LisaGay Hamilton
LisaGay Hamilton (born March 25, 1964) is an American actress who has portrayed roles in films, television, and on stage. She is best known for her role as secretary/lawyer Rebecca Washington on the legal drama The Practice (1997–2003). She also portrayed Melissa Thoreau on the TNT comedy-drama Men of a Certain Age (2009–2011), Celia Jones on the Netflix series House of Cards (2016), Suzanne Simms on the Hulu series Chance (2016), and Kayla Price in The First (2018), also by Hulu.
Also recorded as Lisa Gay Hamilton
LisaGay Hamilton

Peabody Awards · Lisa Gay Hamilton stemoc · CC BY 2.0
- Name
- LisaGay Hamilton
- Born
- 25 March 1964
- Birthplace
- Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Occupation
- * Actress
- Education
- Carnegie Mellon University New York University (BFA) Juilliard School (GrDip)
- Nationality
- United States
- Honours
- Peabody Awards
- Languages
- English
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LisaGay Hamilton (born March 25, 1964) is an American actress who has portrayed roles in films, television, and on stage. She is best known for her role as secretary/lawyer Rebecca Washington on the legal drama The Practice (1997–2003). She also portrayed Melissa Thoreau on the TNT comedy-drama Men of a Certain Age (2009–2011), Celia Jones on the Netflix series House of Cards (2016), Suzanne Simms on the Hulu series Chance (2016), and Kayla Price in The First (2018), also by Hulu.
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wikidata · Q439053 · wikipedia · LisaGay Hamilton
In this article
Biography
Biography
Hamilton's film credits include roles in 12 Monkeys (1995), Jackie Brown (1997), Beloved (1998), True Crime (1999), The Sum of All Fears (2002), The Soloist (2009), Beastly (2011), Beautiful Boy (2018), and Vice (2018). Her theater credits include Measure for Measure (Isabella), Henry IV Parts I & II (Lady Hotspur), Athol Fugard's, Valley Song and The Ohio State Murders.[8] Hamilton was also an original cast member in the Broadway productions of August Wilson's The Piano Lesson and Gem of the Ocean. In 2005 she won a Peabody Award for creating and directing the 2003 documentary film Beah: A Black Woman Speaks.

64th Annual Peabody Awards Luncheon Waldorf=Astoria Hotel New York, NY USA May 16, 2005
Peabody Awards · Lisa Gay Hamilton

64th Annual Peabody Awards Luncheon Waldorf=Astoria Hotel New York, NY USA May 16, 2005
Peabody Awards · Lisa Gay Hamilton
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — LisaGay Hamilton • Born — 25 March 1964 • Birthplace — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Occupation — * Actress • Years Active — 1985–present • Education — Carnegie Mellon University New York University (BFA) Juilliard School (GrDip) • Relatives — Robert B. Blackwell (uncle) • Website — https: www.lisagayhamilton.com/
Early life
Early life
Hamilton was born March 25, 1964 in Los Angeles, California but spent most of her childhood in Stony Brook, New York on the north shore of Long Island. Her father, Ira Winslow Hamilton, Jr., hailed from Bessemer, Alabama, and her mother, the former Eleanor Albertine "Tina" Blackwell (sister of Robert B. Blackwell, former mayor of Highland Park, Michigan), was from Meridian, Mississippi. Both parents graduated from historically black colleges—Tina attended Talladega while Ira went to Morehouse—and they both became successful professionals. Ira worked for a while as an engineer and then went into business as a general contractor. Tina eventually earned a master's degree in social work and worked for the Girl Scouts for many years.[3] Hamilton fell in love with theater at an early age. During the 1970s, she saw several off-Broadway productions by the Negro Ensemble Company, including A Soldier's Story and The First Breeze of Summer.[4] She enrolled in Carnegie Mellon University to study theater, but after a year was accepted into New York University's Tisch Drama School where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater in 1985. She then pursued graduate studies at The Juilliard School where she earned a M.A. in drama in 1989.[5]
Career
Career
