# Lorraine Toussaint

Lorraine Toussaint (/tuːˈsɑːnt/ born April 4, 1960) is a Trinidadian–born actress based in the United States. 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–present). 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.
Her mother was a teacher, and she brought Toussaint to live in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, in the late 1960s.
Toussaint graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts in 1978. 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.

## Career
### Early career

After graduating, Toussaint began her career as a Shakespearean actress, before tackling screen acting in television and film. 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.
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. She later had a recurring role of Vera Williams in the ABC daytime soap opera, One Life to Live. While maintaining her stage career, she appeared in guest starring roles in series such as 227 and Law & Order (in a recurring role as defense lawyer Shambala Green). She also acted in a number of television films in the 1990s.
Toussaint made her film debut in the female lead role opposite Burt Reynolds in the crime comedy Breaking In (1989). The film received positive reviews from critics, 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, starring as Rene Jackson, a successful African-American lawyer. The series received critical acclaim for both lead actresses' performances as well as the show's script writing 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. Any Day Now ended after four seasons and 88 episodes.
From 2002 to 2004, Toussaint had a regular role playing Dr. Elaine Duchamps in the NBC police procedural, Crossing Jordan. In later years, she guest-starred on Frasier, Judging Amy, The Closer, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, ER, and NCIS. She also was a regular, opposite Holly Hunter, in the TNT crime drama Saving Grace as Capt. Kate Perry from 2007 to 2010. She had a recurring role as Amelia 'Yoga' Bluman in the ABC comedy series Ugly Betty in 2006, and as Bird Merriweather in the NBC drama Friday Night Lights (2009–11). Toussaint also appeared as Jamie Foxx's character's mother in the 2009 drama The Soloist.

### 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), of 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). In 2013, she had a recurring role in season 3 of Dana Delany's series Body of Proof as villainous police chief Angela Martin. 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 for 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 a man named 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 | |
| 1993 | Mother's Boys | Robert's Associate | |
| 1994 | Bleeding Hearts | Enid Sheperd | |
| 1995 | Dangerous Minds | Irene Roberts | |
| 1996 | Psalms from the Underground | - | Short |
| 1997 | The Spittin' Image | - | Short |
| 1998 | Black Dog | Avery | |
| 1998 | Jaded | Carol Broker | |
| 2000 | The Sky Is Falling | Janie | |
| 2007 | Rwanda Rising | Berne Mukaniwisi (voice) | |
| 2008 | The Gold Lunch | Judge | Short |
| 2009 | The Soloist | Flo Ayers | |
| 2012 | Knife Fight | Brenda Davis | |
| 2012 | Middle of Nowhere | Ruth | |
| 2014 | Ask Me Anything | Dr. Sherman | |
| 2014 | Selma | Amelia Boynton Robinson | |
| 2015 | Runaway Island | Naomi Holloway | |
| 2015 | The Night Before | Mrs. Roberts | |
| 2016 | Sophie and the Rising Sun | Salome Whitmore | |
| 2017 | Girls Trip | Herself | |
| 2017 | Love Beats Rhymes | Nichelle | |
| 2018 | Fast Color | Bo | |
| 2018 | Sprinter | Donna | |
| 2018 | 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 | |
| 2020 | Concrete Cowboy | Nessie | |
| 2023 | Nimona | Queen Valerin (voice) | |
| 2024 | Big City Greens the Movie: Spacecation | Rashida Remington (voice) | |
| TBA | Silent Retreat | | Post-production |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | The Face of Rage | Stendah | Television film |
| 1986 | A Case of Deadly Force | Pat Bowden | Television film |
| 1988 | One Life to Live | Vera Williams | Regular Cast |
