Regina Taylor

With an impressive body of work that encompasses film, television, theater and writing, Regina Taylor is one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors whose career continues to evolve with exciting and challenging projects. Taylor is best known to television audiences for her role as Lilly Harper in the series I’ll Fly Away. She received many accolades for her performance in the show including winning a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series, an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Taylor was most recently seen starring in the CBS hit drama The Unit alongside Dennis Haysbert.  In February 2008, she took home the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama for her work on the show.

Regina made her professional acting debut on CBS in the movie Crisis at Central High and other television credits include the series The Education of Max Bickford, Feds, as well as television movies Strange Justice playing Anita Hill, earning her a Peabody Award and Gracie Award, In From the Night, Cora Unashamed, The Third Twin, Hostile Waters,Children of the Dust, I’ll Fly Away: Then and Now, Howard Beach:  Making a Case for Murder, Concealed Enemies and Nurse. Her film credits include The Negotiator, Courage Under Fire, A Family Thing, The Keeper, Clockers, Losing Isaiah, Jersey Girl and Lean on Me.

In addition to her film and television work, Taylor holds the honor as being the first Black woman to play William Shakespeare’s Juliet in Broadway’s Romeo and Juliet.  Her other theater credits include As You Like It, Macbeth, Machinal, A Map of The World, The Illusion and Jar the Floor.  In addition, she won the L.A. Dramalogue Award for her performance in The Tempest on the west coast.

Taylor not only feels comfortable on the stage, she is also an accomplished playwright.  Her credits as playwright include Oo-Bla-Dee, for which she won the American Critics’ Association new play award, Drowning Crow, (her adaptation of Chekhov’s The Seagull, which was produced on Broadway by Manhattan Theater Club in its inaugural season at the Biltmore Theater and starred Alfre Woodard), The Dreams of Sarah Breedlove, A Night in Tunisia, Escape from Paradise, Watermelon Rinds and Inside the Belly of the Beast.

Taylor’s critically acclaimed Crowns was the most performed musical in the country in 2006. It is the winner of four Washington D.C. Helen Hayes awards including Taylor’s win for Best Direction as well as Best Regional Musical. Taylor’s Magnolia premiered at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre in March 2009 directed by Anna Shapiro, Tony Award winner for August: Osage County. Taylor’s new trilogy, The Trinity River Plays premiered at Dallas Theater Center in November 2010 and the Goodman Theatre in January 2011.

Taylor is an Artistic Associate of the Goodman Theatre. She received the Hope Abelson Award from Northwestern in 2010. She received an honorary doctorate from DePaul University. She was raised in Dallas, Texas and still calls it home.

Regina Taylor was honored with the 2011 Spirit of Sinai Award by the Sinai Community Institute and was presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Columbia College Chicago for her commitment to the arts and human service. On May 7 2011, she received an Honorary Doctorate from Lake Forest College at the institution’s spring commencement ceremony. As part of the Goodman’s 2011/2012 Season, Taylor will direct the 10th anniversary production of her hit musical, Crowns (June 16 – July 22, 2012).

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