American actress
Elise Neal
Neal at the Slim Fast fashion show in 2008
Born Elise Demetria Neal
(1966-03-14 ) March 14, 1966 (age 58) Education University of the Arts Occupation Actress Years active 1991–present
Elise Demetria Neal (born March 14, 1966)[ 1] [ 2] is an American actress. In 1997, she made her big break appearing in three films, Rosewood , Money Talks and Scream 2 .
From 1998 to 2002, Neal starred as Yvonne Hughley in the ABC /UPN sitcom The Hughleys . Other film appearances include Mission to Mars (2000), Hustle & Flow (2005) and Logan (2017). On television, Neal also starred as Tia Jewel in the first two seasons of the UPN /The CW sitcom All of Us from 2003 to 2005. She is a three-time NAACP Image Award nominee.
Early life
Neal was born on March 14, 1966, in Memphis, Tennessee , the daughter of a nurse and a construction worker.[ 1] She attended Lakeview Elementary. She was a ballet dancer and a cheerleader . She broke her left wrist in a high toss cheerleading stunt; after the bones healed, her wrist never straightened back out completely. She graduated from Overton High School for the Creative and Performing Arts.[ 3]
From 1984 to 1988, she attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia .[ 1] Elise left college after two years and moved to New York City where she landed roles in musical theater and found herself traveling the world with various touring companies. Her experience in musical theater allowed her to easily transition into commercials, eventually bringing her to Los Angeles . Neal was a member of the Tennessee Ballet Company.[ 4]
Career
Neal was an accomplished dancer and appeared in several hip hop and R&B music videos in the early 1990s. One of her earliest jobs was as a background dancer in Chubb Rock 's music video for "Just the Two of Us." Other music videos Neal has appeared in include Black Sheep 's 1992 video for Strobelite Honey , Father MC 's 1991 video for "Lisa Baby ", Aretha Franklin 's 1998 video for "A Rose Is Still a Rose ", Trick Daddy's 2001 video "I'm a Thug ", and Vanessa Williams ' video "Work to Do". Neal was featured in the November 2007 edition of King Magazine . Neal also appeared as a backing dancer in the music video for Dannii Minogue 's 1993 single "This Is It ".
Neal made her film debut in Spike Lee 's Malcolm X (1992).[ 4] She landed the role of Janice Sinclair on the soap opera Loving .[ 4] She then played fighter pilot J.J. Fredericks on the series seaQuest 2032 .[ 5] Neal was cast in the high-profile role of Hallie in Scream 2 .[ 6] Her character was originally written to be one of the killers of the movie, but due to a script leak her role was changed.[ 7] She portrayed school teacher Scrappie in Rosewood .[ 8]
Her breakout role was being cast as Yvonne Hughley, the wife of D.L. Hughley in the television sitcom The Hughleys (1998−2002).[ 9] She received two NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in the series. Following The Hughleys , Neal portrayed Kindergarten teacher Tia Jewel in All of Us .[ 10] [ 11] She left the series in 2005.[ 12]
She has made guest appearances on Law & Order , Hangin' with Mr. Cooper ,[ 4] and Method & Red .[ 13] Other film credits include: Paid in Full ,[ 14] Money Talks ,[ 15] and Mission to Mars . In Restaurant , she played Jeanine,[ 16] a waitress who aspires to be a singer.[ 17] Neal acted in a 2001 remake of Brian's Song as the wife of Gale Sayers .[ 18]
Neal received her third NAACP Image Award nomination in 2006, in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for the film Hustle & Flow as Yevette,[ 19] the wife of Anthony Anderson 's character.[ 20] Her role in the 2007 film 4 Life also marked her first soundtrack single, "I'm Down Baby". She also appeared in the series K-Ville as Ayana Boulet.[ 21]
Expanding her role as producer, Neal is creating and developing several multimedia projects: a reality show based on her R&B group, "Assorted Flavors", a fitness and lifestyle brand, and several feature projects through her development deal with Mandalay Bay Entertainment. She appeared on reality show Hollywood Divas .[ 22]
She played Alana in Love Ranch (2010).[ 23] Neal guest starred on an episode of The Soul Man .[ 24] She portrayed singer Gladys Knight in biopic Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B (2014).[ 25] In a negative review of the film, Jon Caramanica opined Neal was the best actor in the production.[ 26] Neal played Kathryn Munson in the 2017 superhero film Logan and appeared on television series Into the Dark .[ 27] [ 28] [ 29] [ 30]
Filmography
Film
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1992
Malcolm X
Hooker
1993
Tales of the City
Young Woman
TV movie
1995
Let It Be Me
Carlita
1997
Rosewood
Beulah (Scrappie)
Def Jam's How to Be a Player
Nadine
Money Talks
Paula
Scream 2
Hallie
1998
Chance of a Lifetime
Amy
TV movie
Restaurant
Jeanine
2000
Mission to Mars
Debra Graham
2001
The Rising Place
Wilma Watson
Sacred Is the Flesh
Gabi Paige
Brian's Song
Linda Sayers
TV movie
2002
Paid in Full
Aunt June
2003
Playas Ball
Summer Twitty
2005
Hustle & Flow
Yevette
2007
4 Life
Jare
Video
2008
Who's Deal?
