Marsha Stephanie Blake (born 3 May 1974) is a Jamaican American actress. She is best known for her role as Linda McCray in the Netflix miniseries When They See Us, for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.
Life and career Blake was born in Jamaica and emigrated to the United States in the late 1980s with her family. She attended Dartmouth College and graduated in 1996. She received an MFA from the graduate acting program at UCSD.
Blake has played many roles on Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, including The Merchant of Venice, Come and Gone, The Crucible, An Octoroon, and Hurt Village. On television, she guest-starred in Law & Order, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Third Watch, Elementary, and The Good Wife.
In 2015, Blake joined the cast of the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black playing Berdie Rogers. Along with the cast, she received the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. She also had recurring roles on Happyish, Getting On and The Blacklist. In 2019, Blake played Linda McCray in the Netflix miniseries When They See Us directed by Ava DuVernay. Later in 2019, Blake was cast as Vivian Maddox in How to Get Away with Murder for the sixth and final season, and in fourth season of This Is Us opposite her When They See Us co-star, Asante Blackk.
Blake also has appeared in a number of movies, including The Architect (2006), Stand Clear of the Closing Doors (2013), Nasty Baby (2015), Person to Person (2017), Crown Heights (2017), The Wilde Wedding (2017), Luce (2019), See You Yesterday (2019), The Laundromat (2019), and I'm Your Woman (2020). She received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Performance in a Film at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards in 2023, for her performance as Ruth in the drama film Brother.Etan Vlessing, "Canadian Screen Awards: TV Drama ‘The Porter’ Leads With 19 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter, February 22, 2023.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes2003A-AlikeJadaShort film2006The ArchitectMissy Neeley2007LiftedNadineShort film2012Django UnchainedHouse SlaveDeleted scene2013Stand Clear of the Closing DoorsCarmen2014The Story of Milo & AnnieShirleyShort film2015Nasty BabyMo's Sister / Haimy2015Our NationMargaret2017Person to PersonJanet2017Crown HeightsBriana2017Imitation GirlKaren2017The Wilde WeddingOfficer Brady2019LuceRosemary Wilson2019GoldieCarol2019See You YesterdayPhaedra2019The LaundromatVincelle Boncamper2020The PhotographViolet Eames2020An American PickleInspector Sanders2020I'm Your WomanTeri2022BrotherRuthNominated — Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Performance in a FilmNominated — Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film
Television Year Title Role Notes2002Third WatchMyrna AddisonEpisode: "Cold Front"2004Law & Order: Special Victims UnitMariaEpisode: "Outcry"2005Law & OrderClinic DoctorEpisode: "Locomotion"2006Six DegreesNannyEpisode: "Pilot"2011The Big CVampire NurseEpisode: "Boo!"2011A Gifted ManKelly Jones 2 episodes2013ElementaryMelanie CullenEpisode: "M."2014GirlsPublisherEpisode: "Only Child"2014Chicago P.D.Janice WatkinsEpisode: "Prison Ball"2015Orange Is the New BlackBerdie Rogers8 episodesScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series2015HappyishMichelle4 episodes2015Public MoralsTinaEpisode: "Collection Day"2015The Good WifeMaia SachsEpisode: "Taxed"2015Getting OnYvette Ortley3 episodes2016–2019The BlacklistJanet MacNamara2 episodes2018QuanticoLeslie ThomasEpisode: "Bullet Train"2019When They See UsLinda McCrayMiniseriesBlack Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie/Limited SeriesOnline Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Limited SeriesAfrican-American Film Critics Association Award for Best EnsembleNominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or MovieNominated – Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries2019–2020How to Get Away with MurderVivian Maddox 5 episodes2019This Is UsKelly Hodges2 episodes2020FBI: Most WantedDenise TysonEpisode: "Defender"2022The Last Days of Ptolemy GreyNiecieMain role2023WildernessDetective Rawlings3 episodes2024Fight Night: The Million Dollar HeistDelores HudsonMiniseries2024The MadnessElena DanielsRecurring
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