Lorraine Toussaint (born April 4, 1960) is a Trinidadian-born American actress best known for her role as Rene Jackson in Lifetime drama series Any Day Now (1998-2002).
She portrays Dana Adams in the Freeform series, The Fosters.
Early Life[]
Toussaint was born in Trinidad, but moved to Brooklyn with her mother at the age of 10. She graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts in 1978. She then attended the Juilliard School's drama division as a member of Group 11 (1978–1982), where her classmates in 1982 included Megan Gallagher, Penny Johnson, Jack Kenny, and Jack Stehlin. Toussaint graduated from Juilliard with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
Career[]
Toussaint is best known for starring alongside Annie Potts in Any Day Now. She was a featured recurring guest-star in the first few seasons of the legal drama Law & Order as defense lawyer Shambala Green. She appeared on fims such as Breaking In, Hudson Hawk, Dangerous Minds and The Soloist. She was also a regular guest on the drama Threat Matrix, as Carina Wright/Agent Cassandra Hodges. In 1993, Toussaint appeared in Point Of No Return, starring Bridget Fonda.
From 2007 to 2010, Toussaint starred as Captain Kate Perry in Saving Grace, which aired on TNT. In 2013 she recurs on season 3 of Dana Delany's Body of Proof as Angela Martin, new police chief.
In 2012 she nominated on Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for performance of Middle of Nowhere.
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Breaking In | Delphine the Hooker | |
| 1991 | Hudson Hawk | Almond Joy | |
| 1993 | Point of No Return | Beth | |
| 1994 | Mother's Boys | Robert's Associate | |
| 1994 | Bleeding Hearts | Enid Sheperd | |
| 1995 | Dangerous Minds | Irene Roberts | |
| 1996 | Psalms from the Underground | Short film | |
| 1997 | The Spittin' Image | Short film | |
| 1998 | Black Dog | Avery | |
| 1998 | Jaded | Carol Broker | |
| 2001 | The Sky Is Falling | Janie | |
| 2008 | The Gold Lunch | Judge | Short film |
| 2009 | The Soloist | Flo Ayers | |
| 2012 | Middle of Nowhere | Ruth | Nominated - Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
Nominated - Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2013 | Undiscovered Gyrl | Dr. Sherman |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The Face of Rage | Stendah | TV movie | |
| 1986 | A Case of Deadly Force | Pat Bowden | TV movie | |
| 1988 | One Life to Live | Vera Williams | TV movie | |
| 1989 | A Man Called Hawk | Emily Howell | Episode: "Hear No Evil" | |
| 1990 | Common Ground | Alva | TV movie | |
| 1990 | 227 | Monica Patton | Episode: "Nightmare on 227" | |
| 1990 | Nasty Boys | Dr. Chanel Cory | Episode: "Kill or Be Killed: Part 1" | |
| 1990-1994 | Law & Order | Shamabala Green | 6 episodes | |
| 1991 | Daddy | Judge (uncredited) | TV movie | |
| 1992 | Red Dwarf | Captain Tau | TV movie | |
| 1992 | Tequila and Bonetti | Big Marie | Episode: "The Rose Cadillac" | |
| 1992 | Trial: The Price of Passion | Nancy Goodpaster | TV movie | |
| 1992 | Bodies of Evidence | Dr. Mary Rocket | TV series | |
| 1993 | Queen | Joyce | TV miniseries | |
| 1993 | Love, Lies & Lullabies | Florence Crawford | TV movie | |
| 1993 | Class of '61 | Sarah | TV movie | |
| 1993 | The Sinbad Show | Mrs. Payton | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 1993 | Where I Live | Marie St. Martin | 21 episodes | |
| 1994 | A Time to Heal | Zelda | TV movie | |
