A Journey Through Sanaa Lathan's Career Over The Years

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Sanaa Lathan is one of Hollywood’s most versatile and beloved actresses. From her breakthrough role in Love & Basketball to her amazing performances in films and TV shows, such as the fan favorite love film The Best Man or the hilarious cartoon Family Guy, Lathan has built a career that is both inspiring and groundbreaking.

She’s not just a talented performer; she’s an icon who has continuously reinvented herself while breaking down barriers for women of color in the entertainment industry. Let’s take a look back at the milestones of Sanaa Lathan’s career and her evolution as an artist.

The beginning of Lathan’s career.

Born on Sep. 19, 1971, in New York City, Lathan comes from a family with a rich artistic heritage. Her father, Stan Lathan, was a well-known television director, and her mother, Eleanor McCoy, was a dancer and actress, according to her IMDB profile. Lathan’s upbringing was immersed in the arts, and her early exposure to creative expression set the stage for her career in acting.

She attended Yale School of Drama, where she earned an MFA, and she also received a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Berkeley, California, honing her craft before moving to Los Angeles to pursue acting, according to Black Past and Geffen Playhouse. 

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Lathan’s breakout role came in 2000 with the film Love & Basketball, where she portrayed Monica Wright, a passionate basketball player trying to balance her athletic dreams while falling in love with her close friend Quincy McCall, played by Omar Epps. The film, which became a cult classic, showcased Lathan’s talent for blending vulnerability with strength, qualities that would define her career.

During an interview with People in 2024, Lathan reflected on Love & Basketball’s popularity, recalling how she received “a five-minute standing ovation” after the film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2000.

“I was just floored … and then the rest is history,” she said. “It became this thing where people watched it over and over and over again, and it crossed all racial and cultural lines.”

The celeb added, “What a gift it was that I was able to, at a young age, play this amazing, fierce character in this beloved movie. When we were making it, for me, I was nervous about the basketball because I really wasn’t a basketball player. I looked like a basketball player because I had a dance background, so I was able to really mimic.”

But that wasn’t the only highlight from the actress’s illustrious career. Here are a few more career highs from Lathan’s stunning Hollywood resume over the years.

1. 'The Best Man' boom.

The 90s and 2000s were a defining decade for Lathan, as she took on a variety of roles in both film and television. She played the role of Robin in the original The Best Man (1999).  The hilarious comedy followed old college friends as they reunited for a fun and drama-filled wedding. The franchise followed up with a Christmas-themed sequel, The Best Man Holiday, in November 2013, and both films saw major success at the box office.

“The original grossed $34 million domestically on a $9 million budget. The 2013 follow-up earned $70 million,” according to Deadline.

2. She continued to build a career of diverse roles.

Lathan would continue to expand her film portfolio with a number of diverse roles throughout the 2000s. In 2001, the New York native starred in The Wood, a coming-of-age film about friendship and love. The film highlighted her ability to portray relatable, complex characters and established her as a rising star in Hollywood. 

Lathan also made waves in romantic comedies, such as Brown Sugar (2002), where she starred opposite Taye Diggs as a music journalist who confronts the intersection of love, friendship, and hip-hop culture. The film was a hit and cemented Lathan’s place as one of the go-to actresses for romantic and heartfelt performances.

But Lathan was far from confined to one genre. In 2003, she starred in the psychological thriller The Perfect Guy, showcasing her range in more dramatic roles. Her willingness to take on challenging and diverse characters made her stand out in a landscape that was often narrow for women of color in Hollywood.

3. She expanded into television.

While Lathan had already made a name for herself in film, she proved she could dominate the small screen as well. Her role as the manipulative, power-hungry businesswoman in the hit drama series The Affair (2014–2015) was a testament to her ability to evolve with the changing tides of entertainment. The role garnered her critical acclaim.

One of her most iconic TV roles came with Shots Fired (2017), a miniseries that explored race relations and police shootings in America. Lathan played a passionate investigator working to uncover the truth behind a controversial case, navigating the complexities of the criminal justice system and systemic racism. The series was both timely and impactful, allowing Lathan to showcase her acting prowess in a socially relevant and powerful way. 

The success did not stop there. She went on to earn her first Emmy nomination in 2022 for her guest role on Succession. Lathan also lent her voice to the character of Donna Tubbs on both Family Guy and The Cleveland Show on Fox, as well as to Catwoman in the DC animated series Harley Quinn.

Lathan later reprised her beloved role from The Best Man for the film’s spin-off TV series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, in 2022.

4. Lathan made a name for herself on Broadway, too.

On Broadway, Lathan earned a Tony Award nomination for her captivating performance in A Raisin in the Sun on Broadway (2004). She also starred as Maggie the Cat, alongside James Earl Jones, in the Olivier Award-winning revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2010) at London’s Novello Theatre in the West End.

The film titan also made an appearance off-Broadway with 2012’s By the Way, Meet Vera Stark.

5. She made her directorial debut.

Since then, Lathan has expanded her reach. The star ventured into directing, making her debut with the short film Leap for Maven Pictures. Shot during the lockdown, the film explores the story of a Zoom therapist struggling with OCD and panic disorder, according to IMDB. Leap premiered at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival.

She continued sharpening her directorial lens with 2022’s On the Come Up, based on Angie Thomas’ best-selling novel. It featured Lathan as the mother of a talented teen rapper trying to make it in a cutthroat industry. The film was lauded for its raw portrayal of ambition, youth, and resilience, once again proving Lathan’s ability to elevate every character she portrays.

During an interview with Global Grind that year, Lathan said that while she knew many of the “technical aspects” required for the filmmaking process, there were so many things she learned on the go about the post-production part of the business. 

“It was really an all-consuming couple of years’ job,” the Hollywood star said flat out.” It really isn’t for the heart of the faint.”

But Lathan lived up to the challenge and delivered. From a young, ambitious actress with a dream to one of Hollywood’s most celebrated stars, Lathan’s journey is a powerful reminder that the sky is the limit when talent, passion, and persistence meet.

We can’t wait to see where the next chapter of her incredible career takes her.