Gina Ravera

Last updated
Gina Ravera
Born
OccupationActress
Years active1990–present

Gina Ravera is an American actress. She has appeared in the films Showgirls (1995), Soul Food (1997), Kiss the Girls (1997), and The Great Debaters (2007). She co-starred as detective Irene Daniels in the TNT crime drama series The Closer (2005-2009).

Contents

Life and career

Ravera was born in San Francisco, California. She is of mixed African-American and Puerto Rican heritage. [1] She is a classically trained dancer.[ citation needed ]

In the early 1990s, Ravera began appearing in guest-starring roles on television shows, including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , Melrose Place , and Star Trek: The Next Generation . During 1993-94, she was a cast member of the CBS crime series Silk Stalkings . In films, she had a starring role in the 1995 erotic drama Showgirls , directed by Paul Verhoeven, and in 1997 appeared in the comedy-drama Soul Food . Ravera later went to television, appearing in TV films of the week and in series guest roles and regular roles. She was a regular cast member of Time of Your Life , a spin-off series of Fox's popular teen drama Party of Five , from 1999 to 2001.

From 2005 to 2009, Ravera played Irene Daniels during the first four seasons of the TNT crime drama series The Closer and was the only regular cast member to leave the series during its run. From 2006 to 2008, she also had a recurring role on ER and in 2007, she played Denzel Washington's wife in the biographical film The Great Debaters . [2]

Filmography

Film and TV movies

YearTitleRoleNotes
1990 Lambada Funk Queen
1991Auto Theft: Hot Cars, Cold FactsLisaShort
1992Steal AmericaJeena
1994 White Mile AlmaTV movie
1995 Illegal in Blue AlexisVideo
Showgirls Molly Abrams
W.E.I.R.D. WorldDr. Patty ProvostTV movie
919 Fifth AvenueSheilaTV movie
1996 Soul of the Game GraceTV movie
Get on the Bus Gina
1997 Soul Food Faith Hunter
Kiss the Girls Naomi Cross
1999A Luv TaleTaylor James
2000RhapsodyLenore FoxwoodTV movie
2002 Saint Sinner Rachel DresslerTV movie
2003 Chasing Papi Beauty Pageant Judge
2004Pryor OffensesTamekaTV movie
Gas Rev. Sheila
2007 The Great Debaters Ruth Tolson

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1990 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air CherylEpisode: "Someday Your Prince Will Be in Effect: Part 2"
1991 In Living Color HerselfEpisode: "Episode #2.24"
True Colors AnitaEpisode: "Yo' House, Mama: Part 2"
Reasonable Doubts Latasha RichardsonEpisode: "Pure Gold"
1992 Melrose Place TheresaEpisode: "Second Chances"
1993 Where I Live RobinEpisode: "Dontay's Inferno"
Days of Our Lives Vanessa MitchellEpisode: "Episode #1.7060"
Frasier WaitressEpisode: "The Good Son"
Star Trek: The Next Generation Ensign TylerEpisode: "Phantasms"
1993-94 Silk Stalkings Dr. Diana RothRecurring cast
1994 NYPD Blue Shawanda WilsonEpisode: "For Whom the Skell Tolls"
1997 In the House SamEpisode: "Men in the Black"
1998 The Temptations JosephineEpisode: "Episode #1.1 & #1.2"
Malcolm & Eddie Tracy BurkeEpisode: "Dream Girl"
1999–2000 Time of Your Life Jocelyn HouseMain cast
2000–01 The Fugitive Sara GerardRecurring cast
2003 Miracles Raina BauerEpisode: "The Patient"
Charmed MaryEpisode: "My Three Witches"
2004 The Handler Agent RidgewayEpisode: "Acts of Congress"
Boston Legal Dr. Amanda GerardEpisode: "A Greater Good"
2005 Inconceivable Tricia SantosEpisode: "The Last Straw"
Everwood StaceyEpisode: "Pro Choice"
2005–09 The Closer Det. Irene Daniels Recurring cast: season 1-2, main cast: season 3-4
2006–08 ER Dr. Bettina DeJesusRecurring cast: Season 13-14, guest: Season 15
2007 Raines Lisa LincolnEpisode: "Stone Dead"
2009 Private Practice DawnEpisode: "The Hard Part"
2011 Lie to Me PaulaEpisode: "Rebound"
2012 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Dr. Paula O'KeefeEpisode: "Risky Business Class"
2014 Castle Marsha StollerEpisode: "Montreal"
2018 Arrow Lydia CassamentoRecurring cast: season 6
2020 Station 19 Claudia FloresEpisode: "Satellite of Love" & "Born to Run"
2021 Calls Room Service (voice)Episode: "Pedro Across the Street"

