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Sanaa Lathan is an award‑winning actress, Emmy and Tony nominee, director, and producer, best known for LOVE & BASKETBALL and THE BEST MAN franchise. She is a beloved, cross‑generational screen presence whose work spans culture‑defining films, acclaimed television, and boundary‑pushing independent projects. Recently wrapped A BLUE BUTTERFLY, she co‑stars as a magnetic actress opposite Steve Toussaint in C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi’s character‑driven psychological drama (shot in London and Rwanda), which is targeting a 2027 festival premiere.

On the feature side, Lathan has delivered standout performances in LOVE & BASKETBALL, THE BEST MAN, THE BEST MAN HOLIDAY, THE BEST MAN: THE FINAL CHAPTERS, BROWN SUGAR, BLADE, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR, OUT OF TIME, SOMETHING NEW, NAPPILY EVER AFTER, NOW YOU SEE ME 2, THE FAMILY THAT PREYS, and THE PERFECT GUY, earning an NAACP Image Award for ‘Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture’. On television, she is a versatile force with roles in SHOTS FIRED, NIP/TUCK, THE AFFAIR, SUCCESSION (earning a Primetime Emmy nomination for ‘Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series’), BOSS, HIT & RUN, and memorable turns on CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and SOLOS.

Lathan made her feature directorial debut with ON THE COME UP, the adaptation of Angie Thomas’ bestselling novel, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022. She also voices iconic diva ‘Donna Tubbs’ on THE CLEVELAND SHOW and FAMILY GUY, has also voiced ‘Catwoman’ on HARLEY QUINN and ‘Betty Davis’ on THE PROUD FAMILY, and stars as Supreme Court Justice Beth Garner in James Patterson’s Audible Original thriller THE JUSTICE (2024).

She was honored as a 2024 Reel Works Changemaker for her contributions as an actress, director, producer, and activist, and for her support of emerging filmmakers.

She studied at Yale and UC Berkeley, earning a master’s in drama and a bachelor’s degree in English. Her early stage roots include a Tony‑nominated performance in A RAISIN IN THE SUN and productions such as CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF.