Ella Joyce

Ella Joyce is best known and beloved for her television role of Eleanor on TV’s family sitcom “Roc,” which earned her an NAACP nomination. Her TV guest star appearances include the recurring role of Jasmine on “My Wife & Kids,” “The Jamie Foxx Show,” and “Seinfeld;” and she co-starred in “Belle‘s” on TVOne. Ella recently appeared in the very dramatic episode “Sparrow” on BET’s “Being Mary Jane.”

Ella’s movie credits include the role of Sarah in Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions of A Marriage Counselor, Sister Watkins in Warner Bros.’ popular film Preacher’s Kid, Detective Waller in the popular action film Set It Off, the Nurse in Bubba Ho-Tep, Lucky Girl, Disney’s Selma, Lord Selma, Second Chance Christmas, and Our Family Wedding. Independent video-on-demand films include Forbidden Fruits, Dead of Winter, Uncle P, the hilarious Who Made the Potato Salad? and Stranger Inside. She’s also remembered as the young, distraught mother in the classic, multiple award-winning music video of TLC’s “Waterfalls.” Ella appears in the film Nina, based on the life of singer Nina Simone.

Ella works extensively in regional theatre, earning both the Jefferson Award and the Black Theatre Alliance Award (BTAA) for her portrayal of Lily Ann Green in Crumbs From the Table of Joy at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre. Ms. Joyce recently performed at The Matrix Theatre in August Wilson’s King Hedley II, directed by Michele Shay. Ms Joyce performed in the world premieres of two August Wilson plays: Two Trains Running, opposite Laurence Fishburne at Yale Repertory Theater, and King Hedley at the O’Reilly Pittsburgh Public Theater. She performed at the Bermuda Arts Festival opposite the legendary Ruby Dee in Ron Milner’s Checkmates. She performed as Rose in Fences; in Neil Simon’s Barefoot In the Park, and in Yolanda King’s Stepping Into Tomorrow at the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, NC; she helped establish this festival as a board member, with the late Larry Leon Hamlin. As a Beinecke Fellow at Yale Repertory School of Drama, Ella was invited to perform in Bossa Nova by Kirsten Greenidge, originating from the Sundance Playwriting Lab in Utah. Her many stage credits have taken her to numerous regional theaters across the country.

As a talented voiceover artist, Ella’s work includes a recent podcast production of Bronzeville, produced by Laurence Fishburne and Larenz Tate. Her books on tape include playing the voice of Zora Neale Hurston in Ron Milner’s Ruby McCollum Story, produced by Susan Lowenberg’s Los Angeles Theater Works. Ella received an NAACP Image Award nomination for BET’s “Storyporch” (the children’s TV reading series). Ella spent five years touring her own one-woman play A Rose Among Thorns: A Tribute to Rosa Parks to 28 cities around the country, receiving numerous awards, citations, wonderful press reviews, testimonials, and accolades. Her play info is archived at www.aRoseAmongThorns.com.

Ella is a dance enthusiast and has a trademark on “Funkacize,” her own exercise technique based upon soul and funk music and dances from the 60s and 70s. www.funkacize.com.

For more information on the actress, please visit www.EllaJoyce.com.

Ella has received two Spirit Of Detroit awards and is originally from Detroit.

Previous DPT Work

Skeleton Crew — Season Three