| 1994 | M.A.N.T.I.S. | Denise Copeland | Episode: "Fire in the Heart" | |
| 1995 | Bless This House | Lorraine | Episode: "A Woman's Work Is Never Done" | |
| 1995 | Amazing Grace | Yvonne Price | 5 episodes | |
| 1995 | Murder One | Margaret Stratton | Episode: "Chapter 6"
Episode: "Chapter 8" | |
| 1995 | It Was Him or Us | Lt. Washington | TV movie | |
| 1996 | America's Dream | Philomena | TV movie | |
| 1996 | Nightjohn | Dealey | TV movie | |
| 1996 | If These Walls Could Talk | Shameeka Webb | TV movie | |
| 1996 | Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Dr. Cotter | Episode: "The Coma Episode" | |
| 1996 | Dark Skies | Eda Mae Tillman | Episode: "We Shall Overcome" | |
| 1996 | The Cherokee Kid | Mama Turner | TV movie | |
| 1997 | Promised Land | Linda Paxton | Episode: "Running Scared" | |
| 1997 | Leaving L.A. | Dr. Claudia Chan | 6 episodes | |
| 1998 | Blackout Effect | Kim Garfield | TV movie | |
| 1998 | Nothing Sacred | Lorraine Hamilton | Episode: "Signs and Words" | |
| 1998 | Cracker: Mind Over Murder | Tisha Watlington | Episode: "If: Part 1"
Episode: "If: Part 2" | |
| 1998 | C-16: FBI | Marsha Fontaine | Episode: "My Brother's Keeper" | |
| 1998-2002 | Any Day Now | Rene Jackson | 88 episodes
Nominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series (1999-2003) | |
| 2002-2003 | Crossing Jordan | Dr. Elaine Duchamps | 12 episodes | |
| 2003 | Law & Order | Shambala Green | Episode: "Identity" | |
| 2003 | Threat Matrix | Carina Wright | 4 episodes | |
| 2004 | Threat Matrix | NSA Agent Hodges | Episode: "PPX" | |
| 2004 | Frasier | Nurse | Episode: "Boo!" | |
| 2005 | Their Eyes Were Watching God | Pearl Stone | TV movie | |
| 2005 | Judging Amy | Eileen Stayman | Episode: "The New Normal" | |
| 2005 | The Closer | Deputy D.A. Powell | Episode: "Fatal Retraction"
Episode: "Standards and Practices" | |
| 2005 | Numb3rs | Medical Examiner | Episode: "Bones of Contention" | |
| 2006 | 3 lbs | Della | Episode: "Unaired Pilot" | |
| 2006 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Cynthia James
Marla James |
Episode: "Fannysmackin'"
Episode: "Post Mortem" |
|
| 2006 | Ugly Betty | Amelia 'Yoga' Bluman | 6 episodes | |
| 2007 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Marla James | Episode: "Big Shots" | |
| 2007-2010 | Saving Grace | Capt. Kate Perry | 43 episodes | |
| 2008 | ER | Yolanda | Episode: "Believe the Unseen" | |
| 2009 | Numb3rs | Agent Terri Green | Episode: "Cover Me" | |
| 2009-2011 | Friday Night Lights | Bird Merriweather | 6 episodes | |
| 2010 | The Line | Josephine Johnson | TV movie | |
| 2010 | Three Rivers | Yolanda Moss | Episode: "Every Breath You Take" | |
| 2010 | The Glades | Carol Watkins | Episode: "A Perfect Storm" | |
| 2011 | The Doctor | Ayanna | TV movie | |
| 2011 | NCIS | Deputy Director Donna Wolfson | Episode: "Defiance" | |
| 2011 | Against the Wall | Officer Edie | Episode: "Obsessed and Unwanted" | |
| 2012 | Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Fincher | Episode: "The Girl with No Name" | |
| 2012 | The Finder | La Bruja | Episode: "Voodoo Undo" | |
| 2012 | Drop Dead Diva | Prof. Ellen Daily | Episode: "Road Trip" | |
| 2012 | The Secret Life of the American Teenager | Episode: "Holy Rollers" | ||
| 2012 | Scandal | Nancy Drake | Episode: "The Other Woman" | |
| 2013 | Orange is the New Black | Yvonne Parker | 12 episodes | |
| 2013 | Body of Proof | Angela Martin |
Trivia[]
Gallery[]
- Click here to see Lorraine's gallery.