Nia Long

Born: 30th October 1970
Where: Brooklyn, New York

The actress has appeared in a string of high-profile movies including The Best Man, Boiler Room and Big Momma's House.

Leaving New York with her mother after her parents divorce, Long first moved to Iowa and then California.

Supported by her mum, who was forced to take menial jobs despite two master's degrees, Long expressed an interest in acting from an early age.

Impressed by her determination, she got tuition from Betty Bridges, the mother of former child star Todd Bridges (Diff'rent Strokes).

Work followed in the TV daytime soap Guiding Light and B.R.A.T. Daytime Patrol.

She made her big screen debut alongside a stellar cast of young talents in John Singleton's debut movie, Boyz N the Hood.

The film earned Singleton two Oscar nominations, and helped launch Long's acting career.

She followed up Boyz N the Hood with a comedic turn in Ted Danson's Made in America, proving that she was adept at both drama and comedy.

After a two year stint on Will Smith's The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air she moved on to more prominent projects.

In 1999, she appeared in Stigmata, and the following year in Boiler Room, as well as starring opposite comedian Martin Lawrence in Big Momma's House.

In 2004, she starred in the American remake of the Michael Caine classic Alfie, starring Jude Law and the Blaxploitation-themed Baadasssss!.

Recent work includes the sequel Big Momma's House 2 as the long-suffering wife of FBI agent Martin Lawrence.