She won fans as Bernadine Harris in Waiting to Exhale in 1995.
She worked as a receptionist in a beauty salon and as a photo researcher.
She enjoys portraying real life characters in films, including Tina Turner and Rosa Parks, and Betty Shabazz.
She married Courtney B. Vance in 1997, and the couple welcomed twins in 2006.
She was casted as the lead in The Rosa Parks Story.
