American actress, model and dancer (born 1970)
Tangi Miller |
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| Born | (1970-02-28) February 28, 1970 (age 53)
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| Occupation(s) | Actress, Model, Dancer, Director, Producer |
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| Years active | 1996–present |
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Tangi Miller (born February 28, 1970)[1] is an American actress, model, director and dancer. As an actress she is known for the role of Elena Tyler on the popular television drama Felicity.[2] Miller has received two NAACP Image Award nominations throughout her career.[3][1] Starting in the mid 2000s, Miller focused on indie films and has worked as a producer and director.
Early life
Miller was born and raised in Miami, Florida, the eldest of six children.[1] She and her siblings were not permitted to watch television as they grew up due to their parents' religious beliefs.[4][5] At high school, Miller began acting in stage productions. She did not plan to become an actress and chose to major in marketing while attending Alabama State University.[4]
Miller realized she spent all of her free time acting, so after graduation she pursued that at Alabama State. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of California, Irvine.[2] She studied at the Royal National Theatre in London, as well as at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.[2]
Acting
After appearing on the HBO comedy Arli$$ (1996),[6] and on the CBS drama Michael Hayes (1997),[2] Miller went on to stardom as a cast member of The WB hit show Felicity (1998−2002), playing smart and stylish Elena Tyler, a premedical student.[7][8] For her work on the series, Miller was nominated in 2002 for an NAACP Image Award in the category of Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series.[1] She was named as one of TV Guide's Sexiest Faces.[9] Miller was also featured in Ol' Dirty Bastard's music video of "Got Your Money" in 1999 as a dancer.
Miller played the lead role in BET movie Playing with Fire, starring opposite Vanessa Estelle Williams.[10] She appeared alongside Mekhi Phifer in the independent film The Other Brother (2002).[11] She was the wife of MC Hammer, Stephanie, in the 2001 VH1 film Too Legit: The MC Hammer Story.[12] Miller was the lead in Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood[1] and played Donna in Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion (2006).[13]
She portrayed the daughter of Claudette Wyms (CCH Pounder) on The Shield in 2002.[14] In 2005, she earned her second NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for acting in sci-fi film Phantom Force.[1] Miller appeared in guest roles on crime dramas The District (2003)[15] and The Division (2004), as well as an appearance on sitcom Half & Half (2005), her latest acting role on television to date.[8]
Following her role in Madea's Family Reunion, Miller has chiefly acted in independent films, including Hurricane in the Rose Garden,[1] Guardian of Eden, Hollywood Chaos and Diva Diaries.[8]
Producer and director
Miller produced the Ghanaian film Police Officer 3 and the 2008 film After School.[1] She produced her third film Love & Other 4 Letter Words in April 2006.[4]
Miller's directorial debut was in 2017, for the film Diva Diaries — in which she also was producer and co-star.[16] The film was first shown at the Pan African Film Festival in 2017.
