Tika Sumpter is a Jack-of-all-trades. She is an actress, television host, model, and producer. Sumpter was born Euphemia L. Sumpter on June 20, 1980 in Queens, New York City. Her parents are Janice Acquista and Arthur Curtis Sumpter, Sr. She attended high school at Longwood Senior High School in Middle Island, New York and furthered her education by obtaining a Bachelor’s in Mass Communications from Marymount Manhattan College.
Before her acting career took off, Sumpter worked as a waitress while perfecting her craft. She had a successful modeling career appearing in commercials for Hewlett-Packard and Liz Claiborne’s Curve fragrances. In 2004, she launched her on screen career by being the co-host of the reality series Best Friend’s Date on The N channel.
Some people may know her from being in several Tyler Perry television series, but others may know her for her career breaking role as Layla Williamson on the ABC daytime soap opera, One Life to Live. She was on the show from 2005-2011. After One Life to Live Sumpter had a recurring role on the CW’s Gossip Girl as Raina Thorpe. She isn’t just a television star she is also a movie star. She got her first film role as the female lead in Stomp the Yard: Homecoming (2010). Her other film roles include the thriller Salt (2010), and the romantic comedy What’s Your Number? (2011).
She can also be seen in the remake of the 1976 music themed film Sparkle (2012), alongside Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston. After Sparkle, she starred in Tyler Perry’s Christmas comedy film A Madea Christmas (2013). She then starred in the independent comedic film My Man Is a Loser (2014) and in the Get On Up (2014) biopic of James Brown. Sumpter later played the role of Michelle Obama in the romantic comedy Southside with You (2016). She has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series in 2008 (One Life to Live), a Best Reel Award for Best Ensemble in 2014 (Get On Up) and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture in 2016 (Southside with You).
When she’s not in front of the camera, she’s cozied up with her family. She and Nicholas James, her co-star on The Haves and the Have Nots, enjoy being the parents of their daughter Ella-Loren. She was born on October 8, 2016. It is rumored that the couple may heading down the isle after their January 2017 engagement.