Nia Long

Nia Long is an actress best known for her roles in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Boyz n the Hood, Friday and Soul Food. Long was born in Brooklyn and, after her parents’ divorce, moved with her mother to Iowa before finally settling in Los Angeles. She attended St. Mary’s Academy in Inglewood, California, where she studied ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics, guitar and acting before graduating from Westchester High School in L.A. in 1989. She later attended Santa Monica College and studied acting with coach Betty A. Bridges.

Long began acting professionally as a child, appearing in the television movie The B.R.A.T. Patrol (1986). She made her film breakthrough as Brandi in 1991’s Boyz n the Hood. That same year, she landed a three-year role on Guiding Light as Kathryn Speakes. She also joined The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Will Smith’s character’s girlfriend and later fiancée, Lisa Wilkes.

Her other notable credits on television include Moesha, Third Watch, House of Lies, Empire and NCIS: Los Angeles. On the big screen, she’s appeared in films including Big Momma’s House (2000), Boiler Room (2000), The Best Man (1999) and its 2013 sequel, The Banker (2020) and Missing (2023). In 2026, she appeared in the Michael Jackson biopic Michael as matriarch Katherine Jackson.

Long shares son Massai (born in 2000) with actor Massai Z. Dorsey and son Kez (born in 2011) with former NBA player and coach Ime Udoka. Long and Udoka began dating in 2010 and became engaged in 2015 before ending their relationship in 2022 after the basketball coach had an affair.