| 1989 | A Man Called Hawk | Emily Howell | Episode: "Hear No Evil" |
| 1990 | Common Ground | Alva | Television film |
| 1990 | 227 | Monica Patton | Episode: "Nightmare on 227" |
| 1990 | Nasty Boys | Dr. Chanel Cory | Episode: "Kill or Be Killed: Part 1" |
| 1990–94 | 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" |
| 1992 | Trial: The Price of Passion | Nancy Goodpaster | Television film |
| 1992 | Bodies of Evidence | Dr. Mary Rocket | Episode: "Afternoon Delights" |
| 1992 | Red Dwarf | Captain Lorraine Tau | Television film |
| 1993 | Queen | Joyce | Episode: "Episode #1.3" |
| 1993 | Lies and Lullabies | Florence Crawford | Television film |
| 1993 | Class of '61 | Sarah | Television film |
| 1993 | The Sinbad Show | Mrs. Payton | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1993 | Where I Live | Marie St. Martin | Main cast |
| 1994 | A Time to Heal | Zelda | Television film |
| 1994 | 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" |
| 1995 | Amazing Grace | Yvonne Price | Main cast |
| 1995 | Murder One | Margaret Stratton | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | It Was Him or Us | Lt. Lorraine Washington | Television film |
| 1996 | America's Dream | Philomena Jonz | Television film |
| 1996 | Nightjohn | Dealey | Television film |
| 1996 | If These Walls Could Talk | Shameeka Webb | Television film |
| 1996 | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Dr. Avery Cotter | Episode: "The Coma Episode" |
| 1996 | The Cherokee Kid | Mama Annie Turner | Television film |
| 1996 | Dark Skies | Eda Mae Tillman | Episode: "We Shall Overcome" |
| 1997 | Promised Land | Linda Paxton | Episode: "Running Scared" |
| 1997 | Leaving L.A. | Dr. Claudia Chan | Main cast |
| 1998 | Blackout Effect | Kim Garfield | Television film |
| 1998 | Nothing Sacred | Lorraine Hamilton | Episode: "Signs and Words" |
| 1998 | Cracker | Tisha Watlington | Episode: "If: Part 1 & 2" |
| 1998 | C-16: FBI | Marsha Fontaine | Episode: "My Brother's Keeper" |
| 1998–2002 | Any Day Now | Rene Jackson | Main cast |
| 2002 | Static Shock | Dr. Franklin (voice) | Episode: "Jimmy" |
| 2002–03 | Crossing Jordan | Dr. Elaine Duchamps | Main cast: season 2 |
| 2003 | This Far by Faith | Narrator | Episode: "There Is a River" |
| 2003 | Law & Order | Shambala Green | Episode: "Identity" |
| 2003–04 | Threat Matrix | Carina Wright | Recurring cast |
| 2004 | Frasier | Nurse Betty Toussaint | Episode: "Boo!" |
| 2005 | Their Eyes Were Watching God | Pearl Stone | Television film |
| 2005 | Judging Amy | Eileen Stayman | Episode: "The New Normal" |
| 2005 | The Closer | Deputy D.A. Patrice Powell | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Numb3rs | Medical Examiner | Episode: "Bones of Contention" |
| 2006 | 3 lbs | Della | Episode: "Unaired Pilot" |
| 2006–07 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Cynthia James | Recurring cast: Season 7 |
| 2007 | Ugly Betty | Amelia 'Yoga' Bluman | Recurring cast: season 2 |
| 2007–10 | Saving Grace | Capt. Kate Perry | Main cast |
| 2008 | ER | Yolanda | Episode: "Believe the Unseen" |
| 2009 | Numb3rs | Agent Terri Green | Episode: "Cover Me" |
| 2009–11 | Friday Night Lights | Birdie "Bird" Merriweather | Recurring cast: season 4–5 |
| 2010 | Three Rivers | Yolanda Moss | Episode: "Every Breath You Take" |
| 2010 | The Glades | Carol Watkins | Episode: "A Perfect Storm" |
| 2011 | NCIS | Deputy Director Donna Wolfson | Episode: "Defiance" |
| 2011 | Against the Wall | Officer Edie Marks | Episode: "Obsessed and Unwanted" |
| 2012 | Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Helen Fincher | Episode: "The Girl with No Name" |
| 2012 | The Finder | La Bruja | Episode: "Voodoo Undo" |
| 2012 | Drop Dead Diva | Prof. Ellen Daily | Episode: "Road Trip" |
| 2012 | The Secret Life of the American Teenager | Lorraine | Episode: "Holy Rollers" |
| 2012 | Scandal | Nancy Drake | Episode: "The Other Woman" |
| 2012–14 | The Young and the Restless | Dr. Watkins | Regular Cast |
| 2013 | Body of Proof | Police Chief Angela Martin | Recurring cast: Season 3 |
| 2013–17 | The Fosters | Dana Adams | Recurring cast |
