Early life

Toussaint was born in Trinidad. In an interview she said: "I grew up under the British system, which I think is horrific for children -- very, very strict -- a system that did not recognize children as being individuals. You were small animals earning the right to be human. Childhood for me then felt extraordinarily powerless, and as an artistic child who learned in alternative ways, it was hell. I was beaten regularly... A good child was a fearful child, and I was a very, very, good child, which meant I lived in a world of silent, dark terror most of the time." Her mother was a teacher, and brought Toussaint to live in Brooklyn in the late 1960s.

Toussaint graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts in 1978. She then attended the Juilliard School's drama division as a member of Group 11 (1978-1982), where her classmates in 1982 included Megan Gallagher, Penny Johnson Jerald, Jack Kenny, and Jack Stehlin. Toussaint graduated from Juilliard with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She then began her career as Shakespearean actress before tackling screen acting in television and film.

Career

Early career

Toussaint made her screen debut in 1983. In 1986 she played the role of widow of a man shot and killed by Boston cops in the television film A Case of Deadly Force based on the book by Lawrence O'Donnell. She later had a recurring role of Vera Williams in the ABC daytime soap opera, One Life to Live, and alongside stage career appeared in guest starring roles in series like 227 and Law & Order (as recurring defense lawyer Shambala Green), and acted in a number of television films in the 1990s.

Toussaint has made her film debut in the female lead role opposite Burt Reynolds in the crime comedy Breaking In (1989). The film received positive reviews from critics, but flopped in box office. In 1991 she appeared opposite Bruce Willis in Hudson Hawk, and later co-starred alongside Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Minds (1995). She also appeared in films Point of No Return (1993), Mother's Boys (1994), and Black Dog (1998). On television, Toussaint had regular roles in short-lived series Bodies of Evidence (CBS, 1992), Where I Live (ABC, 1993), Amazing Grace (NBC, 1995), and Leaving L.A. (ABC, 1997).

1998—2011

Toussaint had her biggest and leading role alongside Annie Potts in the Lifetime first original television drama series, Any Day Now. She starred in show as Rene Jackson, a successful African-American lawyer. The series has received critical acclaim for Toussaint's and Potts' acting performances and writing, but never had big ratings. In 2001, Toussaint was a promising contender for an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category, though she did not receive a nomination. She also was nominated five times for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role. Any Day Now ended after four-season and 88 episodes.

From 2002 to 2004, Toussaint had regular role of Dr. Elaine Duchamps in the NBC police procedural, Crossing Jordan. In later years she guest-starred on Frasier, Judging Amy, The Closer, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, ER, and NCIS. She also was regular opposite Holly Hunter in the TNT crime drama Saving Grace as Capt. Kate Perry from 2007 to 2010. She also had a recurring roles of Amelia 'Yoga' Bluman in the ABC comedy series Ugly Betty in 2006, and as Bird Merriweather in the NBC drama Friday Night Lights (2009-11). Toussaint appeared as Jamie Foxx's character's mother in the 2009 drama The Soloist.

2012-present

In 2012, Toussaint received critical acclaim and was nominated for a Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for her performance as a hardworking mother who struggles to support her daughter's (Emayatzy Corinealdi) decision to put her life on hold to support her incarcerated husband (Omari Hardwick), of Middle of Nowhere, a drama film written and directed by Ava DuVernay. Toussaint was a promising contender for a Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress category in 2013, but she did not receive a nomination. In 2012, she also guest-starred in Shonda Rhimes' dramas Grey's Anatomy as doctor, and on Scandal, as a bereaved and betrayed pastor’s wife. In 2013, she had a recurring role in season 3 of Dana Delany's series Body of Proof as Angela Martin, the new police chief and main villain. Later in 2013, she joined the cast of ABC Family drama series, The Fosters, as Sherri Saum's character mother. In show she reunited on-screen with Annie Potts in first time as of Any Day Now finale in 2002.

Toussaint starred in the second season of Netflix's original comedy-drama series, Orange Is the New Black in 2014. She played the role of Yvonne “Vee” Parker, the main antagonist of season two, described as a street-tough inmate who returns to jail after a long stint as a drug dealer. Her performance earned massive critical acclaim. In the series Toussaint, in her 50s, appeared nude on-screen for the first time in her career. For her performance, she won Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

In 2014, Toussaint co-starred in Ava DuVernay's historical drama film Selma, playing Amelia Boynton Robinson, a leading civil rights activist who had a key role in efforts that led to passage of the Voting Rights Act, and who was the first African-American woman in Alabama to run for Congress. That same year, she was cast in the ABC fantasy-drama series Forever opposite Ioan Gruffudd and Alana de la Garza. The series was canceled after a single season. Toussaint co-starred in the comedy film Xmas, directed and written by Jonathan Levine, which was released on November 25, 2015. In 2015, she co-starred in Runaway Island and Sophie and the Rising Sun. Later that year, Toussaint was cast in Coco, a drama produced by Lionsgate, alongside rapper Azealia Banks. In June 2015, she joined the cast of the Fox comedy-drama Rosewood in the series regular role of the titular character's mother.