Early on, Hamilton set her sights on classical theater. In one of her first notable roles, she played opposite Kevin Kline in Measure for Measure in the New York Shakespeare Festival. Hamilton's performances in Much Ado About Nothing, Tartuffe, Reckless, Family of Mann, and Two Gentlemen of Verona, earned her a reputation as a serious dramatic actor.[6] In 1995–96, her portrayal of a young, aspiring South African singer in Athol Fugard's Valley Song garnered an Obie Award, the Clarence Derwent Award, the Ovation nomination for best actress, and a Drama Desk nomination. More recently, Hamilton earned critical acclaim,[7] her second Obie, and a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for her role as Suzanne Alexander in Adrienne Kennedy's The Ohio State Murders. Hamilton appeared in over two dozen films, including The Truth About Charlie and Beloved for director Jonathan Demme, Clint Eastwood's True Crime, the independent films; Palookaville, Drunks, Showtime's A House Divided, and as Ophelia in director Campbell Scott's film version of Hamlet. She has worked on several projects with director Rodrigo García, notably his films Ten Tiny Love Stories, Nine Lives, and Mother and Child. Honeydripper directed by John Sayles and The Soloist, directed by Joe Wright. Hamilton won a Peabody Award in 2005 for creating and directing the 2003 documentary film Beah: A Black Woman Speaks. The film tells the story of pioneering black actress Beah Richards, who had broken ground for African-American actresses. The two women had met on the set of Beloved (1998). Over the next two years, Hamilton made a record of more than 70 hours of their conversations. Hamilton's film explored Richards' political activism as well as her poetry. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI Film Festival. After Richards died in 2000, Hamilton collaborated with illustrator R. Gregory Christie to turn one of her poems into a children's book. Keep Climbing Girls was published by Simon and Schuster in 2006. Hamilton played the role of Melissa in Men of a Certain Age, an hour-long comedy-drama television series starring Ray Romano, Andre Braugher, and Scott Bakula that ran from 2009 to 2011. In the fall of 2010, Hamilton took a faculty position at the School of Theater for the California Institute of the Arts, where she teaches in the Acting Program.[9]
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1993 — Homicide: Life on the Street — Latoya Kennedy — Episode: "A Dog and a Pony Show" • 1994 — All My Children — Celia Wilson — Regular Cast • New York Undercover — Suki — Episode: "To Protect and Serve" • 1995 — Law & Order — Denise Johnson — Episode: "Purple Heart" • 1996 — One Life to Live — Dr. Laura Reed — Regular Cast • 1997–2003 — The — Rebecca Washington — Main Cast: Season 1-7 • 1998 — Ally McBeal — Rebecca Washington — Episode: "The Inmates" • 2002 — Intimate Portrait — Herself — Episode: "LisaGay Hamilton" • Hollywood Squares — Herself — Recurring Guest • Sex and the City — Kendall — Episode: "Critical Condition" • 2004 — The L Word — Art Show Attendee — Episode: "Losing It" • 2005 — Independent Lens — Herself/Narrator — Episode: "Red Hook Justice" • ER — Nadine Hopkins — Episode: "All About Christmas Eve" • 2006 — Without a Trace — Sherise Gibbs — Episode: "The Calm Before" • 2006–2013 — Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Teresa Randall — Guest Cast: Season 7-8 & 14 • 2007 — Numb3rs — Sari Kinshasa — Episode: "Money for Nothing" • 2009–2011 — Men of a Certain Age — Melissa Thoreau — Main Cast • 2012 — Southland — Melanie — Episode: "Identity" • 2013 — Grey's Anatomy — Dr. Connie Ryan — Episode: "Readiness Is All" & "Perfect Storm" • 2014 — Grimm — Mrs. Pittman — Episode: "The Last Fight" • Scandal — Ambassador — Episode: "Where the Sun Don't Shine" • 2016 — House of Cards — Celia Jones — Recurring Cast: Season 4 • Chance — Suzanne Silver — Main Cast: Season 1 • Code Black — Dr. Kim Carrie — Episode: "Exodus" • 2018 — Elementary — Lt. Colonel Robin Deakins — Episode: "Give Me the Finger" • The First — Kayla Price — Main Cast • 2018–2019 — Sorry for Your Loss — Bobby Greer — Guest: Season 1, Recurring Cast: Season 2 • 2019 — The Blacklist — Dr. Grey — Episode: "The Ethicist (No. 91)" • 2021 — This Is Us — Aunt Mae — Episode: "Birth Mother" • The Rookie — Henry's Doctor — Episode: "Brave Heart" • 2022 — The Dropout — Judith Baker — Recurring Cast • The Lincoln Lawyer — Judge Mary Holder — Recurring Cast: Season 1 • 2022–2023 — Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty — Christine Johnson — Recurring Cast • 2023 — Class of '09 — Tayo's Mom — Recurring Cast • 2023–2025 — Will Trent — Evelyn Mitchell — Recurring Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 3 • 2024 — Genius — Alberta Williams King — Recurring Cast: Season 4 • Accused — Lenore Skilling — Episode: "Marcus' Story" • 2025 — The Gilded Age — Frances Ellen Watkins Harper — Recurring Cast: Season 3 • Ripple — Georgia — Recurring Cast
Stage
Stage
• Year — Title — Role — Theatre • 1990 — The Piano Lesson — Grace — Walter Kerr Theatre • 2004 — Gem of the Ocean — Black Mary • 2019 — To Kill a Mockingbird — Calpurnia — Shubert Theatre • 2023 — Stew — Mama — Pasadena Playhouse[10]
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1964
LisaGay Hamilton born at Los Angeles.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
View Park−Windsor Hills
Residences
Los Angeles.
