Bahni Turpin (born June 4, 1962) is an American audiobook narrator and stage and screen actor based out of Los Angeles. Her audiobook career includes some of the most popular and critically acclaimed books in recent years, including The Help and The Hate U Give. She has won 9 Audie Awards, including Audiobook of the Year for Children of Blood and Bone; 14 Earphone Awards; and 2 Odyssey Awards. Turpin has also earned a place on AudioFile magazine's list of Golden Voice Narrators, and in 2016, she was named Audible's Narrator of the Year. In 2018, Audible inducted her into the Narrator Hall of Fame.
Early life Turpin was born in Pontiac, Michigan.
Career Turpin began her acting career in 1991 with her debut role in the film Daughters of the Dust, the first feature film directed by an African-American woman distributed theatrically in the United States. She has since appeared on television shows such as Criminal Minds.
Turpin is also a member of the Cornerstone Theater Company.
Outside of acting, Turpin has been a long-time yoga instructor.
Reviews Discussing the power Turpin brings to every role she plays, Audible wrote, "Turpin's embodiment of characters helps to further pull you into the author's world and drive home all of the pain and emotion they are carrying." They continued, stating that "her embodiment of characters that span a wide range of ages and cultural backgrounds is unparalleled."
Publishers Weekly wrote of House of Rougeaux: "Actor Turpin's skill with a vast array of accents brings the characters of Jaeckel's multigenerational novel to life. …Turpin's multifaceted performance enhances this rich tapestry of a novel." Of The Hate U Give, the same website wrote "Turpin's remarkable sensitivity carries this performance to the ranks of greatness."
Awards and honors Awards YearTitleAwardResultRef.2010The HelpAudie Award for FictionWinnerPreciousEarphones Award WinnerThe True Meaning of Smekday Earphones Award Winner2011The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Audie Award for NonfictionWinnerThe True Meaning of Smekday Odyssey AwardWinner2012The Mighty Miss MaloneEarphones Award for ChildrenWinner2013Hold FastListen Up Award for YA/Children'sFinalist2014SugarAudie Award for Middle Grade TitleFinalist2015Unstoppable Octobia MayAudie Award for Middle Grade TitleFinalistYellow CrocusAudie Award for Solo Narration – FemaleWinner2016Audible Narrator of the YearWinnerCitizens CreekAudie Award for FictionFinalistJump Back, PaulAudie Award for Middle Grade TitleFinalistThe Underground Railroad Publishers Weekly's Narrator of the YearWinner2017Sister of MineAudie Award for FictionWinnerThe Underground Railroad Audie Award for Audiobook of the YearFinalistAudie Award for Best Female NarratorFinalistAudie Award for Literary Fiction or ClassicsFinalist2018Audible Narrator Hall of FameWinnerChildren of Blood and BoneAudie Award for Audiobook of the YearWinnerEarphones Award WinnerThe Hate U GiveOdyssey AwardWinnerAudie Award for Best Female NarratorWinner2019AudioFile Golden Voice NarratorWinnerAda Twist and the Perilous PantsEarphones AwardWinnerBefore She Was HarrietAudie Award for Young Listeners' TitleWinnerLook Both WaysEarphones AwardWinnerRed at the BoneEarphones AwardWinnerThe Yellow HouseEarphones Award for Biography & Memoir WinnerZora and LangstonEarphones AwardWinner2020The Book of Lost FriendsEarphones Award for Historical FictionWinnerCharlotte's Web Audie Award for Middle GradeWinnerCharlotte's Web Earphones AwardWinnerFighting WordsEarphones Award for ChildrenWinnerPewEarphones Award for FictionWinnerRed at the BoneAudie Award for Literary Fiction or ClassicsFinalist2021Fighting WordsOdyssey AwardHonoreePewAudie Award for Literary Fiction or ClassicsFinalist2022BlackoutAudie Award for Short Stories/Collections WinnerThe Best American Short Stories 2021Audie Award for Short Stories/Collections FinalistThe Final Revival of Opal & NevAudie Award for FictionEarphones Award Winner
