Lorraine Toussaint

Lorraine Toussaint ( born 4 April 1960) is a Trinidadian actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Black Reel Award, a Critics' Choice Television Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Toussaint began her career in theatre, before supporting performances in films such as Breaking In (1989), Hudson Hawk (1991), and Dangerous Minds (1995). As a lead actress, she is best known for her role as Rene Jackson in the critically acclaimed Lifetime television drama series Any Day Now, from 1998 to 2002, and her recurring role as defense attorney Shambala Green in the NBC legal drama Law & Order. She later appeared as a regular cast member in the NBC police procedural Crossing Jordan (2002–03) and the TNT crime drama Saving Grace (2007–10).

Toussaint received critical acclaim and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her performance in the 2012 drama film Middle of Nowhere, written and directed by Ava DuVernay. In 2014, she played the role of Yvonne "Vee" Parker, the main antagonist in the second season of the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black, for which she received critical acclaim and a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She also played the role of Amelia Boynton Robinson in the 2014 historical drama film Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay. Toussaint later co-starred in the ABC fantasy-drama series Forever (2014–15), the Fox comedy-drama Rosewood (2015–17), the AMC drama Into the Badlands (2018–19), NBC drama The Village (2019) and CBS crime drama The Equalizer (2021–2025). Additionally, she appeared in films Fast Color (2018), Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019), The Glorias (2020) and Concrete Cowboy (2020).

Early life Toussaint was born in Trinidad and Tobago. In an interview she said: I grew up under the British system, which I think is horrific for children — very, very strict — a system that did not recognize children as being individuals. You were small animals earning the right to be human. Childhood for me then felt extraordinarily powerless, and as an artistic child who learned in alternative ways, it was hell. I was beaten regularly... A good child was a fearful child, and I was a very, very, good little girl, which meant I lived in a world of silent, dark terror most of the time. She then attended the Juilliard School's drama division as a member of Group 11 (1978–1982), where her classmates in 1982 included Megan Gallagher, Penny Johnson Jerald, Jack Kenny, and Jack Stehlin. Toussaint graduated from Juilliard with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Notable stage roles include Hippolyta in Liviu Ciulei's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Guthrie Theater, Tamara in the world premiere of Toni Morrison's Dreaming Emmett at Capital Repertory Theatre, the American premiere of Two Fish in the Sky at the Phoenix Theatre, and an appearance at Tadashi Suzuki's Toga Festival in Japan. In 1994, Touissant starred as Yelena in the Antaeus Theatre Company's inaugural production of Anton Chekhov's The Wood Demon at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.

Toussaint made her screen debut in 1983. In 1986, she portrayed the widow of a man shot and killed by Boston police in the television film A Case of Deadly Force, based on the book by Lawrence O'Donnell. but flopped in box office. In 1991, she appeared opposite Bruce Willis in Hudson Hawk, and later co-starred alongside Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Minds (1995). She also appeared in films Point of No Return (1993), Mother's Boys (1994), and Black Dog (1998). On television, Toussaint had regular roles in short-lived series Bodies of Evidence (CBS, 1992), Where I Live (ABC, 1993), Amazing Grace (NBC, 1995), and Leaving L.A. (ABC, 1997).

1998–2011 Toussaint had her biggest and leading role alongside Annie Potts in the Lifetime first original television drama series, Any Day Now, but never attained standout ratings. In 2001, Toussaint was a promising contender for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category, though she did not receive a nomination. She was nominated five times for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role.

2012–present

In 2012, Toussaint received critical acclaim and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her performance as a hardworking mother who struggles to support her daughter's (Emayatzy Corinealdi) decision to put her life on hold to support her incarcerated husband (Omari Hardwick), in Middle of Nowhere, a drama film written and directed by Ava DuVernay. Toussaint was a promising contender for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress category in 2013, but she did not receive a nomination.

In 2012, she guest-starred in Shonda Rhimes' dramas Grey's Anatomy (as a doctor) and Scandal (as a bereaved and betrayed pastor's wife). Later in 2013, she joined the cast of ABC Family drama series, The Fosters, as Sherri Saums character's mother. This marked the first time she reunited on-screen with Annie Potts since the finale of Any Day Now in 2002.

Toussaint starred in the second season of Netflix's original comedy-drama series, Orange Is the New Black in 2014. She played the role of Yvonne "Vee" Parker, the main antagonist of season two, described as a street-tough inmate who returns to jail after a long stint as a drug dealer. Her performance earned critical acclaim. In the series Toussaint, in her 50s, appeared nude on-screen for the first time in her career. For her performance, she won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. In February 2016, Vee was ranked 28th on Rolling Stone'''s list of "40 Greatest TV Villains of All Time".

In 2014, Toussaint co-starred in Ava DuVernay's historical drama film Selma, playing Amelia Boynton Robinson, a leading civil rights activist who had a key role in efforts that led to passage of the Voting Rights Act, and who was the first African-American woman in Alabama to run for Congress. That same year, she was cast in the ABC fantasy-drama series Forever opposite Ioan Gruffudd and Alana de la Garza. The series was canceled after a single season. Toussaint co-starred in the comedy film Xmas, directed and written by Jonathan Levine, which was released on November 25, 2015. Also in 2015, she co-starred in Runaway Island and Sophie and the Rising Sun. Later that year, Toussaint was cast in Coco, a drama produced by Lionsgate, alongside rapper Azealia Banks. In June 2015, she joined the cast of the Fox comedy-drama Rosewood in the series regular role of the titular character's mother.