Awards and nominations

YearAwardsCategoryRecipientOutcome
1999 ALMA Awards ALMA Award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Made-for-Television Movie or Mini-Series The Temptations Nominated
2006 Imagen Awards Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actress - Television The Closer Nominated
2008 Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated
2009 Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Nominated
Imagen Awards Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actress - Television Nominated

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisabeth Shue</span> American actress (born 1963)

Elisabeth Judson Shue is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the films The Karate Kid (1984), Adventures in Babysitting (1987), Cocktail (1988), Back to the Future Part II (1989), Back to the Future Part III (1990), Soapdish (1991), The Saint (1997), Hollow Man (2000), Piranha 3D (2010), Battle of the Sexes (2017), Death Wish (2018) and Greyhound (2020). For her performance in Leaving Las Vegas (1995), Shue was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress as well as a BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathleen Robertson</span> Canadian actress (born 1973)

Kathleen Robertson is a Canadian actress. She has starred in a number of films, and from 2011 to 2012 played the role of Kitty O'Neill in the Starz political drama series Boss. From 2014 to 2016, Robertson starred as homicide detective Hildy Mulligan in the TNT series Murder in the First. She also played Tina Edison in the Canadian sitcom Maniac Mansion (1990–1993) and Clare Arnold in the Fox teen drama series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1994–1997). In 2019, she played a main character in the series Northern Rescue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vivica A. Fox</span> American actress and producer

Vivica Anjanetta Fox is an American actress, producer and television host. Fox began her career on Soul Train (1982–1983), and played roles on the daytime television soap operas Days of Our Lives (1988) and Generations (1989–1991)). In prime time she starred opposite Patti LaBelle in the NBC sitcom Out All Night (1992–1993). Fox's breakthrough came in 1996, with roles in two box-office hit films, Roland Emmerich's Independence Day and F. Gary Gray's Set It Off.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gina Torres</span> American actress (born 1969)

Gina Torres is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Zoe Washburne in the science fiction series Firefly (2002–2003) and its feature film sequel Serenity (2005), and as Jessica Pearson in the legal drama series Suits (2011–2018) and its spin-off series Pearson (2019). She currently stars on the series 9-1-1: Lone Star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanessa Estelle Williams</span> American actress

Vanessa Estelle Williams, sometimes professionally credited as Vanessa A. Williams, is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her roles as Maxine Joseph–Chadway in the Showtime drama series, Soul Food (2000–04), for which she received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series and as Nino Brown's feisty gun moll, Keisha in the 1991 crime drama film, New Jack City. Williams is also known for her role as Anne-Marie McCoy in the first and fourth of the Candyman films, and as Rhonda Blair in the first season of the Fox prime time soap opera, Melrose Place (1992–93).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Moses</span> American actor

Mark Moses is an American actor, best known for his roles as Paul Young in the ABC comedy-drama Desperate Housewives (2004–2011) and as Herman "Duck" Phillips in the AMC period drama Mad Men (2007–2014).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicole Ari Parker</span> American actress

Nicole Ari Parker Kodjoe is an American actress and model. She made her screen debut with a leading role in the critically acclaimed independent film The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995) and went on to appear in Boogie Nights (1997), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niecy Nash</span> American actress and television host (born 1970)

Carol Denise Betts, known professionally as Niecy Nash, is an American actress and television host. Her acting career began in the late 1990s, with appearances in the films Boys on the Side (1995) and Cookie's Fortune (1999). She garnered recognition for her portrayal of Deputy Raineesha Williams in the comedy series Reno 911!, along with hosting the Style Network show Clean House (2003—2010), for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award.