Best of the Year lists YearTitleListRef.2007New England WhiteListen Up Award for Mystery2009The HelpListenUp Award for Fiction2010PreciousAudioFile Best of Fiction2011Amazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsThe True Meaning of SmekdayAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsNotable Children's Recordings2012Bird in a BoxAudioFile Best Children's AudiobooksThe Mighty Miss MaloneAudioFile Best of 2012: Children'sThe Other Half of My HeartNotable Children's Recordings2013The Mighty Miss MaloneNotable Children's Recordings2016Jump Back, PaulNotable Children's RecordingsThe Sun is Also a StarPublishers Weekly Best Audiobooks of 2016'Til the Well Runs DryListen ListThe Underground Railroad Publishers Weekly Best Audiobooks of 20162017The Hate U GivePublishers Weekly Best Audiobooks for Children's/YAA Kind of Freedom The Washington Post, Best AudiobooksUnboundNotable Children's Recordings2018The Hate U GiveAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsNotable Children's RecordingsThe Sun is Also a StarAmazing Audiobooks for Young Adults2019Ada Twist and the Perilous PantsAudioFile Best Children & Family ListeningAmerican Spy AudioFile Best Mystery & SuspenseBefore She Was HarrietNotable Children's RecordingsChildren of Blood and BoneAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsNotable Children's RecordingsThe Darkest ChildThe Listen ListLook Both WaysAudioFile Best Biography & Children & Family ListeningRed at the BoneAudioFile Best Fiction, Poetry & DramaZora and LangstonAudioFile Best Biography & History2020Black EnoughAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsOn the Come UpNotable Children's RecordingsAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsRed at the BoneThe Listen ListRoller GirlAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsSpinAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsWhen the Ground is HardNotable Children's RecordingsWhen Stars Are ScatteredAudioFile Best Children'sBooklist Editors' Choice: Youth Audio2021145th StreetAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsThe 1619 Project: A New Origin StoryBooklist Editors' Choice: Adult AudioFighting WordsAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsNotable Children's RecordingsFrom the Desk of Zoe WashingtonAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsNotable Children's RecordingsLook Both Ways Amazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsThe Snow Fell Three Graves DeepAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsThis is My AmericaAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsTiny ImperfectionsThe Listen List2022Cinderella Is DeadAmazing Audiobooks for Young AdultsSugar Town QueensAmazing Audiobooks for Young Adults
Selected narrations +Books narrated by Bahni TurpinYearTitleAuthor(s)Other Narrator(s)Note2006A Piece of CakeCupcake Brown2009The Help Kathryn Stockett, Octavia Spencer and Jenna Lamia PreciousSapphireFirst published in 19962010The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksRebecca SklootCassandra Campbell 2011Pigeon EnglishStephen Kelman2012The Mighty Miss MaloneChristopher Paul CurtisThe Twelve Tribes Of Hattie Ayana MathisAdenrele Ojo and Adam Lazarre-White2014Bad Feminist Roxane Gay 2015Everything, Everything Nicola YoonRobbie Daymond 2016Hidden FiguresMargot Lee Shetterly If Beale Street Could Talk James BaldwinFirst published in 1974The Sun Is Also a StarNicola YoonRaymond Lee and Dominic Hoffman The Underground RailroadColson Whitehead Grimm's Fairy TalesJacob Grimm and Wilhelm GrimmGraeme Malcolm, Scott Brick, Davina Porter, Dion Graham, and Edoardo Ballerini First published in 19092017The Hate U GiveAngie Thomas They Both Die at the EndAdam SilveraMichael Crouch and Robbie Daymond There's Someone Inside Your House Stephanie Perkins 2018Children Of Blood And Bone Tomi Adeyemi So You Want to Talk About Race Ijeoma OluoA Spark of Light Jodi Picoult 2019Children of Virtue and VengeanceTomi Adeyemi Look Both Ways Jason ReynoldsJason Reynolds, Heather Alicia Simms, Chris