As part of our #BlackHistoryMonth commemoration, this week we highlight the success of Lorraine Toussaint.
Lorraine Toussaint was born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1960. At age ten, she and her mother moved to Brooklyn, NY. Her interest in acting was sparked as she was an avid viewer of television growing up. Lorraine begged her mother to enroll her in acting school, which led to her studying theater at New York's renowned High School of Performing Arts. After graduation, she enrolled in the Juilliard School's drama division, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. On her graduation day, she landed her first paying job as Lady Macbeth with "Shakespeare & Company."
Lorraine spent the first 12 years of her career acting on stage in New York City before moving to LA where she made her first television appearance in 1983 in "The Face of Rage." Her biggest career boost has come from her co-starring role opposite Annie Potts in the TV series "Any Day Now," which earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination for best actress in a drama series, a TV Guide Award nomination for Best Actress in a Drama Series, and the Wiley A. Branton Award from the National Bar Association.
Lorraine went on to have a stella career. She won the SAG Award and Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a drama series for her performance as Vee in the hit Netflix original series "Orange is the New Black". She also received praise for her performance in the Academy Award-nominated feature film "Selma."
Lorraine also had recurring roles on several popular television shows, including NBC's drama series "Friday Night Lights," TNT's "Saving Grace," "Law & Order," and ABC's hit "Ugly Betty." She made several guest appearances on the hit TV shows "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Scandal" opposite Kerry Washington. #BHM #USTTrelations