Anika Noni Rose
Most recently, you may have heard Anika as the voice of Princess Tiana in Disney's The Princess & The Frog. A self motivated young woman with a big dream, Tiana is a new and special kind of Princess, and has lead The Princess & The Frog to three Oscar nominations, including Best Animated feature and Best song (Almost There).
Anika also made her first trip to Africa with The No. 1 Ladies Detective agency, portraying secretary Mma. Makutsi . Shot entirely on location in Botswana, it was director Anthony Minghella's last project and was aired on HBO and the BBC.
The Tony Award winner was classically trained at San Franciso's American Conservatory Theater. Anika transitioned to the Broadway stage a couple of months after moving to New York, with a featured role in Footloose. She followed that with Off-Broadway's Laura Nyro retrospective, Eli's Comin', for which she garnered and Obie Award. Her next stage project was Tony Kushner's Caroline or Change, which went from The Public Theater, where she earned a Lucille Lortel award for her portrayal of Emmie Thibodeaux, to Broadway in the spring of 2004, where she received the Tony Award for featured actress in a musical, The Theater World Award, The Clarence Derwent Award, and a Drama Desk nomination. Anika took the play to the west coast where she picked up The Los Angeles Critcs' Circle Award and an Ovation Award.
Her next stop was the big screen, playing Lorrell Robinson in Bill Condon's Dreamgirls. The movie received an AFI ensemble award, and was nominated for a SAG award. Anika herself was nominated for an NAACP award and both the soundtrack and the song Patience were nominated for Oscars.
From there it was back to Broadway where Anika starred as Maggie, in Deborah Allen's acclaimed production of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.
Anika has sung all over the world, including the 79th Annual Academy Awards, and The Vatican.
Hill Harper
Accomplished actor, New York Times bestselling author, celebrated motivational speaker, caring philanthropist, and entrepreneur… Hill Harper is the essence of a renaissance man.
Hill Harper captivates audiences with his charismatic and authentic style, which he dedicates to each character he portrays. In his current role as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes, a forensic pathologist who is also a crime scene investigator on the hit CBS series CSI: NY, Hill has the opportunity to defy the stereotypes of black males as he has in his own life. Hill graduated from Brown University and also has a law degree from Harvard Law School and a Master's degree in Public Administration from the Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Selected as one of People magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive" (2004), Hill emits the classic "guy next door" image, but also exudes a seriousness that commands each role he embodies with depth and intelligence.
Hill has appeared in over 30 feature films including The Skulls, In Too Deep, Beloved, He Got Game, and Get on the Bus. His television credits include critically-acclaimed television movies such as HBO's Lackawanna Blues and One Red Rose, which he also co-wrote, for Showtime, as well as stints on Showtime's Soul Food and HBO's The Sopranos. Hill co-starred on the CBS series, The Handler, alongside Emmy Award nominee Joe Pantoliano, for which he earned a 2004 Golden Satellite Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Hill's stage credits include a starring role in Jessica Hagedorn's Dogeaters and appearances in productions of Your Handsome Captain, Freeman, and David Mamet's American Buffalo.
Hill authored the 2006 New York Times bestselling book, Letters to a Young Brother and won two NAACP Image Awards in March 2007 for Outstanding Literary Work by a Debut Author and Outstanding Literary Work for Youth/Teens. Hill followed the success of Letters to a Young Brother with a companion book, Letters to a Young Sister, also a New York Times bestseller, which includes contributions from Gabrielle Union, First Lady Michelle Obama, Angela Bassett, and others. Additionally, Hill penned the 2009 New York Times bestselling book, The Conversation: How Black Men and Woman Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships.
As well as being a talented actor and accomplished author, Hill is a sought after motivational speaker and contributes his intelligent social and political views through his many appearances as a commentator on local and national media outlets.
Hill is also an enterprising businessman with ownership interests and investments in several successful hotel and restaurant ventures in New Orleans, Beverly Hills and Hollywood.
To complete this young man's multiple accomplishments, Hill's foundation, Manifest Your Destiny, demonstrates Hill's mission to positively impact the lives of our youth through motivation and empowerment. He is also a spokesperson for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. He campaigned to support his friend and Harvard classmate, Barack Obama, in his successful run for Presidency.
Hill mesmerizes his audience with his sheer, raw talent and chiseled good looks. He is multi-dimensional with poise, sexy intelligence and charm, which continues to sustain his flourishing career. A consummate star, Hill Harper will undoubtedly become globally known as one of the finest actors and philanthropists of his generation.