Passion
2009
Preaching to the Pastor
Monica
2010
Let God Be the Judge
Rachel
Love Ranch
Alana
Love Chronicles: Secrets Revealed
Monique
Video
Gun
Rich's Mom
N-Secure
Leslie
Love Me or Leave Me
Josephine Wyatt
TV movie
2011
The Slap
Gloria
Short
Lord, All Men Can't Be Dogs
Diane
The Perfect Man
Trisha
Poolboy: Drowning Out the Fury
Florence
Breathe
Kristy Burgin
2012
The Undershepherd
Sister Roberts
Who's Watching the Kids
Delia
2013
School of Hard Knocks
Kim
Video
1982
Stacy
2014
The Fright Night Files
Coffee Black
TV movie
Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B
Gladys Knight
TV movie
2016
Ladies Book Club
Rona
TV movie
36 Hour Layover
Rebecca
What Are the Chances?
Gina
ANYWHERE, U.S.A.
Kim
Short
2017
Logan
Kathryn Munson
Tragedy Girls
Mrs. Hooper
The White Sistas
Erin White
Our Dream Christmas
Cookie
2018
Don't Get Caught
Gina
Video
We Belong Together
Megan
Her Only Choice
Sherry
First Impression
Kym Pine
TV movie
2019
All In
Gina
Nineteen Summers
Porsha
I Left My Girlfriend for Regina Jones
Regina Jones
2020
The Grudge
TV Contestant
The Sin Choice
Angela Smith
The App That Stole Christmas
Carly
2021
Ransum Games
Denise
A State of Mind
Keisha Thomas
2022
Breaking
Juanita
Lola 2
Sasha
2023
Survival
Tally Fruge
Phels High
Tina Lloyd
Christmas Angel
Natalie
Television
Music Videos
Documentary
Awards and nominations
References
^ a b c Jason Buchanan (2008). "Elise Neal – Biography" . movies.msn . Archived from the original on September 23, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2011 .
^ "On This Day In Comedy… In 1966 Actress Elise Neal Was Born!" . The Humor Mill . March 28, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2017 .
^ Davis, Corey (October 1, 2019). "Memphis actress forms partnership to help creative entrepreneurs" . Memphis Business Journal . Retrieved November 15, 2022 .
^ a b c d "Winfrey autobiography is in the works". Star-News . November 2, 1994. p. 5D.
^ Garcia, Frank; Phillips, Mark (March 28, 2012). Science Fiction Television Series, 1990-2004 . McFarland & Company . p. 209. ISBN 9780786469178 .
^ West, Alexandra (June 5, 2018). The 1990s Teen Horror Cycle: Final Girls and a New Hollywood Formula . McFarland & Company . p. 77. ISBN 9781476631288 .
^ "Scream 2 rewritten after script leak" . April 30, 2010. Retrieved March 15, 2011 .
^ Barclay, Dolores (February 22, 1997). "Singleton misses 'Rosewood' chance". Spartanburg Herald-Journal . p. C7.
^ McDonough, Kevin (September 22, 1998). " 'Encore, Encore' is terrible, terrible". Ocala Star-Banner . p. 10C.
^ Terrace, Vincent (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 Through 2007: A-E . McFarland & Company . p. 47.
^ Owen, Rob (May 16, 2003). "UPN's plans". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . p. 41.
^ Muir, John Kenneth (2007). TV Year: The Prime Time 2005-2006 Season . Applause Theatre & Cinema Books . p. 158. ISBN 9781557836847 .
^ "Daily Highlights". Calhoun Times and Gordon County News . July 17, 2004.
^ Ebert, Roger (2004). Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2005 . Andrews McMeel Publishing . p. 505. ISBN 9780740747427 .
^ Fhaner, Beth A. (1998). Magill's Cinema Annual: A Retrospective of the Films of 1997 . Visible Ink Press . p. 380. ISBN 9781578590568 .
^ Monush, Barry; Willis, John (March 25, 2002). Screen World 2001 . Hal Leonard Corporation . p. 13. ISBN 9781557834782 .
^ "Actress Elise Neal on Neve Campbell, stereotypes and staying young". Boca Raton News . February 6, 2000.
^ Tate, Marsha Ann (2007). Canadian Television Programming Made for the United States Market . McFarland & Company . p. 142. ISBN 9780786427451 .
^ "The 37th NAACP Image Awards" . The Crisis . National Association for the Advancement of Colored People . 2006.
^ Donalson, Melvin (2007). Hip hop in American cinema . Peter Lang . p. 84. ISBN 9780820463452 .
^ Terrace, Vincent (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 Through 2007: F-L . McFarland & Company . p. 808.
^ Ogbogu, Stephanie (October 9, 2014). "[REALITY RECAP] 'Hollywood Divas' Made in the Shade" . Ebony . Retrieved November 15, 2022 .
^ Holden, Stephen (June 29, 2010). "Attraction and Possibility When Sex Is Just Business" . The New York Times . Retrieved November 15, 2022 .
^ Ng, Philiana (June 27, 2013). " 'The Hughleys' Star Books TV Land Comedy (Exclusive)" . The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved November 15, 2022 .
^ Terrace, Vincent (April 23, 2021). Television Movies of the 21st Century . McFarland & Company . p. 3. ISBN 9781476684123 .
^ Caramanica, Jon (November 14, 2014). "Resinging the Song of a Life Cut Short" . The New York Times . Retrieved November 15, 2022 .
^ Turchiano, Danielle (April 29, 2020). "Judy Greer, Steve Guttenberg Among Cast for Blumhouse Television's 'Into the Dark: Good Boy' (EXCLUSIVE)" . Yahoo! . Retrieved November 15, 2022 .
^ Lentz, Harris M. (2001). Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Film and Television Credits: Television shows . McFarland & Company . p. 1829.
^ "Tales Episode 2 – 'I Got a Story to Tell' Cast" . BET.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved August 10, 2017 .
^ Marill, Alvin H. (2005). Movies Made for Television, 1964-2004: 1990-1999 . Scarecrow Press . p. 73.
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