The Closer is an American television police procedural starring Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief. A CIA-trained interrogator originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Brenda has a reputation as a closer—an interrogator who not only solves a case, but also obtains confessions that lead to convictions, thus "closing" the case. The series ran on TNT from June 13, 2005, to August 13, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimberly Elise</span> American actress (born 1967)

Kimberly Elise Trammel is an American actress. She made her feature-film debut in Set It Off (1996), and later received critical acclaim for her performance in Beloved (1998).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Reyes</span> American Actress, Model and Producer (born 1967)

Judy Reyes is an American actress, model and producer, best known for her roles as Carla Espinosa on the NBC/ABC medical comedy series Scrubs (2001–2009), as Zoila Diaz in the Lifetime comedy-drama Devious Maids (2013–2016), and as Annalise "Quiet Ann" Zayas in the TNT crime comedy-drama Claws (2017—2022). Reyes also appeared in films All Together Now (2020), Smile (2022), and Birth/Rebirth (2023), for which she received Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Performance nomination.

Molly Price is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Faith Yokas in the NBC drama series Third Watch (1999–2005). Price has also appeared in recurring and guest-starring roles in many other television dramas and co-starred in a number of films, including Sweet and Lowdown (1999), Chasing Sleep (2000), and Not Fade Away (2012).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jurnee Smollett</span> American actress (born 1986)

Jurnee Diana Smollett is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress appearing on television sitcoms, including On Our Own (1994–1995) and Full House (1992–1994). She gained greater recognition with her role in the critically acclaimed Kasi Lemmons directed film Eve's Bayou (1997), which earned her a Critics' Choice Movie Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaime Ray Newman</span> American actress

Jaime Ray Newman is an American actress, producer and singer. She is known for starring as Kristina Cassadine in the soap opera General Hospital, Mindy O'Dell in the drama series Veronica Mars, Kat Gardener in the fantasy series Eastwick, Lt. Laura Cadman in the science-fiction series Stargate Atlantis, Tess Fontana in the science-fiction series Eureka, Kat Petrova in the drama-thriller series Red Widow, Sam Gordon in the comedy-drama series Mind Games, Allison Roth in the crime drama series Wicked City, and Sarah Lieberman in the Marvel series The Punisher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valerie Mahaffey</span> American actress (born 1953)

Valerie Mahaffey is an American character actress and producer. She began her career starring in the NBC daytime soap opera The Doctors (1979–81), for which in 1980 she was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonya Walger</span> British-American actress (born 1974)

Sonya Walger is a British actress who also holds American citizenship. She had starring roles in the short-lived sitcoms The Mind of the Married Man (2001–2002) and Coupling (2003) before landing her role as Penny Widmore in the ABC drama series Lost (2006–2010). Walger later starred on Tell Me You Love Me (2007), FlashForward (2009–2010), Common Law (2012), The Catch (2016–2017) and For All Mankind (2019–2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniella Alonso</span> American film and television actress

Daniella Alonso is an American actress and former fashion model. She has appeared in a number of horror films, including The Hills Have Eyes 2 and Wrong Turn 2: Dead End. Alonso was a regular cast member in the NBC post-apocalyptic series Revolution from 2012 to 2013, and the medical drama The Night Shift in 2014. Alonso also appeared in the first season of the TNT crime drama Animal Kingdom in 2016, and in 2019 began starring as Cristal Flores in the third season of the prime time soap opera Dynasty, which aired on The CW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malinda Williams</span> American actress and producer

Malinda Williams is an American actress and producer. She began her career on television, before appearing in films A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996), High School High (1996), and The Wood (1999).

Nicole "Nicki" Micheaux is an American actress, known for her role as Jennifer 'Jenn' Sutton in the ABC Family drama series Lincoln Heights (2007–2009), for which she received two NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series nominations.

Yaani King Mondschein is an American actress, best known for portraying Neely Lloyd in the crime drama series Saving Grace (2007–2010) and providing the voice and motion capture for Riley Abel in the action-adventure video game The Last of Us: Left Behind (2014).

References

  1. McCann, Bob (30 October 2009). Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television. ISBN   9780786458042 . Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  2. "The Great Debaters". Rotten Tomatoes . 25 December 2007. Retrieved 7 February 2016.