Nia Long has made an imprint on Black cinema ever since she started in the ’90s. Long started her career on the longstanding soap opera Guiding Light. She was on the show from 1991 to 1994. In that period, she got her first big break as Brandi on Boyz n the Hood. The film was the feature directorial debut of John Singleton. It starred Cuba Gooding Jr, Ice Cube, Morris Chestnut, and more. The latter actors she would work with again in her film career. While the film was her breakout role, she almost didn’t take it. She explained in an interview with People TV back in 2020, why she almost turned down the role.
“When I first got the script, I immediately thought, ‘Some white guy’s gonna try to make a movie about the life that I’ve lived. I don’t even want to have anything to do with it,” she told the publication.
The actress said that she is very protective of her culture so when she found out that Singleton was Black and how the story in Boyz n the Hood was authentic to his childhood, she was motivated to be a part of the film.
The film is a coming-of-age story about teens in South Central Los Angeles. Long plays the part of Brandi, Gooding Jr.’s love interest in the film.
Nia Long’s First Lead Role
While Long played many supporting roles at the beginning of her career like most young actors, she finally made her way into a lead role with Love Jones. The film was released in 1997. She played opposite Larenz Tate in the romantic drama where she portrayed Nina Mosely, a budding photographer.
Her most recent roles have been The Best Man: The Final Chapters, You People, Missing, Fatal Affair, and Look Both Ways. Take a look at Long’s eight best films ranked:
