The slender, classically beautiful Joy Bryant made a stunning feature debut in Denzel Washington's first directorial effort "Antwone Fisher," and while her stunning looks certainly got her noticed, the model-turned-actress has also built her career on both brains and talent. As an enrollee in the A Better Chance program, an organization that reaches out to minority talent to enrich their academic opportunities,
Bryant earned an academic scholarship to Yale University. While enrolled as a full-time student at Yale, the actress was discovered by a modeling scout from Next Models Management and subsequently pursued a career as a fashion model in Paris, later entering into an exclusive contract with Tommy Hilfiger and appearing as a cover subject for the Victoria's Secret lingerie catalogue, as well as in a number of prestigious print campaigns.
Bryant made her onscreen debut in the MTV original telefim "Carmen: A Hip Hopera," opposite Beyonce Knowles and Mekhi Phifer, followed by a small role in the Warner Bros. feature comedy "Showtime" opposite Eddie Murphy and Robert De Niro. She caught widespread attention in 2002 after Washington tapped her for the role of Cheryl, the understanding girlfriend of the troubled Antwone Fisher (Derek Luke). Bryant's next role was in Bille Woodruff's music-driven, coming-of-age drama "Honey," playing the best friend of an inner-city woman (Jessica Alba) who fulfills her dream of becoming a video choreographer and is confronted with unsuspecting setbacks. She next appeared in "Baadassss!" (2004), writer-director-star Mario Van Peebles' depicition of his father Melvin's struggles to film the seminal 1971 film "Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Son," with Bryant lighting up every scene she appeared in as Melvin's secretary Priscilla.
Family
- Father: no contact with him since she was 11 years old
- Grandmother: Lauraine.raised Bryant; died c. 1993
- Mother: rarely speaks to her mother
Education
- Yale University, New Haven, 1993-1994
- Riverdale Country School, Bronx, New York
- Westminster School, Simsbury, Connecticut
Milestones
- 2001 Cast in the television musical drama "Carmen: A Hip Hopera"
- 2002 Breakout feature as Cheryl in the "Antwone Fisher," a film directed by Denzel Washington
- 2002 Portrayed Lexi in the action comedy feature "Showtime"
- 2003 Featured in the film "Honey", with Jessica Alba
Selected Filmography
- Bobby (2006)
- Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)
- The Skeleton Key (2005)
- Spider-Man 2 (
- Honey (2003)
- How to Get the Man's Foot Outta Your Ass (2003)
- Antwone Fisher (2003)
- Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001) (TV)