Wave Staff Report
HOLLYWOOD — Nia Long was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Sept. 16 for her career in films.
She was joined by “Michael” producer Graham King, and Snoop Dogg, along with emcee Angelique Jackson.
“The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome Nia Long to the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” said Ana Martinez, Walk of Fame producer. “Nia is such a beloved and talented actress, and we’re so excited to celebrate her incredible career with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has brought so many unforgettable characters to life and has connected with audiences for decades. It’s wonderful to see her receive this well-deserved honor.”
Long’s most recent film was “Michael,” the blockbuster biopic of cultural icon Michael Jackson. Long played Katherine Jackson, matriarch of the Jackson family, alongside Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson, and Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew, as the music icon. The film scored the top launch ever for a music biopic domestically, and recently dethroned “Oppenheimer” as the highest-grossing biopic of all time.
Born in Brooklyn, Long moved to South Los Angeles when she was 7. she graduated from Westchester High School in 1989. In addition to her academic classes, Long studied ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics, guitar, and acting.
A four-time NAACP Image Award winner, her role in “Boyz n the Hood” in the 1990s put her on the map, followed by iconic parts in “Friday,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Third Watch,” Tyler Perry’s “The Single Moms Club,” “Made in America,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Empire,” “#blackAF,” and “Dear White People,” among others.
Long recently wrapped production for Netflix’s upcoming romantic drama “Don’t Ever Wonder,” reuniting with her “Love Jones” co-star Larenz Tate.
It was just announced that Long and Ice Cube are reuniting after 20 years for “Are They Gone Yet?,” which is currently in early development after being acquired by Skydance Sports, two decades after the pair starred alongside each other in the hit films “Are We There Yet?” and “Are We Done Yet?”
Long’s other films include “You People,” “Missing,” “Searching,” “Fatal Affair” and “The Banker,” along with “The Best Man: The Final Chapters,” which earned her a 2023 NAACP Image Award.
Long’s upcoming memoir will be published by Gallery Books, and in 2024 she was a Grammy nominee, appearing on Janelle Monáe’s “The Age of Pleasure,” which was nominated for Album of The Year.
She is a longtime supporter of the United Nations Foundation and in 2023 was honored by Reel Works with the ChangeMaker Award.