Chalk, Adenrele Ojo, Kevin R. Free, J.D. Jackson, Guy Lockard, January LaVoy, and David Sadzin On the Come Up Angie Thomas The Starless Sea Erin Morgenstern Dominic Hoffman, Dion Graham, Fiona Hardingham, Allan Corduner, and Jorjeana Marie American Spy Lauren Wilkinson 2020Cinderella Is Dead Kalynn Bayron The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires Grady Hendrix Transcendent Kingdom Yaa Gyasi The Yellow House Sarah M. Broom 2021Blackout Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola YoonJoniece Abbott-Pratt, Dion Graham, Imani Parks, Jordan Cobb, Shayna Small, A.J. Beckles Chains Laurie Halse AndersonFirst published in 2008The Other Black GirlZakiya Dalila HarrisAja Naomi King, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, and Heather Alicia Simms PassingNella LarsenFirst published in19292022The Day the Crayons Came Home Drew Daywalt with Oliver Jeffers (Illus.)Barrett Leddy, Jesús E. Martínez, MacLeod Andrews, Ron Butler, Michael Crouch, Taylor Meskimen, Rob Shapiro, Tara Sands, Almarie Guerra, Jamie K. Brown, and Daniel Henning First published in 2015RecitatifToni MorrisonZadie SmithFirst published in 19832023The Hork-Bajir Chronicles (from Animorphs) K.A. Applegate Michael Crouch, Natasha Soudek, and Mark TuretskyFirst published in October 1998
Filmography YearTitleRoleNotes1991Daughters of the Dust Iona Peazant1992Rain Without Thunder 'Baby Bomb' PrisonerMalcolm X Follower at Temple #71993Law & OrderTheresa JonesEpisode: Night & FogThe Saint of Fort Washington Gloria1994Getting InValerie BookbinderRebel HighwayMelba MasonEpisode: Girls in PrisonGirls in PrisonMelba Since Lisa1995The Jeff Foxworthy Show NickiEpisode: The Gene Pool1996Star Trek: Voyager Ensign Swinn / SwinnEpisodes:
Resolutions TuvixIn the HouseZeldaEpisode: The Curse of Hill HouseLois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanCarlyEpisode: Stop the Presses1997Women: Stories of Passion'Angel' ActressEpisode: Grip Till It Hurts1998SeinfeldWaitress #1Episode: The WizardChicago HopeSandra, the Kronk's NeighborEpisode: The Breast and the BrightestThe PretenderNurse RobertsEpisode: ParoleL. A. DoctorsMiss CorelliEpisode: Leap of Faith1999Brokedown PalaceJamaican PrisonerUndressedDaniEpisodes:
The Ex-Files If Words Could If Words Could Kill #2 The Ex-Files #2 Twice a Virgin2000Family LawEpisode: Playing GodERMrs. LattimerEpisode: Loose EndsStrong MedicineCharlotte GouldEpisode: DependencyDharma & GregMaryEpisode: Love, Honor, and Ole!2001NYPD BlueLouise DunnerEpisode: RussellmaniaJudging AmyAtty. Carmen DevereEpisode: ImbroglioThe Steve Harvey ShowJeanetteEpisode: Stuck on You2002CrossroadsMs. Jenson2003The ParkersMadame PatriceEpisode: Love Potion #83Mister SterlingEpisode: The Statewide SwingCrossing JordanBahni / BonnyEpisodes:
Dead Wives' Club Family TiesGirlfriendsAnitaEpisode: Snoop, There It Is2004The GuardianMegan's LawyerEpisode: All Is MendedSoul FoodDanielleEpisode: Take It to the LimitPryor OffensesPatty2004-2005Cold CaseLindsey DunlayEpisodes:
Frank's Best Family Maternal Instincts2005Six Feet UnderWolf's GirlfriendEpisode: Dancing for MeThe ComebackYoga InstructorEpisode: Valerie Gets a Magazine Cover2006The Bernie Mac ShowKaiEpisode: It's Never as Bad as the First TimeOut of the WoodsWhat About BrianBaby Dance InstructorEpisode: What About Second Chances2007Lincoln HeightsVeraEpisodes:
Abduction Obsession2009Without A TraceShannonEpisode: DaylightMentalLouisa KnoxEpisode: Do OverBuona FortunaSylvia2012Pretty Little LiarsHotline CounselorEpisode: A Hot Piece of A2016Criminal Minds: Beyond BordersLieutenant Ananda DoshiEpisode: Iqiniso2017ChanceWatsonEpisode: The Collected Works of William Shakespeare2018O. G. LudlowCode BlackMerylEpisode: Better Angels2019The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial MarriageNarrator2020NCISCamille WestEpisode: Blood and Treasure20219-1-1: Lone StarJudyEpisode: Dust to DustFarrinaFarrinaEpisodes:
I Insist Where We Are From Go on and Sit Here2022If Sharks Disappeared
References