Eboni Obsidian is an American actress known for starring in the YouTube series Tough Love (2015–2018), the Oscar-nominated film If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), and the TV series Sisters (2019).
Wiki/Biography
Ebony Obsidian was born on Saturday, April 16, 1994 (27 years old in 2021) and is from New Paltz, New York, USA. Although Ebony is a versatile child and has been interested in performing arts since childhood, she never considered a career in acting. In an interview, she said,
Yes, of course. I did the same thing when I was younger. I acted, sang, wrote. But I never really considered it as a career, to make money from it.”
At 12, she auditioned in a nearby city and performed in front of over 1,000 people. In an interview, she described the event, saying:
But one day I was listening to the radio, which I had never listened to before, and I was about 12 years old, and there was an audition in a nearby city, and then I went to Philadelphia. I found myself on a stage, doing a monologue in front of more than 1,000 people, which was new and scary, but a great thrill.”
She briefly studied for a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Before entering the entertainment industry, Ebony worked three different jobs at the same time. In an interview, she said,
I was working three jobs at once, I was a barista, I was a waiter, I was working in a clothing store… I was doing all the things that people told me to do. Be responsible, make money, go to college, get a degree, you know, I think, at least in this country, there’s a structure in life that’s very important or, I think, appreciated. It wasn’t working for me, I wasn’t happy, I wasn’t doing well.”
Unable to juggle three jobs, she confessed to her mother that she wanted to pursue an acting career, and her mother supported her decision. So Ebony enrolled in William Esper Studio, a drama school in New York City, where she mastered the Meisner technique.
appearance
Height (approximate): 5′ 5″
Hair color: Black
Eye color: Black
Family and Race
She is of Eritrean Habesha descent. Not much information is available about her family.
Profession
drama
Ebony Obsidian made her film debut in the 2014 American superhero film The Amazing Spider-Man 2, where she made a brief appearance as a graduate.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
While training at William Esper Studios, she starred in the independent films Vixen (2015) and Where the Heart Is (2016). She first gained widespread attention with the 2018 American romantic drama If Beale Street Could Talk, in which Obsidian played the protagonist’s outspoken and bold sister, Adrian Hunter, who despises anyone who threatens her family’s unity. The acclaimed film revolves around a young woman named Tish who comes to terms with an unmarried pregnancy as she tries to prove the innocence of her childhood friend and lover who was wrongly accused of rape. The film was nominated for more than 130 awards, including 3 Oscars, 2 Golden Globes, 2 BAFTAs, and 5 Critics’ Choice Awards.
Ebony Obsidian, If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
Other films Obsidian has appeared in include Where the Heart Is (2016) and Brother’s Keeper (2017)
Short Film
Her first short film was Punkin Pie (2015), in which she played the role of Katrina Richardson, a daughter who must rescue her mother from the abusive relationship her mother is addicted to.
Pumpkin Pie (2015)
That same year, she starred in Traces: A Post-Traumatic Love Story, a sardonic short film in which Obsidian played Amber, a young bomb disposal worker struggling to return to the normal world.
Obsidian in Traces: A Post-Traumatic Love Story (2015)
In 2016, she starred in the short film Twelve Dollar Words, in which she played the character of Treasure, who argues with Thomas about their inescapable relationship after a failed proposal.
Obsidian from Twelve Dollar Words (2016)
In the 2017 short film Capital Hell, she played the role of a young businesswoman named Jamie who struggles to keep her dying father’s company afloat by enlisting the help of a mysterious investor.
Capital Fire (2017)
In the 2019 short film Swipe, Obsidian plays a girl who finds herself matched with a stranger on a dating app, even though she has just swiped him left. As a result, she begins to worry that this stranger is dangerously close to her. The acclaimed short film won many awards, including Best Thriller at the Dublin Independent Film Festival (2020) and Best Short at the Independent Horror Film Awards (2020).
Other short films she has created include GoFish (2015), Such A Deal (2019), and About The People (2019).
television
In 2015, she made her television debut as Brie Kiernan in The Creators: A TV Series Trailer. In the one-hour series, a world-renowned artist commits suicide, resulting in her daughter inheriting a Brooklyn warehouse that was once home to one of the East Coast’s longest-running and controversial artist collectives.
