Teyonah Parris ( ; born September 22, 1987) is an American actress. A graduate of Juilliard School, she began acting in 2010. Her first prominent roles were in the drama series Mad Men (2012–2015) and in the independent film Dear White People (2014). She then appeared in the drama series Empire (2014), Spike Lee's crime comedy Chi-Raq (2015), and the drama film If Beale Street Could Talk (2018).
In 2021, Parris starred in the horror film Candyman, and began portraying Monica Rambeau in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with the Disney+ series WandaVision. She has since featured in the black comedy series No Good Deed (2024).
Early life and education Parris was born on September 22, 1987, and raised in Hopkins, South Carolina. She attended Lower Richland High School until her sophomore year. She was accepted into the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities where she finished 11th and 12th grades, before attending and graduating from the Juilliard School.
Career She made her television debut in 2010, with a guest-starring role on The Good Wife. In 2012, she was cast in a recurring role as Dawn Chambers in the AMC drama series, Mad Men. She played the first major African American character on Mad Men.
In 2014, Parris had her breakthrough role in the independent film Dear White People. Later in that year, Parris began starring in the Starz comedy series, Survivor's Remorse. In 2015, Parris went to star in the satirical drama film Chi-Raq directed by Spike Lee. She received her first NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture nomination for this film. She played the leading role in Where Children Play directed by Leila Djansi, and starred alongside David Oyelowo in Five Nights in Maine. Later in 2015, she played R&B/Jazz singer Miki Howard in the biopic Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story.
In 2016, Parris was cast as lead character in the period drama film Buffalo Soldier Girl about a woman who, disguised as a man, enlisted and fought with the African American Post Civil War era as a Buffalo Soldier. In 2017, she had a recurring role on the Fox prime time soap opera Empire playing Detective Pamela Rose. In early 2018, Parris was cast in a leading role on the CBS drama pilot Murder. Also that year, she co-starred in If Beale Street Could Talk, a drama film written and directed by Barry Jenkins and based on James Baldwin's novel of the same name. She played the lead role of Kaneisha in the 2018 Off-Broadway production of Slave Play at the New York Theatre Workshop.
Parris plays the adult version of Monica Rambeau (introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Captain Marvel) in the Disney+ series WandaVision. She reprised the role in The Marvels released in November 2023.
Personal life In September 2022, Parris and her husband James announced that they were expecting their first child; their daughter was born in early 2023.
On August 22, 2024, Teyonah launched her hair extensions line blūm by Teyonah.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2010 How Do You Know Riva 2013 A Picture of You Mika 2014 Dear White People Colandrea "Coco" Conners They Came Together Wanda 2015 Five Nights in Maine Penelope Where Children Play Bellissima Mccain Chi-Raq Lysistrata 2016 Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story Miki Howard Also producer 90 Days Jessica Short 2018 If Beale Street Could Talk Ernestine Rivers 2019 Point Blank Taryn 2020 Charm City Kings Terri The Photograph Asia 2021 Candyman Brianna Cartwright 2023They Cloned Tyrone Yo-Yo The Marvels Monica Rambeau Dashing Through the Snow Allison Garrick 2026 Charmaine Post-production TBA Filming
Television Year Title Role Notes 2010 The Good Wife Melinda Gossett Episode: "Double Jeopardy" 2012–2015 Mad Men Dawn Chambers Recurring cast: season 5-7a, guest: season 7b 2013 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Karen Branston Episode: "Take the Money and Run" 2014–2017 Survivor's Remorse Missy Vaughn Main cast 2017 Placeholders Marla 2 episodes Empire Detective Pamela Rose Recurring cast: season 4 2018 Murder Det. Ayana Lake TV movie 2021 WandaVision Monica Rambeau / "Geraldine" Main cast 2021–2024 Marvel Studios: Assembled Herself 2 episodes 2024 What If...? Monica Rambeau (voice) Episode: "What If... the Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?" No Good Deed Carla Owens Main cast
Awards and nominations +AssociationYearWorkCategoryResultRef.AAFCA Awards2015Chi-RaqBest ActressBlack Reel Awards2015Dear White PeopleOutstanding Breakthrough Performance, FemaleOutstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture2016Chi-RaqOutstanding Actress, Motion Picture2017Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard StoryOutstanding TV Movie or Limited Series (as producer)Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie or Limited Series2021WandaVisionHollywood Critics Association TV Awards2021WandaVisionBest Supporting Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television MovieHollywood Film Festival201790 DaysExceptional Emerging Artist - Acting MTV Movie & TV Awards 2021 WandaVision Best Hero NAACP Image Awards2016Chi-RaqOutstanding Actress in a Motion PictureScreen Actors Guild Awards2013Mad MenOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama SeriesSeattle Film Critics Society2018If Beale Street Could TalkBest Ensemble CastWashington D.C. Area Film Critics Association2018If Beale Street Could TalkBest Acting Ensemble
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