Early life

Long was born in Trenton, NJ, to Talita (nee Gillman), a teacher and printmaker, and Doughtry "Doc" Long, a high school teacher and poet. Her family is of Trinidadian, Grenadian, and Bajan descent. She has an older half-sister, the actress and comedian known as Sommore.

Long was two years old when her parents divorced. She accompanied her mother when she moved to Iowa City, Iowa, to study fine arts. Her mother moved to South Los Angeles when Long was seven years old, as she planned to marry there. She and her fiance called off the wedding, but Talita chose to stay in Los Angeles. Long's father resides in Trenton, New Jersey.

Long attended the Roman Catholic school St. Mary's Academy in Inglewood, California. In addition to her academic classes, she studied ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics, guitar, and acting. She graduated from Westchester High School in Los Angeles in 1989.

Career

Long's acting coach was Betty Bridges, better known as the mother of Diff'rent Strokes star Todd Bridges. Her earliest role was in the Disney television movie, The B.R.A.T Patrol alongside Sean Astin, Tim Thomerson and Brian Keith. Her first notable role on television was a three-year contract role as Kathryn "Kat" Speakes on the soap opera Guiding Light. Long portrayed Kat from 1991 to 1994. Long played Brandi in Boyz n the Hood. The film excited Long, who was doing her "first real movie role" would helped Long build her confidence as an actress. "It introduced me to the world in a way that it was okay for me to be who I am and still find success," she added. "I didn’t have to conform to anything." From 1994 - 1995, she played Will Smith's girlfriend and fiancée Beulah "Lisa" Wilkes on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Jada Pinkett-Smith was originally supposed to play Lisa, but was too short for the role (opposite a 6'2" Will Smith), thus leaving Nia to take the part.

In 2000, Long was offered the role of Alex Munday in Charlie's Angels, but she turned it down, and the role was eventually given to Lucy Liu. In 2003, she joined the cast of the drama Third Watch, where she played NYPD Officer Sasha Monroe, continuing until the series finale in 2005. In 2005 and 2006, Long appeared on Everwood, and appeared on Boston Legal during its 2006-2007 season. Long also starred in Big Shots from 2007-2008 alongside Michael Vartan and Dylan McDermott.

Long appeared in supporting roles in a number of movies such as Friday and Made in America. Long played a leading role, or a member of the primary ensemble, in several films, including Soul Food, Love Jones, Boiler Room, Big Momma's House, Are We There Yet?, and The Best Man. Ice Cube has starred with her in four films, while (fellow Westchester High alum) Regina King has starred with her in two. Long starred alongside Michael Beach in Soul Food and in the TV series Third Watch.

Long appears in the video for Kanye West's "Touch the Sky". She directed Yolanda Adams's music video for "This Too Shall Pass". She won a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2004 for her performance on Third Watch. Long co-directed and appeared in Ashanti's music video, "Baby". She also made a guest appearance on the successful sitcom Living Single during its first season.

She appeared in the 2013 film The Best Man Holiday, reprising her role from the original 1999 film. Unlike the original film, however, her character is in an interracial relationship with a caucasian man. Long was revealed to have pursuing an interracial relationship in the film and explained: "We're living in a modern world where it happens and it's OK and it's no disrespect to any black man. I love black men, but the reality is the sistahs are marrying white men and the brothas are marrying white women and that's the world that we live in and it's not to be judged, and if it works for you then embrace it". Director Malcolm D. Lee also supported the interracial relationship being portrayed in the film. "African-American women who are extremely successful can't always find black male counterparts on that level so it's a little bit of a reflection of reality that black women are starting to date outside their race — and why not?"

Personal life

Long started dating Ime Udoka in 2010, and gave birth to their son, Kez Sunday, in 2011. They became engaged in May 2015. She also has another son, Massai Zhivago Dorsey II, from a previous relationship.

The actress contributes her time to the Sterling Children's Home in Barbados, as a motivational speaker.

