Sanaa Lathan

Sanaa Lathan is an actress best known for her roles in The Best Man (1999), Love & Basketball (2000) and Nappily Ever After (2018). Born to TV producer Stan Lathan and actress Eleanor McCoy, Lathan was exposed to show business at an early age. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, earning a degree in English before obtaining a master’s degree in drama from Yale University.

Lathan began her career with guest roles on television shows like Family Matters and Moesha before landing her breakout role in Love & Basketball (2000), where she starred as Monica Wright opposite Omar Epps. The role earned her critical acclaim and an NAACP Image Award.

She went on to star in The Best Man (1999) and its sequel The Best Man Holiday (2013), Brown Sugar (2002), Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Something New (2006). The actress has also lent her voice to The Cleveland Show as Donna Tubbs, reprising the role in Family Guy. In 2021, she appeared in season 3 of HBO’s Succession as Lisa Arthur. Her appearance on the show won her the 2022 Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series.

The following year, she made her directorial debut with the movie adaptation of Angie Thomas’s novel On the Come Up.

The Emmy nominee has been linked to Epps, Tyrese Gibson and French Montana over the years.