Bahni Turpin (born June 4, 1962 in Pontiac, Michigan) [1] is an American audiobook narrator and stage and screen actor based out of Los Angeles. [2] Her audiobook career includes some of the most popular and critically-acclaimed books in recent years, [3] including The Help and The Hate U Give . [4] She has won 9 Audie Awards, including Audiobook of the Year for Children of Blood and Bone ; [5] [6] 14 Earphone Awards; and 2 Odyssey Awards. Turpin has also earned a place on AudioFile magazine's list of Golden Voice Narrators, [7] and in 2016, she was named Audible's Narrator of the Year. [8] In 2018, Audible inducted her into the Narrator Hall of Fame. [8] [9]
Turpin began her acting career in 1991 with her debut role in the film Daughters of the Dust , [10] the first feature film directed by an African-American woman distributed theatrically in the United States. [11] She has since appeared on television shows such as Criminal Minds.
Turpin is also a member of the Cornerstone Theater Company. [8]
Outside of acting, Turpin has been a long-time yoga instructor. [8]
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." [8] They continued, stating that "her embodiment of characters that span a wide range of ages and cultural backgrounds is unparalleled." [8]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1991 | Daughters of the Dust | Iona Peazant | |
1992 | Rain Without Thunder | 'Baby Bomb' Prisoner | |
Malcolm X | Follower at Temple #7 | ||
1993 | Law & Order | Theresa Jones | Episode: Night & Fog |
The Saint of Fort Washington | Gloria | ||
1994 | Getting In | Valerie Bookbinder | |
Rebel Highway | Melba Mason | Episiode: Girls in Prison | |
Girls in Prison | Melba | ||
Since Lisa | |||
1995 | The Jeff Foxworthy Show | Nicki | Episode: The Gene Pool |
1996 | Star Trek: Voyager | Ensign Swinn / Swinn | Episodes:
|
In the House | Zelda | Episode: The Curse of Hill House | |
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Carly | Episode: Stop the Presses | |
1997 | Women: Stories of Passion | 'Angel' Actress | Episode: Grip Till It Hurts |
1998 | Seinfeld | Waitress #1 | Episode: The Wizard |
Chicago Hope | Sandra, the Kronk's Neighbor | Episode: The Breast and the Brightest | |
The Pretender | Nurse Roberts | Episode: Parole | |
L. A. Doctors | Miss Corelli | Episode: Leap of Faith | |
1999 | Brokedown Palace | Jamaican Prisoner | |
Undressed | Dani | Episodes:
| |
2000 | Family Law | Episode: Playing God | |
ER | Mrs. Lattimer | Episode: Loose Ends | |
Strong Medicine | Charlotte Gould | Episode: Dependency | |
Dharma & Greg | Mary | Episode: Love, Honor, and Ole! | |
2001 | NYPD Blue | Louise Dunner | Episode: Russellmania |
Judging Amy | Atty. Carmen Devere | Episode: Imbroglio | |
The Steve Harvey Show | Jeanette | Episode: Stuck on You | |
2002 | Crossroads | Ms. Jenson | |
2003 | The Parkers | Madame Patrice | Episode: Love Potion #83 |
Mister Sterling | Episode: The Statewide Swing | ||
Crossing Jordan | Bahni / Bonny | Episodes:
| |
Girlfriends | Anita | Episode: Snoop, There It Is | |
2004 | The Guardian | Megan's Lawyer | Episode: All Is Mended |
Soul Food | Danielle | Episode: Take It to the Limit | |
Pryor Offenses | Patty | ||
2004-2005 | Cold Case | Lindsey Dunlay | Episodes:
|
2005 | Six Feet Under | Wolf's Girlfriend | Episode: Dancing for Me |
The Comeback | Yoga Instructor | Episode: Valerie Gets a Magazine Cover | |
2006 | The Bernie Mac Show | Kai | Episode: It's Never as Bad as the First Time |
Out of the Woods | |||
What About Brian | Baby Dance Instructor | Episode: What About Second Chances | |
2007 | Lincoln Heights | Vera | Episodes:
|
2009 | Without A Trace | Shannon | Episode: Daylight |
Mental | Louisa Knox | Episode: Do Over | |
Buona Fortuna | Sylvia | ||
2012 | Pretty Little Liars | Hotline Counselor | Episode: A Hot Piece of A |
2016 | Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders | Lieutenant Ananda Doshi | Episode: Iqiniso |
2017 | Chance | Watson | Episode: The Collected Works of William Shakespeare |
2018 | O. G. | Ludlow | |
Code Black | Meryl | Episode: Better Angels | |
2019 | The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage | Narrator | |
2020 | NCIS | Camille West | Episode: Blood and Treasure |
2021 | 9-1-1: Lone Star | Judy | Episode: Dust to Dust |
Farrina | Farrina | Episodes:
| |
2022 | If Sharks Disappeared |
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