American actress and writer (born 1982)
Danielle Deadwyler (born May 3, 1982)
[1] 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.
[2] She is the daughter of a legal secretary and a railroad supervisor and has three siblings.
[3] Deadwyler graduated from Grady High School (now Midtown High School) and then
Spelman College .
[4] She received a Master's of Arts in American Studies from
Columbia University
[5]
[6] and another master’s degree in creative writing at
Ashland University in 2017.
[3]
Career
2009–2020
Deadwyler began her career appearing on stage productions, include
Charlotte's Web , The Real Tweenagers of Atlanta , and most notable playing the role of Lady in Yellow in
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf at the True Colors Theater in Atlanta in 2009.
[7]
[8]
[9] She received positive reviews for leading performance in
Alliance Theatre 's The C.A. Lyons Project .
[10] Deadwyler made her film debut playing the leading role of a homeless, alcoholic mother in the 2012 drama
A Cross to Bear directed by Tandria Potts.
[11]
[12] 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.
[5] 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.
[13] In 2018, Deadwyler played the title role of
Jane Manning James in the period drama film
Jane and Emma .
[14]
[15] 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.
[16]
[17]
[18] 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."
[18]
In 2020, Deadwyler was cast in a series regular role in the series
Paradise Lost , with
Josh Hartnett ,
Bridget Regan and
Barbara Hershey .
[19] 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 .
[20]
2021–present
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 .
[21] The film and her performance received positive reviews from film critics.
[22]
[23] 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.
[24] Later in 2021, she played Miranda Carroll in the miniseries
Station Eleven
[25] Also that year, Deadwyler was in the Netflix miniseries
From Scratch , based on
Tembi Locke 's memoir.
[26] She played the role of lead character' older sister, receiving positive reviews.
[27]
[28]
Deadwyler starred as
Mamie Till in the biographical film
Till (2022) directed by
Chinonye Chukwu .
[29]
[30]
[31] She received positive reviews from critics for her lead performance in the movie.
[32]
[3]
[33]
[34] 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."
[35] 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.
[36]
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.
[37] The film was released by
Vertical Entertainment on February 23, 2024.
[38] 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.
[39]
[40]
Deadwyler set to appear in the action thriller
Carry-On for Netflix.
[41]
[42] 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 .
[43] Deadwyler will also star in
The Piano Lesson , an adaptation of the
August Wilson play.
[44] She starred in the Canadian post-apocalyptic thriller film,
40 Acres .
[45] 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 .
[46]
[47]
[48]
Personal life
Deadwyler has a son.
[49]
Filmography
Film
+Key
†
Denotes works that have not yet been released
Television
Awards and nominations
References
^
a
b
"Atlanta filmmaker Danielle Deadwyler wins 2021 Princess Grace Award" . August 6, 2021.
^ Annabella Jean-Laurent (April 15, 2015).
"Danielle Deadwyler on Strippers and Autonomy" . BURNAWAY . Retrieved January 19, 2022 .
^
a
b
c Bahr, Sarah (October 24, 2022).
"Danielle Deadwyler Is the Beating Heart of 'Till' " . The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
^ Penrice, Ronda Racha.
"Spelman alum nabs starring role in 'The Devil to Pay' " . The Atlanta Journal-Constitution .
^
a
b
"about" . danielle deadwyler . Retrieved February 15, 2016 .
^ Moore, Camille (January 3, 2022).
"10 Things You Didn't Know About Danielle Deadwyler" . TVOvermind .
^
"Danielle Deadwyler" . Horizon Theatre . Retrieved February 15, 2016 .
^
"Danielle Deadwyler" . Alliance Theatre . Retrieved February 15, 2016 .
^
"5 Pieces of Advice From Suzi Bass Nominee Danielle Deadwyler" . Backstage.com . Retrieved February 15, 2016 .
^
"Maker's Dozen: Actress, performance artist Danielle Deadwyler thrives on the fringe" . ArtsATL . Archived from
the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2016 .
^ Jai Tiggett (December 10, 2013).
"Drama 'A Cross to Bear' with Kim Fields and Malinda Willi – Shadow and Act" . Shadow and Act . Retrieved February 15, 2016 .