Ebony Obsidian in the Creator TV series Sizzle Reel (2015)
In 2017, she made a guest appearance in the American comedy series Master of None. Obsidian played the role of Michelle in the episode titled “Thanksgiving”.
Obsidian in The Master of None (2017)
She rose to fame with the 2019 American comedy series Sistas, in which she played the role of Karen Mott, a hair salon owner who has a complicated relationship and is the love interest of a recently separated married man. The series follows a group of single black women from different walks of life who come together because of a common question: “Why am I single?”
Obsidian in Sistas (2019)
OTT/Network Series
In 2015, she made her digital television debut in the TV series No Homo, playing the role of Lisa, which is about two friends who pretend to be gay men to trick girls into having sex with them.
Gay (2015)
In the YouTube series Tough Love (2015-2018), she played the lead role of Alicia Davis, who has an unbreakable bond with her long-time boyfriend Quincy. The series, nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama Series in 2017, follows six millennials as they struggle with life, relationships, and love in New York.
Tough Love (2015)
In 2019, Obsidian starred in Hulu’s American drama Wu-Tang: An American Saga, in which she played the role of Nia, Divine’s supportive girlfriend and a pillar of support in his life, cheering him up during his struggling days. The drama tells the true story of the hip-hop pioneers of the Wu-Tang Clan, an American hip-hop group formed in 1992.
Obsidian from Wu-Tang: An American Saga (2019)
She played the role of Carol Hawthorne in the 2020 American drama series Hunters. The series is set in the 1970s and tells the story of Nazi hunters in Brooklyn. In the series, Carol Hawthorne is the lover and neighbor of Jonah, one of the hunters, who is in the midst of chaos.
Obsidian in Hunter (2020)
other
Apart from films, Ebony also had the opportunity to act in the world premiere of the musical documentary drama Black Footnotes (2015) in collaboration with award-winning director, writer and choreographer Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj. In this drama production, Ebony Obsidian played one of the obstetricians who died tragically and prematurely in 1902. She started her career as a singer in 2015 when she was the voiceover singer for the song “Hold Me” in the first season of the YouTube series Tough Love. Not only did she sing the song but she also showcased her great songwriting skills through the lyrics. In 2020, she released another single titled “EIL” (Everything is Love).
Environmental Index (2020)
Favorite Things
- Book: Milk and Honey (2014)
- Actors: Regina King, Aunjanue Ellis, Angela Bassett
Facts/Trivia
- When talking about her desire to work behind the scenes in the future, Ebony said in an interview,
Absolutely. For me, it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when. My fascination with people, environments and the world we live in has never been limited to acting.”
In the interview, she also revealed that the cornerstone of her acting career was laid by her excellent writing ability. She said,
In fact, performing is just the beginning. Writing was the foundation of my creative expression, which then turned into reading aloud, which then turned into performing for audiences, and so on. I’m so excited to share my next art form with the world.”
- While on a photoshoot for BARE Magazine, Ebony required her clothing designers to be people of color, people who would not be considered “white.” Explaining her requirements for designers of color, she said,
My attraction to designers of color stems from my love of culture. Each piece has its own story, and that story is inspired by the creator and their background. Additionally, many fashion pioneers come from communities of color, many of whom will never be recognized for their contributions. When I wear a piece, it’s not just because it appeals to me, but because I respect and admire the creativity behind it.”
- When asked to list her most basic necessities during an interview, Ebony said,
My basic necessities are a pen and a notepad to write on, Mama Earth Healing lip balm from my good friend Jonathan, and a good book.”
- Unlike someone who follows a strict script, Ebony is an improviser. In an interview, she revealed that during the filming of the short film Twelve Dollar Loss, during a scene, an actor threw a backpack that landed at Ebony’s feet. At first, she was stunned by the unexpected turn of events and there was an awkward silence. However, she decided to kick the backpack back into the actor’s face, much to the director’s delight, even though it was not in the script.
- The short film Swipe (2019) won Ebony the Best Actress Award at the Independent Horror Film Awards (2020) and was nominated for Best Actress at the Shiver International Film Festival (2021).
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education