Long is a supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Long supported Barack Obama during his presidential campaign and became a vocal proponent of his reelection in 2012.

Filmography

Film

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1990	Buried Alive	Fingers
1991	Boyz n the Hood	Brandi
1993	Made in America	Zora Mathews
1995	Friday	Debbie
1997	Love Jones	Nina Mosley
	Hav Plenty	Trudy
	Soul Food	Tracy "Bird" Joseph
1998	Butter	Carmen Jones
1999	In Too Deep	Myra
	The Best Man	Jordan Armstrong	Winner of a Black Reel Award for Best Actress and a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
	Stigmata	Donna Chadway
	Held Up	Rae
	The Secret Laughter of Women	Nimi Da Silva
2000	The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy	Leslie
	Boiler Room	Abbie Halpert	Nominated for a Black Reel Award
	Big Momma's House	Sherry Pierce
2003	BAADASSSSS!	Sandra
2004	The N-Word	Herself	Documentary
	Alfie	Lonette	Nominated for a Black Reel Award
2005	Are We There Yet?	Suzanne Kingston
2006	Big Momma's House 2	Sherry Pierce-Turner	Reprising her role from the 2000 film Big Momma's House
2007	Premonition	Annie
	Are We Done Yet?	Suzanne Kingston-Persons	Reprising her role from the 2005 film Are We There Yet?
2008	Gospel Hill	Yvonne Palmer
2009	Good Hair	Herself	Documentary
2010	Mooz-lum	Safiyah
2013	The Best Man Holiday	Jordan Armstrong	Reprising her role from the 1999 film The Best Man
2014	The Single Moms Club	May Miller
2016	Keanu	Hannah
2016	The Best Man Wedding	Jordan Armstrong	In Production

Television

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1986	227	Girl	1 episode (uncredited)
	The B.R.A.T. Patrol	Darla Perkins	Television Movie
1991-1993	Guiding Light	Katherine "Kat" Speakes	unknown episodes
1993	Living Single	Stacey Evans	1 episode
1994-1995	The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air	Lisa Wilkes / Claudia	15 episodes
1995-1996	Live Shot	Ramona Greer	Recurring Role
1996	ER	Christy Wilson	1 episode
	Moesha	Ruth	2 episodes
1998	Black Jaq	Jaqueline "Jaq" Blackman	Television Pilot
2000	If These Walls Could Talk 2	Karen	Television Movie; "1972" segment
2001-2002	Judging Amy	Andrea Solomon	6 episodes
2002	Sightings: Heartland Ghost	Lou	Television Movie
2003-2005	Third Watch	Officer Sasha Monroe	45 episodes
2006	Everwood	Cassie	1 episode
2007	Boston Legal	Vanessa Walker	3 episodes
2007-2008	Big Shots	Katie Graham	11 episodes
2009-2010	The Cleveland Show	Roberta Tubbs	13 episodes
2010	Boston's Finest	Taylor Sanchez	Television Pilot
2011	Chase	Melissa Randolph	1 episode
2012	House of Lies	Tamara	9 episodes
2014	The Divide	Billie Page	8 episodes
2015	Real Husbands of Hollywood	Herself	1 episode
2016	Uncle Buck	Cindy Russell	Main role

Awards and nominations

BET Comedy Awards
Year	Category	Result
2005	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Theatrical Film (Alfie)	Nominated

Black Reel Awards
Year	Category	Result
2005	Best Supporting Actress (Alfie)	Nominated
2001	Best Supporting Actress (Boiler Room)	Nominated
2000	Best Actress (The Best Man)	Won

Image Awards
Year	Category	Result
2005	Outstanding Actress in a Television Drama (Third Watch)	Won
2004	Outstanding Actress in a Television Drama (Third Watch)	Won
2001	Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Big Momma's House)	Nominated
	Outstanding Actress in Television Movie/Mini-Series (If These Walls Could Talk 2)	Nominated
2000	Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (The Best Man)	Won

[ Source: Wikipedia ]