In March 2016, Toussaint was cast in her role as defense attorney Shambala Green, a role she originated on Law & Order in 1990, on the NBC legal drama Chicago Justice, that aired a backdoor pilot in Chicago P.D.. On August 14, 2017, it was announced that Toussaint would join as a series regular in the third season of Into the Badlands. She played the role of Cressida, a self-styled Prophetess in season 3.

In 2019, Toussaint starred in the NBC limited drama series The Village. The series was canceled after one season. She later starred in the superhero film Fast Color opposite Gugu Mbatha-Raw and played the role of Louise "Lou Lou" Baptiste in the horror film Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark produced by Guillermo del Toro. The following year, she played feminist, civil rights advocate and activist Florynce Kennedy in the biographical film The Glorias directed by Julie Taymor. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020. Later, she was cast opposite Idris Elba in the drama film Concrete Cowboy. Also in 2020, Toussaint was cast as Viola "Aunt Vi" Lascombe in the CBS reboot of The Equalizer'' starring Queen Latifah.

Personal life Toussaint has one daughter named Samara. One of Toussaint's grandparents was from Martinique. She had a blog. Toussaint married Michael Tomlinson in August 2017 but they divorced almost two years later in 2019.

Toussaint was raised Catholic but has since explored other religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1989 Breaking In Delphine the Hooker 1991 Hudson Hawk Almond Joy 1993 Point of No Return Beth Mother's Boys Robert's Associate 1994 Bleeding Hearts Enid Sheperd 1995 Dangerous Minds Irene Roberts 1996 Psalms from the Underground - Short 1997 - Short 1998 Black Dog Avery Jaded Carol Broker 2000 Janie 2007 Rwanda Rising Berne Mukaniwisi (voice) 2008 Judge Short 2009 Flo Ayers 2012 Knife Fight Brenda Davis Middle of Nowhere Ruth 2014 Ask Me Anything Dr. Sherman Selma Amelia Boynton Robinson 2015 Runaway Island Naomi Holloway The Night Before Mrs. Roberts 2016 Sophie and the Rising Sun Salome Whitmore 2017 Girls Trip Herself Love Beats Rhymes Nichelle 2018 Fast Color Bo Sprinter Donna A Conversation: Anne Frank Meets God God (voice) Short 2019 Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Louise "Lou Lou" Baptiste 2020 The Glorias Florynce Kennedy Concrete Cowboy Nessie 2023 Nimona Queen Valerin (voice) 2024Big City Greens the Movie: SpacecationRashida Remington (voice) TBA Silent Retreat Post-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 1983 Stendah Television film 1986 Pat Bowden Television film 1988 One Life to Live Vera Williams Regular Cast 1989 Emily Howell Episode: "Hear No Evil" 1990 Common Ground Alva Television film 227 Monica Patton Episode: "Nightmare on 227" Nasty Boys Dr. Chanel Cory Episode: "Kill or Be Killed: Part 1" Law & Order Shambala Green Recurring cast: seasons 1 & 3, guest: season 4 1991 Daddy Judge Lorraine Television film 1992 Tequila and Bonetti Big Marie Touissant Episode: "The Rose Cadillac" Trial: The Price of Passion Nancy Goodpaster Television film Bodies of Evidence Dr. Mary Rocket Episode: "Afternoon Delights" Red Dwarf Captain Lorraine Tau Television film 1993 Queen Joyce Episode: "Episode #1.3" Lies and Lullabies Florence Crawford Television film Class of '61 Sarah Television film Mrs. Payton Episode: "Pilot" Where I Live Marie St. Martin Main role 1994 Zelda Television film M.A.N.T.I.S. Denise Copeland Episode: "Fire in the Heart" 1995 Bless This House Lorraine Episode: "A Woman's Work Is Never Done" Amazing Grace Yvonne Price Main role Murder One Margaret Stratton 2 episodes It Was Him or Us Lt. Lorraine Washington Television film 1996 America's Dream Philomena Jonz Television film Nightjohn Dealey Television film If These Walls Could Talk Shameeka Webb Television film Mr. & Mrs. Smith Dr. Avery Cotter Episode: "The Coma Episode" Mama Annie Turner Television film Dark Skies Eda Mae Tillman Episode: "We Shall Overcome" 1997 Promised Land Linda Paxton Episode: "Running Scared" Leaving L.A. Dr. Claudia Chan Main role 1998 Blackout Effect Kim Garfield Television film Nothing Sacred Lorraine Hamilton Episode: "Signs and Words" Cracker Tisha Watlington Episode: "If: Part 1 & 2" C-16: FBI Marsha Fontaine Episode: "My Brother's Keeper" 1998–2002 Any Day Now Rene Jackson Main role 2002 Static Shock Dr. Franklin (voice) Episode: "Jimmy" Orange Is the New Black Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award Best Ensemble Selma Black Film Critics Circle Award Best Ensemble Selma 2015 Critics' Choice Movie Award Best Ensemble Selma NAACP Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Orange is the New Black Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Orange is the New Black Essence Black Women in Hollywood Award Vanguard Award Orange is the New Black Black Reel Award Best Ensemble Selma Critics' Choice Television Award Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Orange is the New Black EWwy AwardsBest Supporting Actress in a Drama Orange is the New Black 2020 Chlotrudis Award Best Supporting ActressFast Color 2022 Black Reel Award Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama Series The Equalizer