| 2014 | Being Mary Jane | Aunt Toni | Episode: "The Huxtables Have Fallen" |
| 2014 | Orange Is the New Black | Yvonne "Vee" Parker | Recurring cast: Season 2 |
| 2014–15 | Forever | Lt. Joanna Reece | Main cast |
| 2015–17 | Rosewood | Donna Rosewood | Main cast |
| 2016 | The Real Housewives of Atlanta | Herself | Episode: "Shade for Days" |
| 2016 | Chicago P.D. | Shambala Green | Episode: "Justice" |
| 2016 | Black-ish | Aunt Alma Johnson | Episode: "Auntsgiving" |
| 2017 | Shots Fired | Carole Moore | Episode: "Hour Eight: Rock Bottom" |
| 2018 | Grace and Frankie | Rebecca | Episode: "The Death Stick" |
| 2018–19 | Into the Badlands | Cressida | Main cast: season 3 |
| 2018–20 | She-Ra and the Princesses of Power | Shadow Weaver/Light Spinner (voice) | Main cast |
| 2018–present | Big City Greens | Rashida Remington (voice) | Recurring cast |
| 2019 | The Village | Patricia | Main cast |
| 2020 | The Good Fight | Nia Rogers | Episode: "The Gang Offends Everyone" |
| 2020–21 | Your Honor | Judge Sarah LeBlanc | Recurring cast: season 1 |
| 2021 | Cinema Toast | Mother (voice) | Episode: "Kiss, Marry, Kill" |
| 2021 | Summer Camp Island | Emily Ghost (voice) | Episode: "The Emily Ghost Institute for Manners and Magical Etiquette" |
| 2021 | Star Wars: Visions | Masago (voice) | Episode: "Akakiri" |
| 2021–present | The Equalizer | Viola "Aunt Vi" Lascombe | Main cast |
| 2022 | Wolfboy and the Everything Factory | Forest Ancient (voice) | Episode: "We Search for Change" |
| 2023 | Great Performances | Herself/Gertrude | Episode: "Making Shakespeare: The First Folio" |
| 2025 | StuGo | Dr. Lullah (voice) | Main cast |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2004 | World of Warcraft | High Sage Viryx |
| 2014 | World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor | High Sage Viryx |
| 2015 | King's Quest | Sphinx |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
| 1999 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Any Day Now | Nominated |
| 1999 | TV Guide Award | Best Actress in a Drama Series | Any Day Now | Nominated |
| 1999 | Viewers for Quality Television Award | Viewers for Quality Television Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Any Day Now | Nominated |
| 2000 | National Bar Association Award | Wiley A. Branton Award | Any Day Now | Won |
| 2000 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Any Day Now | Nominated |
| 2001 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Any Day Now | Nominated |
| 2002 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Any Day Now | Nominated |
| 2003 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series | Any Day Now | Nominated |
| 2008 | LA Femme Filmmaker Award | Visionary Award | | Won |
| 2013 | Film Independent Spirit Awards | Best Supporting Female | Middle of Nowhere | Nominated |
| 2013 | Black Reel Award | Best Supporting Actress | Middle of Nowhere | Nominated |
| 2013 | Black Reel Award | Best Ensemble | Middle of Nowhere | Nominated |
| 2014 | NewNowNext Award | Best New Television Actress | Orange Is the New Black | Nominated |
| 2014 | Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award | Best Ensemble | Selma | Nominated |
| 2014 | Black Film Critics Circle Award | Best Ensemble | Selma | Won |
| 2015 | Critics' Choice Movie Award | Best Ensemble | Selma | Nominated |
| 2015 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Orange is the New Black | Nominated |
| 2015 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Orange is the New Black | Won |
| 2015 | Essence Black Women in Hollywood Award | Vanguard Award | Orange is the New Black | Won |
| 2015 | Black Reel Award | Best Ensemble | Selma | Won |
| 2015 | Critics' Choice Television Award | Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Orange is the New Black | Won |
| 2015 | EWwy Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Drama | Orange is the New Black | Nominated |
| 2020 | Chlotrudis Award | Best Supporting Actress | Fast Color | Won |
| 2022 | Black Reel Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama Series | The Equalizer | Nominated |