Sanaa Lathan
Interesting Biography Facts
Real name
Sanaa McCoy Lathan
Occupation
actress
Birth Date
September 19, 1971
Age
53 years
Zodiac Sign
Virgo
Birthplace
New York City, New York, United States
Education
Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics, University of California, Berkeley, Yale University
Nationality
American
Quick links
Sanaa Lathan family members
Father's Name
Stan Lathan
Mother's Name
Eleanor McCoy
Siblings names
Tendaji Lathan (brother)
Is Sanaa Lathan a lesbian/bisexual?
No
What is Sanaa Lathan marital status?
Divorce
Who are Sanaa Lathan parents?
Stan Lathan (father)
Date of birth: July 8, 1945
Acting is in Sanaa’s blood. She is a daughter of a celebrated film director and producer. Stan Lathan is known to the wide audience as the director and producer of Dave Chapelle stand-up comedy programs.
Stan comes from the family of five. His parents are Julia and Stanly Lathan. He has two older brothers – William and Charles, a doctor and a musician respectively.
Mr. Lathan graduated from Overbrook High School and then entered Pennsylvania State University, where he studied theater art.
Stan started his career at WGBH-TV station. He gained popularity as the director of numerous episodes from many sitcoms, among which there are the hits “The Parkers”, “Real Husbands of Hollywood”, “South Central” etc.
Sanaa is the daughter of a celebrated film director from his first marriage. In spite of his divorce from her mother, Stan didn’t disappear from her life. Since 1982 he has been married to his second wife Marguerite Lathan. They welcomed three daughters together.
Eleanor McCoy (mother)
Sanaa got her beautiful name from her mother. It is Eleanor’s African name. In Swahili, her name means “work of art”. Eleanor is a Broadway stage actress. She gained recognition as a film actress, too. Fans remember her by the movie “Swashbuckler” and by the TV series “Hill Street Blues”. She got married a film director Stan Lathan in 1971. They welcomed a daughter and a son together. In 1977 the couple divorced.
Sanaa Lathan siblings
Tendaji Lathan (brother)
Tendaji is Sanaa’s only full sibling. He grew up in the USA and was educated at the University of California, Berkeley. He resides in the Greater Los Angeles Area and earns his living as a DJ. He is the founder and CEO of “DJ Tendaji Lathan Ent”. He is married.
Liliane Lathan (younger half-sister)
Date of birth: June 9, 1984
Lili is Sanaa’s half-sister. She is the first child of Sanaa’s dad and his second wife Margarette Lathan. Liliane is a photographer.
Arielle Lathan (younger half-sister)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxyMrTkjlOI/
Date of birth: May 22, 1985
Arielle is Sanaa’s little sister from the paternal side. The famous actress has cordial relationships with her half-sister. Arielle lives in California, United States, and works as an early childhood educator.
Colette Lathan (younger half-sister)
Date of birth: April 16, 1997
Lette is the youngest girl in Lathan family. She lives in Studio City, CA. She is dating a young architect Fatih Khairi.
Bio
Everything starts from roots, so Sanaa Lathan had no other choice, just to become an actress. She grew up in the family of two entertainers – Stan Lathan, a TV producer, and Eleanor McCoy, a Broadway actress.
It’s hard to believe, but in her teens, she didn’t plan to follow her parents’ steps and become an actress. “I was a kind of a nerd, studied a lot and wanted to be a lawyer”, Sanaa confessed in one of her interviews. But God had another plan – and she entered Yale University to study drama.
Now Sanaa is celebrated as the actress, who gives best performances in the theater, on TV, and on the big screen. Her most successful roles are in the series “Shots Fired”, where she portrayed Ashe Akino; in the film “Now You See Me 2”, where she appeared as Deputy Director Natalie Austin and in many other projects.
Her talent for acting was appreciated by numerous fans and critics. The first ones watch her life on Instagram – the actress boasts with 4 million+ fan base there; and the latter ones award her play with numerous prizes, among which the prestigious Tony Award.
Interesting and fun facts
- Her breaking role was in the movie “Love & Basketball”. The role of Monica Wright, a girl, who dreamed to become a basketball player and then fell in love with her colleague and neighbor, portrayed by Omar Epps, is one of the brightest in her resume. In her interview, the actress confessed, that it was hard for her to portray Monica because she had no idea about playing basketball and practically knew nothing about this game. But her talent helped her to tap skillfully into the role.
- Sanaa Lathan was married officially just once in her life. On May 11, 1991, she tied a knot with an ex-model and actor Shemar Moore and they were an item for 5 years. Unfortunately, in 1996 they parted their ways. She was also in long-term relationships with Love & Basketball co-star Omar Epps. The couple broke up in 2002.
- Her net worth is estimated at $4 million, which is not much for a Hollywood star, but still, it is an impressive amount of money for many people worldwide.
- She is a trained dancer and gymnast.
- Her first paid job was in the Secret deodorant commercial. She used her payment for the commercial to pay the rent in her apartment.