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Danielle Deadwyler
Danielle deadwyler 2023 1.jpg
Born 1981/1982 (age 42–43))
Education Spelman College (BA)
Columbia University (MA)
Ashland University (MFA)
Occupation Actress
Years active 2008–present
Children 1

Danielle Deadwyler (born 1981/1982) is an American actress. She began her career appearing on Atlanta stage, including in the 2009 production of For Colored Girls, and made her screen debut in the 2012 drama film A Cross to Bear. Deadwyler appeared in the primetime series The Haves and the Have Nots (2015–2017), the series P-Valley (2020), the miniseries Station Eleven (2021–2022), and the miniseries From Scratch (2022).

Deadwyler garnered critical acclaim for starring in the western film The Harder They Fall (2021) and the biopic Till (2022). Her portrayal of Mamie Till in the latter earned her many accolades, garnering the Gotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Lead Performance and earning BAFTA Award, Critics' Choice Movie Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

Early life

Deadwyler was born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in Southwest Atlanta. She is the daughter of a legal secretary and a railroad supervisor and has three siblings. Deadwyler graduated from Grady High School (now Midtown High School) and then Spelman College. She received a Master's of Arts in American Studies from Columbia University and another master’s degree in creative writing at Ashland University in 2017.

Career

2009–2020

Deadwyler began her career appearing on stage productions, including Charlotte's Web and The Real Tweenagers of Atlanta. She received positive reviews for leading performance in Alliance Theatre's The C.A. Lyons Project. Deadwyler made her film debut playing the leading role of a homeless mother in the 2012 drama A Cross to Bear directed by Tandria Potts. Deadwyler later acted in a number of short films, then landed roles on television.

In 2015, Deadwyler guest-starred in the second season of BET's drama series Being Mary Jane. Later that year, she joined the cast of Tyler Perry’s series The Haves and the Have Nots, playing antagonist LaQuita "Quita" Maxwell. She left the series during Season 4. Eventually, Deadwyler had secondary roles in the films Gifted and The Leisure Seeker, and appeared in the television series Greenleaf, Atlanta and Watchmen. On Atlanta stage, she appeared in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Clybourne Park at Aurora Theater, portrayed an actress injured doing Shakespeare in Smart People at True Colors Theater, and played multiple roles in The Temple Bombing at the Alliance Theater. In 2018, Deadwyler played the title role of Jane Manning James in the period drama film Jane and Emma. She played a leading role and produced the 2019 thriller film The Devil To Pay. The film and Deadwyler's performance received positive reviews from critics. Cath Clarke from The Guardian wrote in her review: "Deadwyler’s soulful performance really grounds The Devil to Pay even as it cranks into revenge-movie mode."

In 2020, Deadwyler was cast in a series regular role in the series Paradise Lost, with Josh Hartnett, Bridget Regan and Barbara Hershey. The series was not renewed for a second season. That same year, Deadwyler guest-starred on FBI: Most Wanted and had a recurring role as Yoli in the series P-Valley.

2021–present

Joe Biden in 2023 - P20230216CS-0130 04
President Joe Biden greets cast members Jalyn Hall and Deadwyler before a screening of the movie Till on February 16, 2023, in the Blue Room of the White House

In 2021, Deadwyler played the role of Cuffee in the Netflix western film The Harder They Fall. The character was inspired by Cathay Williams. The film and her performance received positive reviews from film critics. Deadwyler received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her performance and well as number of Best Ensemble awards. Later in 2021, she played Miranda Carroll in the miniseries Station Eleven Also that year, Deadwyler was in the Netflix miniseries From Scratch, based on Tembi Locke's memoir. She played the role of lead character' older sister, receiving positive reviews.

Deadwyler starred as Mamie Till in the biographical film Till (2022) directed by Chinonye Chukwu. She received positive reviews from critics for her lead performance in the movie. Manohla Dargis in The New York Times: "With fixed intensity and supple quicksilver emotional changes, Deadwyler rises to the occasion as Mamie, delivering a quiet, centralizing performance that works contrapuntally with the story’s heaviness, its profundity and violence." Deadwyler received the National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance (shared with Gabriel LaBelle for The Fabelmans) and the Gotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Lead Performance for her performance.

In 2024, Deadwyler played the leading role in the science fiction thriller film Parallel directed by Kourosh Ahari, a remake of Lei Zheng's feature of the same name. The film was released by Vertical Entertainment on February 23, 2024. She starred in the horror-thriller film I Saw the TV Glow, it premiered in the Midnight section at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2024 and received positive reviews from critics.

Deadwyler set to appear in the action thriller Carry-On for Netflix. In March 2023, Deadwyler was cast alongside Robert Pattinson, Amy Adams, Robert Downey Jr. and Forest Whitaker in the comedy film Average Height, Average Build written and directed by Adam McKay. Deadwyler will also star in The Piano Lesson, an adaptation of the August Wilson play. She starred in the Canadian post-apocalyptic thriller film, 40 Acres. She will next star in the horror film The Woman in the Yard directed by Jaume Collet-Serra produced by Blumhouse and distributed by Universal Pictures.