In March 2016, Toussaint was cast in her role as defense attorney Shambala Green, a role she originated on Law & Order in 1990, on the NBC legal drama Chicago Justice, that will be air backdoor pilot in Chicago P.D..

Personal life

Toussaint is married to Micah Zane and has one daughter, Samara. One of Toussaint's grandparents was from Haiti, while the other was from Martinique.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1989	Breaking In	Delphine the Hooker
1991	Hudson Hawk	Almond Joy
1993	Point of No Return	Beth
1994	Mother's Boys	Robert's Associate
1994	Bleeding Hearts	Enid Sheperd
1995	Dangerous Minds	Irene Roberts
1996	Psalms from the Underground		Short film
1997	Spittin' Image, TheThe Spittin' Image		Short film
1998	Black Dog	Avery
1998	Jaded	Carol Broker
2001	Sky Is Falling, TheThe Sky Is Falling	Janie
2007	Rwanda Rising	Berne Mukaniwisi	Voice
2008	Gold Lunch, TheThe Gold Lunch	Judge	Short film
2009	Soloist, TheThe Soloist	Flo Ayers
2012	Middle of Nowhere	Ruth
2014	Ask Me Anything	Dr. Sherman
2014	Selma	Amelia Boynton Robinson
2015	Runaway Island	Naomi Holloway
2015	The Night Before	Mrs. Roberts
2016	Sophie and the Rising Sun	Salome Whitmore
2016	Freak Show	Flossie	Post-production
2016	Coco	Nichelle	Post-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1983	Face of Rage, TheThe Face of Rage	Stendah	Television film
1986	Case of Deadly Force, AA Case of Deadly Force	Pat Bowden	Television film
1988	One Life to Live	Vera Williams	Recurring role
1989	Man Called Hawk, AA Man Called Hawk	Emily Howell	Episode: "Hear No Evil"
1990	Common Ground	Alva	Television film
1990	227	Monica Patton	Episode: "Nightmare on 227"
1990	Nasty Boys	Dr. Chanel Cory	Episode: "Kill or Be Killed: Part 1"
1990-94, 2003	Law & Order	Shambala Green	Recurring role, 7 episodes
1991	Daddy	Judge (uncredited)	Television film
1992	Red Dwarf	Captain Tau	Television film
1992	Tequila and Bonetti	Big Marie	Episode: "The Rose Cadillac"
1992	Trial: The Price of Passion	Nancy Goodpaster	Television film
1992	Bodies of Evidence	Dr. Mary Rocket	Series regular (season 1), 8 episodes
1993	Queen	Joyce	TV miniseries
1993	Lies and Lullabies	Florence Crawford	Television film
1993	Class of '61	Sarah	Television film
1993	Sinbad Show, TheThe Sinbad Show	Mrs. Payton	Episode: "Pilot"
1993	Where I Live	Marie St. Martin	Series regular, 21 episodes
1994	Time to Heal, AA Time to Heal	Zelda	Television film
1994	M.A.N.T.I.S.	Denise Copeland	Episode: "Fire in the Heart"
1995	Bless This House	Lorraine	Episode: "A Woman's Work Is Never Done"
1995	Amazing Grace	Yvonne Price	Series regular, 5 episodes
1995	Murder One	Margaret Stratton	Episode: "Chapter 6" Episode: "Chapter 8"
1995	It Was Him or Us	Lt. Washington	Television film
1996	America's Dream	Philomena	Television film
1996	Nightjohn	Dealey	Television film
1996	If These Walls Could Talk	Shameeka Webb	Television film
1996	Mr. & Mrs. Smith	Dr. Cotter	Episode: "The Coma Episode"
1996	Dark Skies	Eda Mae Tillman	Episode: "We Shall Overcome"
1996	Cherokee Kid, TheThe Cherokee Kid	Mama Turner	Television film
1997	Promised Land	Linda Paxton	Episode: "Running Scared"
1997	Leaving L.A.	Dr. Claudia Chan	Series regular, 6 episodes
1998	Blackout Effect	Kim Garfield	Television film
1998	Nothing Sacred	Lorraine Hamilton	Episode: "Signs and Words"
1998	Cracker: Mind Over Murder	Tisha Watlington	Episode: "If: Part 1" Episode: "If: Part 2"
1998	C-16: FBI	Marsha Fontaine	Episode: "My Brother's Keeper"
1998-2002	Any Day Now	Rene Jackson	Series regular, 88 episodes
2002-03	Crossing Jordan	Dr. Elaine Duchamps	Series regular, 12 episodes
2003-04	Threat Matrix	Carina Wright	Recurring role, 5 episodes
2004	Frasier	Nurse	Episode: "Boo!"
2005	Their Eyes Were Watching God	Pearl Stone	Television film
2005	Judging Amy	Eileen Stayman	Episode: "The New Normal"
2005	Closer, TheThe Closer	Deputy D.A. Powell	Episode: "Fatal Retraction" Episode: "Standards and Practices"
2005	Numb3rs	Medical Examiner	Episode: "Bones of Contention"
2006	3 lbs	Della	Episode: "Unaired Pilot"
2006-07	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Cynthia James / Marla James	Episodes: "Fannysmackin'", "Post Mortem" and "Big Shots"
2006	Ugly Betty	Amelia 'Yoga' Bluman	Recurring role, 6 episodes
2007-10	Saving Grace	Capt. Kate Perry	Series regular, 43 episodes
2008	ER	Yolanda	Episode: "Believe the Unseen"
2009	Numb3rs	Agent Terri Green	Episode: "Cover Me"
2009-11	Friday Night Lights	Bird Merriweather	Recurring role, 6 episodes
2010	Line, TheThe Line	Josephine Johnson	TV pilot
2010	Three Rivers	Yolanda Moss	Episode: "Every Breath You Take"
2010	Glades, TheThe Glades	Carol Watkins	Episode: "A Perfect Storm"
2011	Doctor, TheThe Doctor	Ayanna	TV pilot
2011	NCIS	Deputy Director Donna Wolfson	Episode: "Defiance"
2011	Against the Wall	Officer Edie	Episode: "Obsessed and Unwanted"
2012	Grey's Anatomy	Dr. Fincher	Episode: "The Girl with No Name"
2012	Finder, TheThe Finder	La Bruja	Episode: "Voodoo Undo"
2012	Drop Dead Diva	Prof. Ellen Daily	Episode: "Road Trip"
2012	Secret Life of the American Teenager, TheThe Secret Life of the American Teenager		Episode: "Holy Rollers"
2012	Scandal	Nancy Drake	Episode: "The Other Woman"
2013	Body of Proof	Angela Martin	Recurring role, 4 episodes
2013-present	The Fosters	Dana Adams	Recurring role, 5 episodes
2014	Being Mary Jane	Aunt Toni	Episode: "The Huxtables Have Fallen"
2014	Orange Is the New Black	Yvonne “Vee” Parker	Season 2 regular, 12 episodes
2014-15	Forever	Lt. Joanna Reece	Series regular, 21 episodes
2015-present	Rosewood	Donna Rosewood	Series regular