^
"A Cross to Bear" . UMC – Urban Movie Channel . Retrieved February 15, 2016 .
Archived 2016-02-23 at the
Wayback Machine
^ Smith, Kelundra (May 4, 2018).
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^
"Jane and Emma" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
^
"12 Facts to Know Before You See "Jane and Emma" " . LDS Living . October 10, 2018.
^
"The Devil to Pay" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
^
"The Devil to Pay and The More You Ignore Me | 2 Minute Entertainment Rundown JackieKCooper" – via www.youtube.com.
^
a
b
"The Devil to Pay review – revenge is a dish served tepid in hillbilly thriller" . the Guardian . January 10, 2022.
^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 11, 2019).
"Josh Hartnett, Bridget Regan, Nick Nolte & Barbara Hershey Star In 'Paradise Lost' Series For Spectrum Originals & Paramount Network" .
^
"For Danielle Deadwyler, Black Women Define Legacy" . Essence .
^
"The Harder They Fall Fails to Make Enough Room for Each Star Among Its Stellar Cast" . Time .
^
"The Harder They Fall" – via www.rottentomatoes.com.
^ LeGardye, Quinci (November 24, 2021).
"How Danielle Deadwyler Became the Secret Weapon of 'The Harder They Fall' " . ELLE .
^
a
b Lewis, Hilary (January 18, 2022).
"NAACP Image Awards: 'Harder They Fall,' 'Insecure' Lead Nominations" .
The Hollywood Reporter .
Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 18, 2022 .
^ Rico, Klaritza (February 4, 2020).
"TV News Roundup: Danielle Deadwyler Joins HBO Max's 'Station Eleven' Adaptation" .
^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 7, 2021).
" 'From Scratch': Eugenio Mastrandrea, Keith David, Danielle Deadwyler & Kellita Smith Among 8 Joining Zoe Saldana In Netflix Series" .
^
"Danielle Deadwyler's Zora is the Secret MVP of Netflix's 'From Scratch' | Decider" .
^ Han, Angie (October 20, 2022).
" 'From Scratch' Review: Zoe Saldaña in Netflix's Blandly Pleasant Romantic Weepie" .
The Hollywood Reporter .
^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 23, 2021).
"Danielle Deadwyler & Whoopi Goldberg Join Chinonye Chukwu's Orion Film 'Till' " .
^ Grobar, Matt (August 9, 2021).
"Chinonye Chukwu's Emmett Till Movie Finds Its Young Lead In Jalyn Hall" .
Deadline Hollywood .
Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved September 11, 2021 .
^ Earl, William (July 25, 2022).
" 'Till' Trailer: Emmett Till's Mother Fights for Justice After the Murder of Her 14-Year-Old Son" . Variety . Retrieved September 21, 2022 .
^
"How the star of 'Till' found the strength to play 'the mother lode' of roles" . Los Angeles Times . October 14, 2022.
^ Mandile, Vincent (October 14, 2022).
" 'Till' Oscar buzz: Danielle Deadwyler 'gives a career-making performance as Mamie' " .
^ Debruge, Peter (October 2, 2022).
" 'Till' Review: Chinonye Chukwu Re-Centers the Story of a Hate-Crime Victim on the Mother Who Made History" .
^ Dargis, Manohla (October 13, 2022).
" 'Till' Review: He Was Someone's Son, Too" . The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
^
a
b Goldsmith, Jill; Pedersen, Erik (November 28, 2022).
"Gotham Awards: 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' Takes Best Feature – Full Winners List" . Deadline . Retrieved November 29, 2022 .
^ Grobar, Matt (June 21, 2022).
"Danielle Deadwyler To Exec Produce & Star Opposite Aldis Hodge And Edwin Hodge In Sci-Fi Thriller 'Parallel' " .
^
"Danielle Deadwyler, Aldis Hodge and Edwin Hodge Untangle Alternate Universes in Parallel Trailer (Exclusive)" . Peoplemag .
^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 6, 2023).