Personal life

Deadwyler has a son.

Filmography

Film

+Key Not yet released Denotes works that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Notes
2010 Cyburbia Cyburbia Short film
2012 A Cross to Bear Erica Moses
2013 Sweet, Sweet Country Ndizeye Short film
2014 Ir/Reconcilable Maria Short film, also producer
2015 The Youth Hoda Short film
2017 Gifted Animal Shelter Worker
The Leisure Seeker Hotel Waitress
2018 Jane and Emma Jane Manning
2019 The Devil to Pay Lemon Cassidy Also producer
2020 It's Time Karen Phillips
Bygone Billy Trudy Wake
2021 The Harder They Fall Cuffee
2022 Till Mamie Till
2024 I Saw the TV Glow Brenda
Parallel Vanessa Also executive producer
Carry-On Not yet released TBA Post-production
2025 The Woman in the Yard Not yet released TBA Also executive producer
Filming
TBA The Piano Lesson Not yet released Bernice Charles Post-production
40 Acres Not yet released Hailey Freeman Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2015 Being Mary Jane Naima Episode: "Signing Off"
2015–2017 Haves and the Have Nots, TheThe Haves and the Have Nots LaQuita "Quita" Maxwell Recurring role
2016 Greenleaf Stacy Episodes: "Good Morning, Calvary" and "What Are You Doing Here?"
2018 Hap and Leonard Woman Episode: "T-Bone Mambo"
Atlanta Tami Episode: "Champagne Papi"
2019 Watchmen June Episodes: "This Extraordinary Being" and "An Almost Religious Awe"
2020 FBI: Most Wanted Cleo Wilkens Episode: "Caesar"
Paradise Lost Nique Green Series regular
P-Valley Yoli Recurring role, 3 episodes
2021–2022 Station Eleven Miranda Carroll Miniseries
2022 From Scratch Zora Miniseries

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2019 Nightmares Film Festival Best Actress Feature The Devil to Pay Nominated
2020 GenreBlast Film Festival Best Actress – Feature Film Won
2021 Princess Grace Award "For her filmmaking, which is decidedly more experimental" Won
Gotham Awards Ensemble Tribute The Harder They Fall Won
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards Best Ensemble Nominated
National Board of Review Awards Best Cast Won
San Diego Film Critics Society Best Performance by an Ensemble Nominated
Women Film Critics Circle Awards The Invisible Woman Award Won
2022 African-American Film Critics Association Best Ensemble Won
Austin Film Critics Association Best Ensemble Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association Awards Best Cast Ensemble Nominated
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture Won
Black Reel Awards Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Acting Ensemble Nominated
Gotham Awards Outstanding Lead Performance Till Won
Santa Barbara International Film Festival Virtuosos Award Won
Critics Choice Association
Celebration of Black Cinema and Television
Actress Award for Film Won
Chicago Film Critics Association Award Most Promising Performer 2nd place
National Board of Review Breakthrough Performance - Female Won
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards Best Lead Performance Runner-up
St. Louis Film Critics Association Best Actress Nominated
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Best Actress Nominated
Atlanta Film Critics Circle Best Breakthrough Performer Nominated
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Actress 4th place
Florida Film Critics Circle Best Actress Nominated
Greater Western New York Film Critics Association Best Actress Nominated
Breakthrough Performance Nominated
Indiana Film Journalists Association Best Lead Performance Nominated
IndieWire Critics Poll Best Performance 4th place
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Best Actress Nominated
Online Association of Female Film Critics Best Female Lead Nominated
Phoenix Critics Circle Best Actress Nominated
UK Film Critics Association Actress of the Year Nominated
Utah Film Critics Association Best Actress Runner-up
Women Film Critics Circle Best Actress Nominated
Black Film Critics Circle Best Actress Won
2023 Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Actress Nominated
Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Actress Nominated
Best Breakthrough Performance Won
Toronto Film Critics Association Best Actress Nominated
Austin Film Critics Association Best Actress Nominated
Columbus Film Critics Association Best Lead Performance Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association Best Actress Nominated
DiscussingFilm Critic Awards Best Actress Nominated
Georgia Film Critics Association Best Actress Nominated
Breakthrough Award Won
North Carolina Film Critics Association Best Actress Nominated
San Diego Film Critics Society Best Actress Won
Breakthrough Artist Runner-up
San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Best Actress Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series Station Eleven Nominated
Satellite Award Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama Till Won
Black Reel Awards Outstanding Actress Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Nominated
Denver Film Critics Society Best Actress Nominated
British Academy Film Awards Best Actress in a Leading Role Nominated
Houston Film Critics Society Best Actress Nominated
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special From Scratch Nominated
Dorian Awards Film Performance of the Year Till Nominated
DiscussingFilm Critic Awards Best Actress Nominated
African-American Film Critics Association Best Actress Won

See also

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