Awards and nominations

Year	Association	Category	Work	Result
1999	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series	Any Day Now	Nominated
1999	TV Guide Award	Best Actress in a Drama Series	Any Day Now	Nominated
1999	Viewers for Quality Television Award	Viewers for Quality Television Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series	Any Day Now	Nominated
2000	National Bar Association Award	Wiley A. Branton Award	Any Day Now	Won
2000	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series	Any Day Now	Nominated
2001	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series	Any Day Now	Nominated
2002	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series	Any Day Now	Nominated
2003	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series	Any Day Now	Nominated
2008	LA Femme Filmmaker Award	Visionary Award		Won
2013	Film Independent Spirit Awards	Best Supporting Female	Middle of Nowhere	Nominated
2013	Black Reel Award	Best Supporting Actress	Middle of Nowhere	Nominated
2013	Black Reel Award	Best Ensemble	Middle of Nowhere	Nominated
2014	NewNowNext Award	Best New Television Actress	Orange Is the New Black	Nominated
2014	Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award	Best Ensemble	Selma	Nominated
2014	Black Film Critics Circle Award	Best Ensemble	Selma	Won
2015	Critics' Choice Movie Award	Best Ensemble	Selma	Nominated
	NAACP Image Award	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Orange is the New Black	Nominated
	Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series	Orange is the New Black	Won
	Essence Black Women in Hollywood Award	Vanguard Award	Orange is the New Black	Won
	Black Reel Award	Best Ensemble	Selma	Won
	Critics' Choice Television Award	Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series	Orange is the New Black	Won
	EWwy Awards	Best Supporting Actress in a Drama	Orange is the New Black	Nominated

[ Source: Wikipedia ]