Download DuPois, Starletta

This 1968 alumna with a flair for the dramatic pursued a variety of interests while attending Maryland State College (now UMES). While earning her B.S. degree in Biology, Ms. Starletta DuPois was a cheerleader, a majorette, and a member of the Science and English clubs. Additionally, she enjoyed performing in plays, one of which—Medea—marked her stage debut in the lead role in this classic work.
The former pre‐medical student was introduced to New York audiences while she studied and worked at the New Lafayette Theatre, the New York Shakespeare Festival, and the Negro Ensemble Company. She would go on to win a nomination for and eventually garner the actual Audelco Award for Best Actress for her performance in Mary Goldstein and the Author. Even with an intense work schedule, Ms. DuPois found time to achieve an M.F.A. degree in Theatre Arts from UCLA, graduating magna cum laude. As one of Hollywood’s most sought after character actresses, Starletta DuPois is known for her memora‐
ble work in films such as the cult classic Friday After Next with Ice Cube and Mike Epps; First Sunday; and Martin Lawrence’s blockbuster hit, Big Momma’s House. She appeared in the gritty urban drama South Central, produced by Oliver Stone. She also costarred with many other Hollywood greats: Whitney Houston and An‐
gela Bassett in Waiting to Exhale, Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer in Wolf and Denzel Washington in Ricochet, to name a few. Most recently she costarred in the Pan African Film Festival’s top prize winning film, Ties That Bind, acted alongside Phillip Baker Hall in Duck and will appear with Louis Gossett, Jr. in the soon‐to‐be‐released The Least Among You. In addi‐
tion to the big screen, Ms. DuPois has a growing list of television appearances to her credit, including her recurring role on the runaway hit Lost, Cold Case, and K‐Ville. She has shared her talent on One Life to Live, The Road to Galveston with Cicely Tyson, City of Angels, Chicago Hope, The District as well as HBO’s critically acclaimed Strapped and many more. Her theatrical roots run deep with dozens of performances including the St. Louis Black Repertory Company productions of Intimate Apparel, Before It Hits Home, and August Wilson’s King Hedley II—all of which garnered prize nominations, as well as the coveted Woodie King, Jr. Award for her work as Best Actress in a Drama during the 2005‐2006 season. Other highlights of her career include a Tony award nomination in 1978 for her role in The Mighty Gents, a NAACP Image Award nomination for Miss Evers Boys and A Raisin in the Sun. In the latter play, Ms. DuPois has portrayed all the female roles over the course of her career. She later reprised one of the roles, that of Ruth Younger and opposite Danny Glover, for the landmark PBS series, American Playhouse, for which she received the NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama. In addition to being involved in a myriad of civic and philanthropic endeavors, Ms. DuPois mentors inspiring artists and serves as an adjunct professor in the Theatre Arts Department at the University of Southern California. During the off‐season, she can be found on tour with her highly successful one‐woman show, Order My Steps.