Tika Sumpter

Sumpter began her modeling career and appeared in commercials for Hewlett-Packard and Liz Claiborne's Curve fragrances. She also worked as a waitress before acting.[2] In 2004, she served as the co-host for the reality series Best Friend's Date, which was broadcast on Nickelodeon's now-defunt cable channel The N, now titled TeenNick. The following year she landed the role of Layla Williamson in the ABC daytime soap opera, One Life to Live. For her portrayal of Layla, Sumpter was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Best Actress in a Daytime Drama Series in 2008. She first appeared on-screen on July 15, 2005,[3] playing the role regularly through September 14, 2010. Sumpter reappeared in the role on November 9–10, 2010, and January 21 and 24, 2011.[4][5]

In 2010, Sumpter made her film debut in Stomp the Yard: Homecoming on the female lead role, and in the same year appeared in Salt. From January to May 2011, Sumpter appeared in The CW teen drama series, Gossip Girl as Raina Thorpe, the daughter of Russell Thorpe and Chuck Bass/Nate' former love interest.[6] She played singer Jason Derülo's girlfriend in the video for his song "It Girl".[7] In 2011, she appeared as lead character friend in the romantic comedy film What's Your Number?. From 2011 to 2012 she also had a recurring role as Jenna Rice in the BET comedy series, The Game.[8]

Sumpter played the middle of three singing sisters in the music-themed film Sparkle (2012), inspired by the story of The Supremes. The film is noted as the final role for Whitney Houston, who played the mother of the sisters and who died a few months after production ended. Sumpter is heard on the Sparkle: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack album, and appears in the video for "Celebrate", the last song Houston recorded for the film.[9]

After Sparkle, Sumpter starred in the independent comedy film My Man Is a Loser written and directed by comedian Mike Young.[10] Filmed in 2012, My Man Is a Loser received release on July 25, 2014, by Lionsgate.[11] In 2013 she appeared in the Christmas comedy-drama film A Madea Christmas by Tyler Perry.[12] In the same year, Sumpter began starring as Candace Young, a lead villainess, in the Oprah Winfrey Network soapy drama series The Haves and the Have Nots, also created by Tyler Perry.[13][14] The series received negative reviews from critics, like other of Perry's works, but was the biggest hit in ratings for Oprah Winfrey Network, to date.[15][16][17]

Sumpter played the female lead in Ride Along, the 2014 action comedy film directed by Tim Story, opposite Kevin Hart and Ice Cube.[18][19] She returned to the role in its sequel Ride Along 2, released on January 15, 2016. She played Yvonne Fair in Get On Up, the biographical drama film about James Brown.[20][21] In the same year she co-starred opposite Queen Latifah, Mo'Nique, and Khandi Alexander in the HBO biographical film Bessie about the iconic blues singer Bessie Smith.[22][23]

Sumpter played young Michelle Obama in the romantic comedy-drama film Southside with You, a biopic about the early romance between Barack and Michelle Obama.[24][25] The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and received positive reviews from critics.[26] Sumpter also co-produced the film. She received positive reviews for her performance. Variety placed her in its list of one of the "Biggest Breakthrough Performances" at Sundance, writing in its review, "It’s a tall order to bring a living, breathing icon to life. But that’s just what Sumpter does, checking in with America’s First Lady before she ever landed at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Playing Michelle Robinson when she was just an up-and-coming corporate lawyer, Sumpter slowly lets her guard down, allowing an idealistic Barack Obama to charm her into going to an art show, a community gathering and a Spike Lee film."[27]

Sumpter is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She was inducted into the organization on July 10, 2016, at the 67th annual Boule, in Atlanta, Georgia.[28]

On October 7, 2016, it was announced that Sumpter would be playing a leading role and co-executive produce political drama The 313 for CBS. She will play Mayor of Detroit in show.[29][30] She also was set to star alongside Taraji P. Henson in Tyler Perry's drama film Acrimony, but left the project.[31]

In 2018, Sumpter appeared alongside Casey Affleck, Danny Glover, Sissy Spacek and Robert Redford in the drama The Old Man & the Gun, directed by David Lowery.[32] Also that year, she starred with Jamie Lee Curtis in An Acceptable Loss, a political thriller written and directed by Joe Chappelle,[33] and opposite Tiffany Haddish in the comedy-drama film Nobody's Fool for Paramount Players.[34][35] Sumpter also is developing drama series Trader for HBO as executive producer and intended to star.[36]

In 2019, Sumpter was cast in the ABC comedy series Mixed-ish, a prequel spinoff of Black-ish, playing the leading role of Alicia, Rainbow's mother.[37][38] In 2020, she starred alongside James Marsden and Jim Carrey in the action comedy film Sonic the Hedgehog based on the video game franchise.[39][40]