She and her fiancé called off the wedding, but Talita chose to stay in Los Angeles. When Long was seven, her mother moved to South Los Angeles, where she planned to marry. She accompanied her mother who moved to Iowa City, Iowa, to study fine arts. When Long was two years old, her parents divorced. She has an older half-sister, the actress and comedian known as Sommore.
Long was born in Brooklyn to Talita Long (née Gillman), a teacher and printmaker, and Doughtry Long, a high school teacher and poet. She has received several accolades, including two NAACP Image Awards and a Black Reel Award. On television, she portrayed Sasha Monroe on the crime drama series Third Watch (2003–2005), and has starred on the Fox drama series Empire (2017), and the CBS action series NCIS: Los Angeles (2017-2018). Long is also known for her roles in the films The Best Man (1999), and its sequel The Best Man Holiday (2013), as well as Big Momma's House (2000) and its sequel Big Momma's House 2 (2006). She then appeared in Friday (1995), as well as the 1997 films Love Jones and Soul Food.
Best known for her work in Black cinema, Long rose to prominence after starring in the film Boyz n the Hood (1991), and for her portrayal of Beullah 'Lisa' Wilkes on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1991–1995). Nia Talita Long (born October 30, 1970) is an American actress.
