Danielle Deadwyler
Deadwyler in 2024
Born	(1982-05-03)May 3, 1982 (age 43) Atlanta,Georgia, U.S.
Education	Spelman College (BA) Columbia University (MA) Ashland University (MFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2008–present
Children	1
Website	danielledeadwyler.com

Danielle Deadwyler (born May 3, 1982)^[1] is an American actress. She began her career as a theatre actress in Atlanta, Georgia. Deadwyler then transitioned to film and television roles and made her screen debut in the 2012 drama filmA Cross to Bear. She appeared in the primetime soap operaThe Haves and the Have Nots (2015–2017), the drama seriesP-Valley (2020), and the miniseriesStation Eleven (2021–2022) andFrom Scratch (2022).

Deadwyler received acclaim for her performances in the western filmThe Harder They Fall (2021), the biographical dramaTill (2022), and the dramaThe Piano Lesson (2024). Her portrayal ofMamie Till inTill and a troubled mother inThe Piano Lesson earned her several accolades, including a nomination for theBAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the former andScreen Actors Guild Awards nominations for both. In 2025,Time magazine named Deadwyler one of the100 most influential people in the world.

Deadwyler was born inAtlanta,Georgia and raised in Southwest Atlanta.^[2] She is the daughter of a legal secretary and a railroad supervisor and has three siblings.^[3] Deadwyler has a son named Ezra.^[4] She graduated from Grady High School (now Midtown High School) and thenSpelman College with an undergraduate degree in History and African American Studies.^[5] Deadwyler received a Master's of Arts in American Studies fromColumbia University^[6][7] and another master's degree in creative writing atAshland University in 2017.^[3][8]

Deadwyler began her career appearing on stage productions, includingCharlotte's Web,The Real Tweenagers of Atlanta, and most notable playing the role of Lady in Yellow inFor Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf at the True Colors Theater in Atlanta in 2009.^[9][10][11] Deadwyler received positive reviews for leading performance inAlliance Theatre'sThe C.A. Lyons Project.^[12] On Atlanta stage, Deadwyler appeared in thePulitzer Prize-winning playClybourne Park at Aurora Theater, portrayed an actress injured doing Shakespeare inSmart People at True Colors Theater, and played multiple roles inThe Temple Bombing at the Alliance Theater.^[13]

She made her film debut playing the leading role of a homeless, alcoholic mother in the 2012 dramaA Cross to Bear directed by Tandria Potts.^[14][15] Deadwyler later acted in a number of short films, then landed roles on television. In 2015, Deadwyler guest-starred in the second season ofBET's drama seriesBeing Mary Jane. Later that year, she joined the cast ofTyler Perry's seriesThe Haves and the Have Nots, playing antagonist LaQuita "Quita" Maxwell.^[6] Deadwyler left the series during Season 4. Eventually, she had secondary roles in the filmsGifted andThe Leisure Seeker, and appeared in the television seriesGreenleaf,Atlanta andWatchmen. In 2018, she played the title role ofJane Manning James in the period drama filmJane and Emma.^[16][17] Deadwyler played a leading role and produced the 2019 thriller filmThe Devil To Pay. The film and her performance received positive reviews from critics.^[18][19][20] Cath Clarke fromThe Guardian wrote in her review: "Deadwyler's soulful performance really groundsThe Devil to Pay even as it cranks into revenge-movie mode."^[20] In 2020, Deadwyler was cast in a series regular role in the seriesParadise Lost, withJosh Hartnett,Bridget Regan andBarbara Hershey.^[21] The series was not renewed for a second season. That same year, Deadwyler guest-starred onFBI: Most Wanted and had a recurring role as Yoli in the seriesP-Valley.^[22]

In 2021, Deadwyler played the role of Cuffee in the Netflix western filmThe Harder They Fall. The character was inspired byCathay Williams.^[23] The film and her performance received positive reviews from film critics.^[24][25] Deadwyler received anNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture nomination for her performance and well as number of Best Ensemble awards.^[26] Later in 2021, Deadwyler played Miranda Carroll in the miniseriesStation Eleven.^[27] Also that year, she was in the Netflix miniseriesFrom Scratch, based onTembi Locke's memoir.^[28] Deadwyler played the role of lead character' older sister, receiving positive reviews.^[29][30]

Deadwyler starred asMamie Till in the biographical filmTill (2022) directed byChinonye Chukwu.^[31][32][33] She received positive reviews from critics for her lead performance in the movie.^{[34][3][35][36]} Manohla Dargis inThe New York Times: "With fixed intensity and supple quicksilver emotional changes, Deadwyler rises to the occasion as Mamie, delivering a quiet, centralizing performance that works contrapuntally with the story's heaviness, its profundity and violence."^[37] Deadwyler received theNational Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance (shared withGabriel LaBelle forThe Fabelmans) and theGotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Lead Performance for her performance.^[38]

In 2024, Deadwyler played the leading role in the science fiction thriller filmParallel directed byKourosh Ahari, a remake of Lei Zheng's feature of the same name.^[39][40] She starred in the horror-thriller filmI Saw the TV Glow, which premiered at the 2024Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews from critics.^[41][42] Deadwyler also starred inThe Piano Lesson, an adaptation of theAugust Wilson play,^[43] and in the Canadian post-apocalyptic thriller film40 Acres.^[44] ForThe Piano Lesson, Deadwyler earned her secondScreen Actors Guild Awards nomination in theSupporting Actress category, her first having been inLeading Actress for her role inTill. Her guest appearance as Syd's cousin Chantel onThe Bear episode "Worms" was positively received, withRolling Stone criticAlan Sepinwall describing Deadwyler, "one of most chameleonic actors we have," as having disappeared into the "relaxed, confident, funny role."^[45] Deadwyler appeared in the action thrillerCarry-On for Netflix.^[46][47] She also starred in the horror filmThe Woman in the Yard. Both films were directed byJaume Collet-Serra.^[48][49][50]

Time magazine named Deadwyler one of the100 most influential people in the world in 2025.^[51]

Deadwyler is slated to executive produce and star in the upcoming comedic thrillerThe Saviors.^[52][53] She will also portray Zelma Redding, widow of American singerOtis Redding, in the biographical dramaOtis & Zelma.^[54] In February 2025, Deadwyler joined an untitledHBO comedy series oppositeSteve Carell, taking on the role of a poetry professor and published author.^[55] That spring, she was announced as the lead in the film adaptation ofThe Street, based on the 1946 novel byAnn Petry.^[56][57] In October 2025, a first-look photo accompanied news of her addition to the Season 3 cast ofEuphoria.^[58] The following month, she was reported to have joined the ensemble ofIndia Donaldson's dramaThe Chaperones.^[59]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toDanielle Deadwyler.

• Official website
• Danielle Deadwyler atIMDb 

• Actresses from Atlanta
• 21st-century African-American actresses
• 21st-century American actresses
• American television actresses
• Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni
• Living people
• 1980s births
• 20th-century African-American people
• 20th-century African-American women
• Spelman College alumni
• Ashland University alumni

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from October 2022
• Articles with hCards
• Commons category link is on Wikidata
• Year of birth missing (living people)