A graduate of the prestigious Yale School of Drama, and a wide-eyed luminous beauty with a knowing but infectious smile, actress Sanaa Lathan was poised to become a breakout star. Her career was well-paced, the performer choosing interesting and multifaceted ensemble roles that showcased her abilities before making her starring debut with the Sundance screened independent “Love and Basketball” (2000). Born into an entertainment family (her father is director Stan Lathan and her mother a professional dancer) she performed frequently in Off-Broadway and regional productions in addition to work in film and television. Pursuing a film acting career, Lathan headed to Los Angeles in 1996, and soon landed guest starring roles on TV series including ABC’s “Family Matters” and UPN’s “In the House” and “Moesha” (all 1997). That same year she co-starred as the young incarnation of Della Reese’s troubled elderly woman in the CBS TV-movie drama “Miracle in the Woods”. Lathan had a featured guest spot on ABC’s “NYPD Blue” in 1998 before scoring a regular role on an NBC show-within-a-show sitcom, playing Brianna, a booker for the a late-night news program “Lateline” (1998-1999; unaired episodes picked up by Showtime and broadcast 1999-2000). While her role was unfortunately underdeveloped, Lathan made the most of what lines she had, and emerged as an engaging presence.