Birth place
Film
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1985 — Krush Groove — Aisha • 1990 — Reversal of Fortune — Mary • 1993 — Naked in New York — Marty • 1995 — Drunks — Brenda • Palookaville — Betty • Clarissa — Porter Russell — TV movie • 12 Monkeys — Teddy • 1997 — Nick and Jane — Vickie • Lifebreath — Dr. Quinlan • Jackie Brown — Sheronda • 1998 — The — Jeanne Baptiste — TV movie • Halloween H20: 20 Years Later — Shirley 'Shirl' Jones (voice) • Beloved — Younger Sethe • 1999 — True Crime — Bonnie Beechum • Swing Vote — Virginia Mapes — TV movie • 2000 — A — Julia — TV movie • Hamlet — Ophelia — TV movie • 2002 — The — Capt. Lorna Shiro • Ten Tiny Love Stories — Three • The — Lola Jansco • 2005 — Nine Lives — Holly • 2007 — Honeydripper — Delilah • 2008 — Deception — Det. J Russo • 2009 — The — Jennifer Ayers • Mother and Child — Leticia • 2011 — Take Shelter — Kendra • Beastly — Zola Davies • 2012 — The — The Hypnotist — Short • 2013 — Lovelace — Marsha • Go for Sisters — Bernice • Life of a King — Sheila King • Redemption Trail — Tess • 2014 — Line of Sight — Ruby Jensen — TV movie • 2016 — Indiscretion — Karen Wyatt • The — Emily Bergom — TV movie • 2018 — Beautiful Boy — Rose • Vice — Condoleezza Rice • 2019 — Ad Astra — Adjutant General Amelia Vogel • The Last Full Measure — Celia O'Neal • Ghosting: The Spirit of Christmas — Deb — TV movie • 2022 — Another Country — Narrator — Short • 2023 — The Boogeyman — Dr. Weller • 2026 — By Any Means — Ms. Rebecca Brewer
Awards and nominations
• Association — Year — Category — Nominated work — Results — Ref • Acapulco Black Film Festival — 2014 — Best Actress — Go for Sisters • American Film Institute Awards — 2003 — Documentary Award — Beah: A Black Woman Speaks • Black Reel Awards — 2000 — Best Supporting Actress — Theatrical — True Crime • 2005 — Outstanding Television or Miniseries Film (as Producer) — Beah: A Black Woman Speaks • 2005 — Best Director, Network/Cable Television — Beah: A Black Woman Speaks • 2005 — Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted, Network/Cable — Beah: A Black Woman Speaks • 2014 — Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture — Go for Sisters • Clarence Derwent Awards — 1996 — Best Supporting Female (USA) • Gotham Awards — 2005 — Best Ensemble Performance — Nine Lives • 2011 — Best Ensemble Performance — Take Shelter • Lady Filmmakers Film Festival — 2014 — Feature Film (Best Actress) — Redemption Trail • Locarno International Film Festival — 2005 — Best Actress — Nine Lives • Miami Film Festival — 2004 — Documentary Features — Beah: A Black Woman Speaks • NAACP Image Awards — 2000 — Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture — True Crime • 2000 — Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series — The Practice • NAMIC Vision Awards — 2012 — Best Performance — Drama — Men of A Certain Age • News & Documentary Emmy Awards — 2005 — Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Direction — Beah: A Black Woman Speaks • Screen Actors Guild Awards — 1999 — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series — The Practice • 2000 • 2001[11][12]
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Guthmann, Edward. HBO shines light on Beah Richards, a mentor to many. San Francisco Chronicle. February 25, 2004.
- 2.Schaefer, Stephen. Role triggers fear. Boston Herald. November 18, 2013.
- 3.LisaGaye Hamilton, 'Growing Up Female is a Journey,' in Becoming Myself: Reflections on Growing Up Female, ed. By Willa Shalit, (New York: Hyperion Books, 2006)
- 4.Robin D. G. Kelley, 'Freedom is Living': LisaGaye Hamilton’s Radical Imagination,' Transforming Anthropology 14, no. 1 (April 2006), 2-9.
- 5.S. Torriano Berry. Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema. Rowman & Littlefield. 198. 2015. 9781442247024.
- 6.Filmography. lisagayhamilton.com.
- 7.Isherwood, Charles. A College is Stalked By Attitude. The New York Times. November 7, 2007.
- 8.LisaGay Hamilton : Official Website, Film, Television and Theater Actress and Director, The Practice, Beah: A Black Woman Speaks, Beloved. www.lisagayhamilton.com.
- 9.Hamilton Joins CalArts Faculty. Broadway World.
- 10.McNulty, Charles. Review: A tale of sorrow and survival simmers in Pasadena Playhouse's 'Stew'. Los Angeles Times. 2023-08-01.
- 11.The 5th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. Screen Actors Guild Awards.
- 12.The 6th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. Screen Actors Guild Awards.
- 13.The 7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. Screen Actors Guild Awards.
References
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References
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Open the remaining particulars
The authorities additionally record the heading Lisa Gay Hamilton. Her recorded language was English. She married Robin Kelley. Recorded as having studied at Juilliard School, Carnegie Mellon University and New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
Identity and origins
Activity and practice
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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