Tangi Miller (born February 28, 1970)[1] is an American actress, model, director and dancer. As an actress she is known for the role of Elena Tyler on the popular television drama Felicity.[2] Miller has received two NAACP Image Award nominations throughout her career.[3][1] Starting in the mid 2000s, Miller focused on indie films and has worked as a producer and director.
Tangi Miller | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 28, 1970 |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, Model, Dancer, Director, Producer |
| Years active | 1996–present |
Early life
editMiller was born and raised in Miami, Florida, the eldest of six children.[1] She and her siblings were not permitted to watch television as they grew up due to their parents' religious beliefs.[4][5] At high school, Miller began acting in stage productions. She did not plan to become an actress and chose to major in marketing while attending Alabama State University.[4]
Miller realized she spent all of her free time acting, so after graduation she pursued that at Alabama State. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of California, Irvine.[2] She studied at the Royal National Theatre in London, as well as at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.[2]
Acting
editAfter appearing on the HBO comedy Arli$$ (1996),[6] and on the CBS drama Michael Hayes (1997),[2] Miller went on to stardom as a cast member of The WB hit show Felicity (1998−2002), playing smart and stylish Elena Tyler, a premedical student.[7][8] For her work on the series, Miller was nominated in 2002 for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series.[1] She was named as one of TV Guide's Sexiest Faces.[9] Miller was also featured in Ol' Dirty Bastard's music video of "Got Your Money" in 1999 as a dancer.
Miller played the lead role in BET movie Playing with Fire, starring opposite Vanessa Estelle Williams.[10] She appeared alongside Mekhi Phifer in the independent film The Other Brother (2002).[11] She was the wife of MC Hammer, Stephanie, in the 2001 VH1 film Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story.[12] Miller was the lead in Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood[1] and played Donna in Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion (2006).[13]
She portrayed the daughter of Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder) on The Shield in 2002.[14] In 2005, she earned her second NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for acting in sci-fi film Phantom Force.[1] Miller appeared in guest roles on crime dramas The District (2003)[15] and The Division (2004), as well as an appearance on sitcom Half & Half (2005), her latest acting role on television to date.[8]
Following her role in Madea's Family Reunion, Miller has chiefly acted in independent films, including Hurricane in the Rose Garden,[1] Guardian of Eden, Hollywood Chaos and Diva Diaries.[8]
Producer and director
editMiller produced the Ghanaian film Police Officer 3 and the 2008 film After School.[1] She produced her third film Love & Other 4 Letter Words in April 2006.[4]
Miller's directorial debut was in 2017, for the film Diva Diaries — in which she also was producer and co-star.[16] The film was first shown at the Pan African Film Festival in 2017.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Rhinos | - | |
| 2000 | Playing with Fire | Camille Roberts | TV movie |
| 2001 | Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story | Stephanie | TV movie |
| 2002 | The Other Brother | Paula | |
| 2003 | Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood | Emily Woodrow | Video |
| 2004 | Phantom Force | Leanne Potts | TV movie |
| Forever Is a Long, Long Time | Rochelle | Short | |
| 2006 | Madea's Family Reunion | Donna | |
| 2007 | Love... & Other 4 Letter Words | Stormy La Rue | |
| 2008 | After School | Shonda | |
| 2009 | Hurricane in the Rose Garden | Sade | Video |
| 2010 | Drones | Miryam | |
| My Girlfriend's Back | Nicki Russell | ||
| 2011 | Fanaddict | Cheli Dayton | |
| 2012 | Guardian of Eden | Kimmy | |
| The Good Life | Marianne Vandelay | ||
| 2013 | The Love Section | Jackie Long | |
| Hollywood Chaos | Camille Leone | ||
| 2014 | Blood Lines | Grace | |
| 2015 | 72 Hours | Monique | |
| 2016 | Diva Diaries | Sophia | |
| 2017 | Boxing Day: A Day After Christmas | Sophia Etim | |
| 2020 | Leroy | Toni | |
| 2021 | Entanglement | Cheryl | |
| 2022 | Black and White | - |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Arli$$ | - | Episode: "His Name Is Arliss Michaels" |
| 1998–2002 | Felicity | Elena Tyler | Main Cast |
| 1999 | Cousin Skeeter | - | Episode: "The Volcano" |
| 2000 | The Amanda Show | - | Episode: "2.16" |
| 2002 | The Shield | Rebecca Wyms | Episode: "Throwaway" |
| Fastlane | Gina | Episode: "Girls Own Juice" | |
| The Twilight Zone | Ashley | Episode: "Harsh Mistress" | |
| Kim Possible | Editor (voice) | Episode: "All the News" | |
| 2003 | The District | Dyanne | Episode: "Blind Eye" & "In God We Trust" |
| 2004 | The Division | Deena Bishop | Episode: "Hail, Hail, the Gang's ALl Here" |
| Cold Case | Nora Lincoln | Episode: "The Badlands" | |
| 2005 | Living With Fran | Cynthia | Episode: "The Reunion" |
| Half & Half | Alana Mitchell | Episode: "The Big Sexism in the City Episode" |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h McCann, Bob (October 30, 2009). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. McFarland & Company. pp. 230−231. ISBN 9781476691404.
- ^ a b c d Collier, Aldore D. (August 1999), "Hollywood's Hottest Starlets - African American actresses Tangi Miller, Tamala Jones, Elise Neal, and others are discussed", Ebony, retrieved January 19, 2010
- ^ "News". Felicity. TKTV. December 11, 2001. Archived from the original on April 28, 2009. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Tangi Miller's Biography". Tangimiller.com. 2006. Archived from the original on January 2, 2006. Retrieved January 19, 2010.
- ^ "Tangi Miller: Hell-Bent on Acting", TeenHollywood.com, January 2, 2002, archived from the original on February 29, 2012, retrieved January 19, 2010
- ^ Fearn-Banks, Kathleen (July 16, 2009). The A to Z of African-American Television. Scarecrow Press. p. 283. ISBN 9780810863484.
- ^ "TV Season Kicks Off New Shows Featuring Blacks". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. September 21, 1998. pp. 64−65.
- ^ a b c Schaffstall, Katherine (September 29, 2018). "The Stars of 'Felicity': Where Are They Now?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
- ^ De Leon, Kris (July 1, 2007), "What Are They Up To? Felicity's Tangi Miller", BuddyTV, retrieved January 19, 2010
- ^ Hedelt, Rob (June 2, 2000). "'Survivor': Rats and back-stabbing galore". The Free-Lance Star. p. D2.
- ^ Willis, John; Monush, Barry (February 2004). Screen World 2003. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 185. ISBN 9781557835284.
- ^ "VH1 airs 'Hammer'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 17, 2001. p. D-4.
- ^ "Film Notes". The Hour. July 9, 2005. p. A6.
- ^ "TelevisionBriefs". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. April 12, 2002. p. A10.
- ^ "Saturday Best Bets". The Madison Courier. October 24, 2003.
- ^ "Award-Winning Actress & Producer Tangi Miller Makes Her Directorial Debut at the Pan African Film Festival". BlackNews. February 23, 2017. Retrieved 2018-07-31.