Tougaloo College alumna Aunjanue Ellis gets best supporting actress nod for 94th annual Oscars
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Tougaloo College alumna Aunjanue Ellis received her first individual Oscar nomination from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Tuesday.
Ellis, who was born in San Francisco but raised in McComb, received a best supporting actress nod for her role in "King Richard," a drama starring Will Smith that followed the early life and training of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams under their father, Richard Williams.
This is a moment we won’t forget. Our #KingRichard family has been nominated by the @TheAcademy for 6 awards including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Song. pic.twitter.com/ZFb6x44Pov
— King Richard Film (@KingRichardFilm) February 8, 2022
Best actor nominee Will Smith congratulated the cast in a Tweet after the film collected six total nominations Tuesday morning, including best picture.
"Proud of you Aunjanue, Zach, Pamela, Dixon, Beyoncé and our fantastic cast and crew. Great work all!" he wrote.
WOW!! 6 Oscar noms for #kingrichard.. that’s CRAZY. Honored to see this outpouring of love for our film :-) Proud of you Aunjanue, Zach, Pamela, Dixon, Beyoncé and our fantastic cast and crew. Great work all!
- Will Smith pic.twitter.com/sRNN5E1r4x— Will Smith (@RealWillSmithFP) February 8, 2022
Ellis has received other nominations for her role as Richard Williams' wife, Oracene , including a Screen Actors Guild award and a Golden Globe.
The 94th annual Academy Awards will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 27 and be broadcast live on ABC.
Career marked with successes for more than 20 years
Ellis has seen much success in her career over the past several years, most recently being nominated for a Primetime Emmy award for best supporting actress in a drama series for her work in "Lovecraft County."
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Based on the book by Matt Ruff, the series explores the connection between the horror fiction of H. P. Lovecraft and racism in the U.S. during the era of Jim Crow laws.
Ellis began in theater and made her film debut in the 1996 film "Girls Town," but has gone on to star in several critically-acclaimed roles in television series and movies, including the 2015 BET miniseries drama "The Book of Negroes."
Aunjanue Ellis: 2019 Emmy nomination prompts reflection on Mississippi roots
Between her stints with the small and silver screens, Ellis has also advocated for many important issues in Mississippi, including calling for state lawmakers to change the state flag in 2020.
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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Oscar nominations: Aunjanue Ellis scores supporting actress nod