"Sundance Unveils Packed 2024 Lineup That Includes A.I., Pedro Pascal, Kristen Stewart, Satan, Devo & Steven Yeun" .
Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved December 6, 2023 .
^
"I Saw the TV Glow | Rotten Tomatoes" . www.rottentomatoes.com .
^ Kit, Borys (August 24, 2022).
"Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine Starring in A24 Horror Thriller 'I Saw the TV Glow' (Exclusive)" .
The Hollywood Reporter .
^ Kroll, Justin (September 26, 2022).
" 'Purple Hearts' Star Sofia Carson And Netflix Find Next Project To Team On With Thriller 'Carry On', 'Till' Star Danielle Deadwyler Also On Board" .
^ Kroll, Justin (March 24, 2023).
"Hot Package: Adam McKay Lines Up Robert Pattinson, Amy Adams, Robert Downey Jr, Forest Whitaker & Danielle Deadwyler For Serial Killer Comedy 'Average Height, Average Build' " .
^ Grobar, Matt (April 13, 2023).
"Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler & More Set For Netflix's The Piano Lesson ; Denzel Washington, Todd Black Producing" .
Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved April 13, 2023 .
^ Ntim, Zac (October 17, 2023).
" '40 Acres:' Production Starts In Canada On Indie Thriller Starring Danielle Deadwyler" .
^ Rubin, Rebecca (February 14, 2024).
"Danielle Deadwyler to Star in Blumhouse Thriller 'The Woman in the Yard' From 'Black Adam' Director" .
^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 14, 2024).
"Blumhouse Sets 'The Woman In The Yard' With Danielle Deadwyler As Star & EP; Jaume Collet-Serra To Direct, EP" .
^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 29, 2024).
"Blumhouse's 'Wolf Man' Runs From Fall To MLK Weekend 2025; 'The Woman In The Yard' Unset For Now" .
Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 29, 2024 .
^ Cheney-Rice, Zak (September 1, 2022).
"Danielle Deadwyler Put Her Whole Body in It" .
Vulture . Retrieved June 10, 2023 .
^
"Reckoning 2019 Awards" . imdb.com. 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2021 .
^
"Oxford Film Festival Awards Past Winners" . ox-film.com. 2020. Archived from
the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021 .
^ Grobar, Matt (October 18, 2021).
" 'The Harder They Fall' Cast To Receive Ensemble Tribute At Gotham Awards" . Deadline .
Archived from the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021 .
^
"2021 WAFCA Award Winners – The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA)" . www.wafca.com . Retrieved December 22, 2021 .
^ December 02, Joey Nolfi; EST, 2021 at 03:11 PM.
" 'Licorice Pizza,' Will Smith hit Oscars stride among 2021 National Board of Review winners" . EW.com . Retrieved December 2, 2021 . {{
cite web }}
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^ PhiladelphiaRowHomeMagazine (November 3, 2021).
"KRIMES, PAPER & GLUE, and KING RICHARD Win Coveted Audience Awards at 30th Philadelphia Film Festival" . Philadelphia RowHome Magazine .
Archived from the original on November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021 .
^
"The Women Film Critics Circle Announces Its 2021 Winners, Tributing Hall's 'Passing' and Campion's 'The Power of the Dog' " . Cinema Daily US . December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021 .
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" 'The Harder They Fall' Wins Big At African American Film Critics Association Awards" . VIBE.com . Retrieved January 21, 2022 .
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"Austin Film Critics nominations: 'The Power of the Dog,' 'Dune,' 'Licorice Pizza' lead" . AwardsWatch. Retrieved January 4, 2022 .
^
"The 5th Annual HCA Film Awards Ceremony Moves to Monday, February 28, 2022, Due to Rising COVID Concerns – Hollywood Critics Association" . Retrieved January 19, 2022 .
^
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^
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^
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Variety . November 1, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022 .
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^
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^
"2022 Greater Western New York Film Critics Association nominations" . December 23, 2022. Retrieved December 24, 2022 .
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^
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^
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External links
Awards for Danielle Deadwyler
Drama (1996–2010, 2018–present) Musical or Comedy (1996–2010, 2018–present) Motion Picture (2011–2017)