Regina Taylor Bio
Regina Taylor (born August 22, 1960) is an American actress and playwright who has built a distinguished career spanning more than four decades in film, television, and theater. She first gained recognition through television films, including her acclaimed portrayal of Minnijean Brown in Crisis at Central High (1981), which showcased her ability to bring historical figures to life with authenticity and emotional depth. Taylor achieved widespread fame for her role as Lilly Harper on the CBS drama series I’ll Fly Away during the early 1990s, earning both a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Drama and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. Beyond her screen work, Taylor established herself as a significant voice in American theater, becoming the first Black woman to play Juliet in Romeo and Juliet on Broadway and earning recognition for her original plays including Oo-Bla-Dee, Crowns, and The Trinity River Plays. In 2017, she was appointed to the Denzel Washington Endowed Chair in Theater at Fordham University, further cementing her influence as both artist and educator.
Early Life and Background
Regina Taylor was born August 22, 1960. At the age of 12, her family relocated to Muskogee, Oklahoma, where she spent her formative teenage years. The family later returned to Dallas, Texas, where she graduated from L.G. Pinkston High School in 1977. During her school years in Texas, she developed her passion for performing arts. Following her high school graduation, Taylor pursued formal training at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The university provided her with comprehensive preparation for the entertainment industry, combining academic rigor with practical performance training.
Path to Acting
While still a student at Southern Methodist University, Regina Taylor began booking professional roles in made-for-television films. Her debut came with the 1980 film Nurse, followed by her performance as Minnijean Brown in Crisis at Central High (1981), a role that earned her praise from critics including John O’Connor of The New York Times, who highlighted her powerful portrayal of the Little Rock Nine member. These early roles established Taylor as a promising young talent capable of handling complex, historically significant characters with nuance and conviction.
Regina Taylor Career
Early Career (1980–1988)
Following her television film debut, Regina Taylor continued to build her resume with supporting roles in various film projects throughout the mid-1980s. She appeared in productions such as Spike Lee’s Clockers, Courage Under Fire, and The Negotiator, while also taking on television work in films like Losing Isaiah and Strange Justice, where she portrayed civil rights figure Anita Hill. Taylor balanced her screen work with stage performances, appearing in Off-Broadway and regional productions including Jar the Floor, Machinal, L’Illusion, and A Map of the World at the Public Theatre. This period allowed her to develop her craft across multiple mediums while establishing connections within the entertainment industry.
Breakthrough (1989–1995)
Regina Taylor’s breakthrough came in 1989 with her compelling performance as Mrs. Carter, a drug-addicted mother, in the critically acclaimed film Lean on Me. The role demonstrated her range as an actress capable of portraying complex, flawed characters with empathy and authenticity. However, it was her portrayal of Lilly Harper on the CBS drama series I’ll Fly Away that truly catapulted her to national fame between 1991 and 1993. Her nuanced performance as the housekeeper navigating the social tensions of the segregated South resonated deeply with audiences and critics, earning her the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Drama and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. Following the show’s conclusion, Taylor continued to work steadily in both film and television.
Notable Works and Milestones
Throughout her career, Regina Taylor has amassed an impressive body of work across film, television, and stage. Her filmography includes Clockers, Courage Under Fire, The Negotiator, A Family Thing, and the PBS telefilm Cora Unashamed, based on a Langston Hughes short story. On television, she was a cast member for all four seasons of the CBS drama The Unit and appeared in Season 5 of The Blacklist in 2018 as Dr. Hannah Moshay. On stage, she became the first Black woman to play Juliet in Romeo and Juliet on Broadway, with additional Broadway credits including Macbeth and As You Like It. Her La Jolla Playhouse performance as Ariel in The Tempest earned her a Dramalogue Award in 1987.
Playwriting Career
Regina Taylor has established herself as a significant playwright whose works have been produced at major regional theaters and on Broadway. She began her playwriting career in the mid-1990s with one-woman shows including Escape from Paradise, produced at the Goodman Theatre Studio in Chicago in 1995, and shorter works that premiered at the same venue in 1994. Her 1999 play Oo-Bla-Dee, about 1940s female jazz musicians, won a best new play award from the American Critics’ Association. The Goodman Theatre produced the play in 1999, solidifying her reputation as a rising playwright. She wrote and directed Crowns, a play-with-gospel-music based on the book of photographs by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry, which premiered in 2002 at McCarter Theatre and Second Stage Theatre. Crowns became the most performed musical in the country in 2006 and won four Helen Hayes Awards, including Best Direction for Taylor. She wrote and directed Drowning Crow, an adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, which opened on Broadway in 2004 produced by Manhattan Theatre Club at the Biltmore Theatre. She wrote and directed The Dreams of Sarah Breedlove, a dramatic rendering of businesswoman Madam C.J. Walker, which premiered in 2005 at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Taylor returned to the Goodman Theatre in 2011 for the world premiere of The Trinity River Plays, a trilogy composed of Jar Fly, Rain, and Ghoststory, co-produced with Dallas Theater Center. Her 2017 play A Seat at the Table was commissioned by Carthage College’s Theatre Department and tells the story of civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. As of 2022, Taylor serves as writer-in-residence at Signature Theatre, where her play stop. reset. premiered at the Pershing Square Signature Center in 2013.
Regina Taylor Awards Won
Regina Taylor has received numerous accolades throughout her distinguished career. She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Drama and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, both for her performance in I’ll Fly Away. Her playwriting has also been honored with the American Critics’ Association Award for Best New Play for Oo-Bla-Dee in 2000. She has received four Helen Hayes Awards for Crowns, including Best Direction and Best Regional Musical. Earlier in her career, she earned a Dramalogue Award for her performance as Ariel in The Tempest at the La Jolla Playhouse in 1987.
Regina Taylor Family
Regina Taylor married artist Mario Emes in 1982. According to DNA analysis, Taylor is descended mainly from the Mende people of Sierra Leone and the Kru people of Liberia.
Personal Life
Regina Taylor is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, reflecting her commitment to community and professional development. She continues to reside in the United States and maintains her dedication to both acting and playwrighting, serving as writer-in-residence at Signature Theatre while also holding the Denzel Washington Endowed Chair in Theater at Fordham University.