Early Life and Education

Aunjanue L. Ellis was born on February 21, 1969, in San Francisco, California, and was raised on her grandmother’s farm in McComb, Mississippi. She pursued higher education at Brown University, where she earned a degree in African-American Studies. During her time at Brown, Ellis developed an interest in acting and later honed her craft at the prestigious Graduate Acting Program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Stage and Screen Career

Ellis began her professional acting career on stage, making her debut in 1995 in a Broadway revival of William Shakespeare's The Tempest. That same year, she transitioned to television with a guest role on the Fox police drama New York Undercover. Her early film work includes a prominent role in the 1996 independent drama Girls Town, alongside Lili Taylor.

In 1999, Ellis had a recurring role as Sharon Young in the ABC legal drama The Practice. She continued building her profile with a featured role opposite Cuba Gooding Jr. in the 2000 film Men of Honor, directed by George Tillman Jr. From 2010 to 2013, she portrayed Madeleine Hightower in the CBS crime drama The Mentalist. Ellis has also appeared in major network series such as NCIS: Los Angeles and co-starred with Ashley Judd in the 2012 ABC miniseries Missing.

Notable Film Performances

In 2004, Ellis portrayed singer Mary Ann Fisher in the Oscar-winning biographical film Ray, chronicling the life of musician Ray Charles. She reunited with Cuba Gooding Jr. in the 2009 television film Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, playing a supportive role in the inspirational biopic.

Ellis also maintained a strong presence in theater, performing in Regina Taylor’s play Drowning Crow at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 2004. In 2010, she co-starred with Wesley Snipes in the action thriller Game of Death, followed by a well-received performance as Eula Mae Davis in the 2011 historical drama The Help, directed by Tate Taylor.