Latest news with #ExcellenceintheArts
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Joins Anya Taylor-Joy In Apple TV+ Series ‘Lucky'
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is joining the cast of Apple TV+ limited series Lucky. According to Deadline, Ellis-Taylor joins a cast led by Anya Taylor-Joy, who also executive produces with Reese Witherspoon and series creator Jonathan Tropper. The series follows Lucky (Taylor-Joy), a woman who turned her back on her criminal past. But in order to fully put the past behind her, she must dive back into the criminal underworld one more time. Ellis-Taylor's character is FBI Agent Billie Rand. There's no description of her character, but it stands to reason that Rand would be after Lucky and the criminal world she's involved in. Lucky is based on the book by Marissa Stapley and was part of Witherspoon's 'Reese's Book Club' at Hello Sunshine (which also serves as the film's producer with Topper's Tropper Ink). Hello Sunshine's Lauren Neustadter also executive produces with director Jonathan Van Tulleken. Taylor-Joy executive produces through her company Ladykiller. Ellis-Taylor was recently honored with the Excellence in the Arts award at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors ceremony. She can currently be seen in the Oscar-nominated film Nickel Boys. She can also be heard on the Radiotopia from PRX's narrative podcast Red for Revolution alongside Rutina Wesley, Jennifer Beals, Loretta Devine, Jordan Hull, S. Epatha Merkerson, Renée Wilson, Danny Glover, Vanessa E. Williams, Alimi Ballard and adrienne maree post Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Joins Anya Taylor-Joy In Apple TV+ Series 'Lucky' appeared first on Blavity.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Thanks Keke Palmer for ‘Making Me Famous,' Aaron Pierre Breaks Out Viral ‘Mufasa' Dance Moves and More Inside ABFF Honors
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor enjoyed a surprise early birthday celebration at the 2025 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors ceremony on Monday night — complete with a cake, sparkling candles and the well-heeled crowd singing her 'Happy Birthday' (the Stevie Wonder version, of course). Ellis-Taylor was among the special honorees at the awards show, feted not just for turning another year older, but for delivering another year full of dazzling performances, including in the best picture Oscar-nominated film 'Nickel Boys.' Though the spotlight was on Elllis-Taylor, she seemed less interested in accepting her well-deserved flowers than in doling them out to her fellow honorees. More from Variety Taraji P. Henson Urges Black Creatives to 'Keep Telling Your Truth, Because It's All We Have' ABFF Honors to Salute Taraji P. Henson, Jeffrey Wright, Garrett Morris and Mara Brock Akil Kerry Washington Pays Tribute to Whitney Houston, Diahann Carroll at ABFF Honors 'Keke Palmer made me famous,' Ellis-Taylor declared as she took the stage at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills to accept ABFF's Excellence in the Arts trophy from her 'Origin' director Ava DuVernay. A dozen years ago, Ellis-Taylor and Palmer — who was honored with the Renaissance Award for her varied career accomplishments thus far — co-starred in the Lifetime TV movie 'Abducted: The Carlina White Story.' According to Ellis-Taylor, Palmer and her mother Sharon Palmer fought to ensure that she had the opportunity to do meaty work that reached a wide audience. 'And I've been chasing that feeling ever since,' Ellis-Taylor said. 'Because it was the first time I felt the line between who I was and who I played merged.' Ellis-Taylor also saluted Marla Gibbs, the evening's Hollywood Legacy award honoree, explaining that one cannot be honored 'alongside' an icon like 'The Jeffersons' and '227' alum, 'because [she] will always be in the distance — unreachable, unmatched. She was my understanding of what it was to be a comedian. They had Carol Burnett. We had Marla Gibbs.' Then, she offered words of affirmation to Rising Star award winner Aaron Pierre, explaining that she only knew him by rumor, but that what she'd heard 'portends a world-changer.' She saved her final praise for Giancarlo Esposito, who picked up the evening's other Excellence in the Arts prize. 'I was born an agitator, probably. But there was no definition to it, until I saw you. I was given words to what was churning inside of me,' Ellis-Taylor said of watching Esposito in Spike Lee's 'Do the Right Thing.' His insightful and inciting quote ('How come you ain't got no brothers on that wall?') inspired her activism moving forward, as the film opened her eyes to the structural inequities that need to be addressed in the fight for equality. 'This is why these messages of 'another seat at the table' is deaf to me. I don't want to hear that. I'm not interested at no seat at no table. I don't want the seat or the table. I want the structure. I want the land that the structure belongs,' Ellis-Taylor preached. 'Why? Because it's mine. … Thank you ABFF, because you are encouraging me to tear down that wall, to tear down that house and reclaim the land.' Ellis-Taylor's rousing speech might've been the most potent of a night that felt more church revival than awards show. In fact, the black tie gala kicked off with the gospel choir from Victory Bible Church in Pasadena, Calif., singing a rousing rendition of 'The Best Is Yet to Come,' by Donald Lawrence and The Tri-City Singers, to honor the historically Black communities affected by the L.A. wildfires. The show, hosted by comedian Zainab Johnson, was packed with sincere moments, like Anthony Mackie sharing the advice Esposito gave him, a kid fresh off the boat from New Orleans, about how to be a successful working actor, decades before they were Marvel co-stars; or Palmer discussing the importance of creators owning their rightful share of their content; or a 93-year-old Gibbs saying that she's not done yet, and sharing her mantra: 'Long as you're still here and still breathing, you've got another shot.' But the event was far from a somber affair. Case in point, Pierre was played onto the stage to accept his award with the viral anthem, 'Aaron. Pierre. That's Mufasaaaa,' which was created by the crew of 'The Jennifer Hudson Show' for his 'Spirit Tunnel' entrance last December. In on the joke, Pierre gave the people what they wanted and gamely did his little dance — suavely two-stepping, spinning and high-fiving the trophy presenter, while the crowd clapped and sang along. Scroll on for a look inside the ceremony:
