1. Sanaa Lathan is the daughter of actress Eleanor McCoy and film director Stan Lathan.
24 Facts About Sanaa Lathan
2.
Sanaa Lathan's career began after she appeared in the shows In the House, Family Matters, NYPD Blue, and Moesha.
3.
Sanaa Lathan returned to theatre work in 2010, starring in the all-black performance of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Novello Theatre in London.
4.
Sanaa Lathan reprised her role as Robyn in the Christmas-themed sequel of The Best Man, in The Best Man Holiday.
5.
Sanaa Lathan made her directorial debut with the film On the Come Up in 2022.
6.
Sanaa Lathan's mother, Eleanor McCoy, was an actress and dancer who performed on Broadway with Eartha Kitt.
7.
Sanaa Lathan's brother is Tendaji Lathan, a well known DJ.
8.
Sanaa Lathan attended Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics as well as Beverly Hills High School.
9.
Sanaa Lathan has stated she was a latchkey kid whose parents weren't around much.
10.
Sanaa Lathan graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a bachelor's degree in English.
11.
Sanaa Lathan then attended Yale University and earned a master's degree in drama.
12.
In 1998, Sanaa Lathan earned a degree of recognition with her role as the mother of Wesley Snipes' title character in Blade.
13.
Sanaa Lathan's performance earned Lathan the 2001 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress, and a BET Award.
14.
In 2001, Sanaa Lathan earned acclaim for her work in the multicultural comedy film Catfish in Black Bean Sauce.
15.
In 2002, Sanaa Lathan starred in the romantic comedy film, Brown Sugar with Diggs, Queen Latifah and Mos Def.
16.
Sanaa Lathan's performance earned an NAACP Image Award Nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.
17.
In 2004, Sanaa Lathan starred on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun with Sean Combs, Audra McDonald, and Phylicia Rashad, and received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actress for her portrayal of Beneatha Younger.
18.
Sanaa Lathan reprised the role in ABC Network's 2008 film adaptation.
19.
Sanaa Lathan played Andrea in Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys, starring Alfre Woodard and Kathy Bates, released in the US on September 12,2008.
20.
In 2009, Sanaa Lathan co-starred with Matthew Broderick in the drama Wonderful World.
21.
In 2011, Sanaa Lathan co-starred in the Steven Soderbergh thriller Contagion with Matt Damon, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne.
22.
Sanaa Lathan played series regular Mona Fredricks in the second season of Starz' original series Boss, starring Kelsey Grammer.
23.
Sanaa Lathan was then added to the main cast of The Affair, appearing in its fourth and fifth seasons, and starred in the Netflix film Nappily Ever After.
24.
In 2021, Sanaa Lathan directed the film adaptation of Angie Thomas's novel On the Come Up.