| 2014
| The Divide
| Billie Page
| Main cast
|-
| 2015–2016
| Real Husbands of Hollywood
| Herself
| Guest cast (season 4–5)
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2016
| Trumpet Awards
| Herself/Host
| Main host
|-
| Uncle Buck
| Alexis Smith-Russell
| Main cast
|-
| rowspan="4"| 2017
| Hand of God
| Izzy
| Recurring cast (season 2)
|-
| Dear White People
| Neika Hobbs
| Recurring cast (season 1)
|-
| Empire
| Giuliana 'Giusi' Green
| Recurring cast (season 3)
|-
| Beaches
| Hillary Whitney
| TV movie
|-
| 2017–2018
| NCIS: Los Angeles
| E.A.D. Shay Mosley
| Main cast (season 9–10)
|-
| rowspan="3"| 2018
| Uncensored
| Herself
| Episode: "Nia Long"
|-
| Unsung Hollywood
| Herself
| Episode: "The Best Man"
|-
| The Goldbergs
| Lucy Somers
| Episode: "1990-Something"
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2020
| Entertainment Tonight
| Herself/Guest co-host
| Episode: "Disney Live Action Mulan Exclusive!"
|-
| blackAF
| Lavette
| Recurring cast
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2022
| Let the World See
| Mamie Till-Mobley
| Main cast
|-
| The Best Man: The Final Chapters
| Jordan Armstrong
| Main cast
|-
| 2025
| Number One on the Call Sheet
| Herself
| Episode: "Black Leading Women in Hollywood"
|}
Music videos
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Song
! Artist
! Notes
|-
| 1991
| "Do Me (remix)"
| Bell Biv DeVoe
| bass player
|-
| 1995
| "Keep Their Heads Ringin'"
| Dr. Dre
| Dancer
|-
| 1997
| "Iggin' Me"
| Chico DeBarge
| Girlfriend
|-
| 2002
| "Baby"
| Ashanti
|
|-
| 2005
| "Touch the Sky"
| Kanye West featuring Lupe Fiasco
|
|-
| 2008
| "Long Distance Girlfriend"
| Heavy D
|
|-
| 2015
| "California Roll"
| Snoop Dogg featuring Stevie Wonder
| Woman in Theatre
|-
| 2025
| "Darling, I"
| Tyler, the Creator
|}
Documentary
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
|-
| 2004
| The N-Word
|-
| 2009
| Good Hair
|-
| 2011
| Kiss and Tell: The History of Black Romance in Movie
|}
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Institution
! Category
! Year
! Work
! Result
|-
! rowspan="4" | American Black Film Festival
| Best Actress
| 1998
| Love Jones
|
|-
| Star of the Year
| 2000
|
|
|-
| Best Actress
| rowspan="2" | 2014
| rowspan="2" | The Best Man Holiday
|
|-
| Best Ensemble Cast
|
|-
! BET Comedy Awards
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Theatrical Film
| 2005
| Alfie
|
|-
! rowspan="6" | Black Reel Awards
| Outstanding Actress
| 2000
| The Best Man
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | Outstanding Supporting Actress
| 2001
| Boiler Room
|
|-
| 2005
| Alfie
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | Outstanding Actress
| 2012
| Mooz-lum
|
|-
| 2014
| The Best Man Holiday
|
|-
| Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series
| 2018
| Beaches
|
|-
! Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
| Favorite Actress – Comedy
| 2001
| Big Momma's House
|
|-
! rowspan="9" | NAACP Image Awards
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
| 1996
| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
| 1998
| Love Jones
|
|-
| 2000
| The Best Man
|
|-
| Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
| rowspan="2" | 2001
| If These Walls Could Talk 2
|
|-
| Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
| Big Momma's House
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
| 2004
| rowspan="2" | Third Watch
|
|-
| 2005
|
|-
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
| 2014
| House of Lies
|
|-
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
| 2021
| The Banker
|
|}