Joy Bryant was born in a modest home in The Bronx, New York and as a young woman, was enrolled in an inner-city outreach organization called “A Better Chance,”” designed to encourage minority talent. Joy was also blessed with brains as well beauty and remained an excellent student throughout her high school years. As a result, she was awarded a full academic scholarship to Yale University.While enrolled as a full-time student at Yale, Joy was discovered by a modeling scout from Next Models Management and subsequently pursued a career as a fashion model in Paris. Her slender yet classic beauty got her an exclusive contract with prestigious brand names such as Tommy Hilfiger and the Victoria’s Secret lingerie catalogue.Joy’s acting debut came about in 2001 in Robert Townsend’s Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001). An MTV production, the film also starred Beyoncé and Mekhi Phifer, along with several hip-hop superstars. After a small role in the Eddie Murphy action comedy Showtime (2002), she made her big breakthrough in Denzel Washington’s directorial debut, Antwone Fisher. Bryant played Cheryl, the beautiful and supportive girlfriend of Antwone (Derek Luke). In 2003, she co-starred with Jessica Alba in Bille Woodruff’s romantic drama Honey (2003). That same year, she appeared in Mario Van Peebles’ Baadasssss! (2003)_, based on his father Melvin Van Peebles’ autobiographical novel. Projects for 2004 included the crime drama _Three Way (2004) with Gina Gershon.The year 2005 turned out to be an even better year for the actress. Joy appeared in high-profile films such as The Skeleton Key (2005), London (2005), and Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2005). Her performances as the sassy Mallory in London (2005) and the strikingly pretty Charlene in Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2005) were critically acclaimed, and re-enforced her reputation as a versatile actress.”
Joy Bryant
Movies
Bobby
Tuesday, June 4, 1968: the California Presidential primary. As day breaks, Robert F. Kennedy arrives at the Ambassador Hotel. He’ll campaign, then speak to supporters at midnight. To capture the texture of the late 1960s, we see vignettes at the hotel: a couple marries so he can avoid Vietnam, kitchen…
Fun Facts
Former model for Tommy Hilfiger.
Went to Yale University.
Mother had her at age 15.
Remains closely attached to "A Better Chance"" - the outreach organization that helped her when she was a young girl
Quotes
I've always said that if anything - whether it was film or television - was something I responded to, then I was open to it.
Black people, we are not this monolithic group, you know?
I don't have children of my own so I can't say I know the plight of being a parent, but I can kinda understand some of the complexities of it.
If it gets to the point where I actually physically cannot have a child, there's plenty of children in the world that need a stable home and loving parent. I'm so down for adoption.
My husband's a stunt man, and he dragged me to stunt driving school with him because I hate driving and he felt that it would help to make me feel more comfortable. And it did in certain ways, and in certain ways I'm still not.
With all this talk of Going Green, Buying Green, Living Green, and Green being the new whatever, I've come to realize that, although we had no green, my grandmother was actually the 'greenest' person I've ever known.
Sometimes, we are dealing with our own troubles and feel that we don't have the resources to help one another. Or simply, we just don't know what to do.
In the mid-nineties, diversity in the fashion/beauty business was hard to come by.
It feels good to know you contributed positively to another's life, to their happiness, to their survival. It gives us a sense of purpose.
When I was younger, I was one of the few girls in the neighborhood who could break dance. That's kind of my local, ghetto-celebrity claim to fame.
I kind of do high-low style a lot.
You can't improvise if you are tense. Or thinking too much. You have to really let it go.
I love flowy hippie dresses.
Women are the harshest critics of other women.
Life doesn't always end up with a bow wrapped around it.
I hate Christmas, really. I don't really give presents away or expect any.
Camo never goes out of style as far as I'm concerned.
[Growing up] I read encyclopedias all day and watched TV. My grandmother, who raised me, emphasized the importance of education. For me it was about being self-sufficient and using my brain.
[My mother] gave birth to me, not in love but in shame, after hiding her pregnancy from my grandmother for six months.
I grew up not really having a connection to my father.