Emayatzy Corinealdi

Emayatzy Corinealdi ( ; born January 14, 1980) is an American actress. She starred in the Ava DuVernay 2012 drama film Middle of Nowhere, for which she won the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performer and received an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead nomination. Corinealdi later starred in the films Miles Ahead and The Invitation (2015). On television, she played the role of Belle in the 2016 remake of Roots. She also starred in Hand of God (2014–2017), Ballers (2017–2019), and The Red Line (2019). In 2022, Corinealdi began starring in the Hulu legal drama series, Reasonable Doubt.

Early life Corinealdi was born January 14, 1980, in Fort Knox, Kentucky, the daughter of Rosemarie Hilton and Edward Corinealdi. Her father is Panamanian, while her mother is African-American from Ohio. As a member of a military family, she was raised between Germany and the U.S. states in Ohio, Kansas, and New Jersey. She studied in New Jersey at the Actor's Training Studio, then at the William Esper Studio in New York City, and then at Playhouse West. an international acting competition for emerging multicultural artists. Later that year, she won the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor for the film. She was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for best female lead.

In 2013, Corinealdi appeared in the short film The Door, part of Miu Miu's fashion series Women's Tales, which reunited her with her Middle of Nowhere director Ava DuVernay. In 2014, Corinealdi was cast in the drama series Hand of God. Later that year, she won the role of Frances Taylor Davis, the wife of Miles Davis in the biographical film Miles Ahead. She also starred in the horror film The Invitation and the coming-of-age drama Beats.

In 2016, Corinealdi played the role of Kunta Kinte's wife, Belle, in A&E's Roots reboot. From 2017 to 2019, she had a recurring role in the HBO comedy-drama series, Ballers, and in 2019 starred in the Ava DuVernay-produced limited series The Red Line on CBS. In 2022, she was cast in her first series television leading role in the Hulu legal drama Reasonable Doubt produced by Kerry Washington.

Filmography

Film Year Title RoleNotes 2000 Mortality - Short 2003 Pretty Lady Azizi 2004 A Taste of Us Audrey Thomas Short Vampz Eve Video 2005 Beauty Shop Client of Ida 2006 Finding the Boom-Bap Beauty Short My American Nurse - 2007 Akira's Hip-Hop Shop Daphne Cordially Invited Grace Ingrahm 2008 Natural Beauty Virginia Short The Nanny Express Lorraine TV movie 2009 Think Twice Najah Short After the Storm Patrice Short The Chase Trisha Short 2010 It Looks Just Like You - Short 2011 I Won't Complain - Short 2012 Middle of Nowhere Ruby The Silent Treatment Loretta Short 2013 The Door V Short Lu Martha Short 2014 Teacher in a Box Mrs Tandon Short Gun Hill Janelle Evans TV movie In the Morning Cadence Addicted Brina 2015 The Invitation Kira Miles Ahead Frances Taylor Davis 2019 Beats Vanessa Robinson

Television Year Title Role Notes 2007 The Young and the Restless Nurse Susan Mehta Regular Cast 2010 Romantically Challenged Tiffany Episode: "Rebecca's One Night Stand" 2014 Criminal Minds Ellen Samsen Episode: "The Edge of Winter" 2014–17 Hand of God Tessie Graham Main Cast 2015 Rosewood Gigi Gaston Episode: "Fashionistas and Fasciitis" 2016 Roots Belle Episode: "Part 2 & 4" 2017–19 Ballers Candace Brewer Recurring Cast: Season 3–5 2019 The Red Line Tia Young Main Cast 2020 Evil Sonya Episode: "Justice x 2" 2022- Reasonable Doubt Jax Stewart Main Cast

Awards and nominations Year Awards Category Recipient Outcome 2012 Gotham Awards Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performer Middle of Nowhere African-American Film Critics Association African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress 2013 Independent Spirit Award Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead NAACP Image Award NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Black Reel Awards Black Reel Award for Best Actress Black Reel Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble Village Voice Film Poll Village Voice Film Poll Award for Best Breakthrough Performance 2017 NAACP Image Award NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Roots Black Reel Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series 2019 Black Reel Awards Outstanding Actress, TV Movie/limited series The Red Line 2024 Celebration of Latino Cinema and Television Actress Award – TelevisionReasonable Doubt 2025 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series