Lonette McKee
- Actress
- Composer
- Director
Lonette McKee's career began in the music industry in hometown Detroit,
Michigan as a child prodigy, where she began playing keyboards
composing music and lyrics, singing and performing professionally at a
young age. At fourteen she recorded her first record, "Stop Don't Worry
'Bout It" which became an instant regional Pop/R&B hit.
Lonette made her feature film debut playing 'Sista' in Sparkle. Following were starring roles in films Which Way is Up and
Brewster's Millions opposite legendary, Richard Pryor, The Cotton Club
and Gardens of Stone for renowned director, Francis Ford Coppola.
Sundance Film Festival winner, Lift, earned Lonette a Black Reel
Nomination. Other films include Cuba, Men of Honor, 'Round Midnight for
outstanding French filmmaker, Bertrand Tavenier. Jungle Fever, Malcolm
X, He Got Game and She Hate Me for renowned filmmaker and mentor, Spike
Lee. Recently, Lonette appeared in films, A Day in Black and White,
Honey, ATL, Paper Mache Chase, Fast Food Fast Women, Honey 2, This
Narrow Place and LUV, opposite hip hop mega-star, Common. Television
films include, Women of Brewster Place, with Oprah Winfrey, for which
Lonette received an NAACP nomination; Having Our Say, Queen, To Dance
with Olivia, For Love of Olivia, Blind Faith and Dangerous Passions.
She also received an NAACP Nomination for her recurring appearances on
As The World Turns and has enjoyed a recurring lead role in hit series'
Third Watch and The Game. Solo television guest appearances include The
Tonight Show, Today Show, Good Morning America and David Letterman.
Lonette was recognized in "People Magazine's Fifty Most Beautiful
Issue." Winning the coveted Tony Nomination for her portrayal of the
tragic mulatto, 'Julie', in the Houston Grand Opera's production of
Showboat, she earned the distinction of becoming the first African
American actress to play the coveted role in the U.S. and later
reprised the role for great theatrical director Hal Prince on Broadway.
Critical praise and a Drama Desk Nomination was earned for her
heartbreaking portrayal of Billie Holiday in the one-woman hit drama
with music, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill.
Lonette has written and produced solo CD's entitled, Lonette, Words and
Music, Natural Love, Acoustic Tracks, Lonette McKee and Superstar. She
has toured throughout the world in solo concert performances including
the prestigious JVC Jazz Festival at Carnegie Hall.
Studying film directing at The New School in NYC she also apprenticed
film directing under the tutelage of mentor Spike Lee. Lonette
continues to write and produce music and screenplays along with
television concepts for Lonette McKee Entertainment Inc. To include
Dream Street, an original screenplay for theatrical release which was
chosen as Finalist in Sundance Film Lab and will mark her directorial
debut.
A recent concert at Aaron Davis Hall played to a sold-out audience.
Lonette is a Blog Contributor for the Huffington Post and teaches the
Actor's Workshop at The City College of New York Continuing and
Professional Studies. She recently enjoyed rave reviews in New York for
her work Off Broadway in Sowa's Red Gravy and A Raisin in the Sun at
the prestigious Clarence Brown Theatre, both directed by Woodie King
Jr. She was recently nominated for a 2013 AUDELCO Award in Best Actress
category.
Lonette is an animal lover and outspoken advocate for human and animal
rights.
Michigan as a child prodigy, where she began playing keyboards
composing music and lyrics, singing and performing professionally at a
young age. At fourteen she recorded her first record, "Stop Don't Worry
'Bout It" which became an instant regional Pop/R&B hit.
Lonette made her feature film debut playing 'Sista' in Sparkle. Following were starring roles in films Which Way is Up and
Brewster's Millions opposite legendary, Richard Pryor, The Cotton Club
and Gardens of Stone for renowned director, Francis Ford Coppola.
Sundance Film Festival winner, Lift, earned Lonette a Black Reel
Nomination. Other films include Cuba, Men of Honor, 'Round Midnight for
outstanding French filmmaker, Bertrand Tavenier. Jungle Fever, Malcolm
X, He Got Game and She Hate Me for renowned filmmaker and mentor, Spike
Lee. Recently, Lonette appeared in films, A Day in Black and White,
Honey, ATL, Paper Mache Chase, Fast Food Fast Women, Honey 2, This
Narrow Place and LUV, opposite hip hop mega-star, Common. Television
films include, Women of Brewster Place, with Oprah Winfrey, for which
Lonette received an NAACP nomination; Having Our Say, Queen, To Dance
with Olivia, For Love of Olivia, Blind Faith and Dangerous Passions.
She also received an NAACP Nomination for her recurring appearances on
As The World Turns and has enjoyed a recurring lead role in hit series'
Third Watch and The Game. Solo television guest appearances include The
Tonight Show, Today Show, Good Morning America and David Letterman.
Lonette was recognized in "People Magazine's Fifty Most Beautiful
Issue." Winning the coveted Tony Nomination for her portrayal of the
tragic mulatto, 'Julie', in the Houston Grand Opera's production of
Showboat, she earned the distinction of becoming the first African
American actress to play the coveted role in the U.S. and later
reprised the role for great theatrical director Hal Prince on Broadway.
Critical praise and a Drama Desk Nomination was earned for her
heartbreaking portrayal of Billie Holiday in the one-woman hit drama
with music, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill.
Lonette has written and produced solo CD's entitled, Lonette, Words and
Music, Natural Love, Acoustic Tracks, Lonette McKee and Superstar. She
has toured throughout the world in solo concert performances including
the prestigious JVC Jazz Festival at Carnegie Hall.
Studying film directing at The New School in NYC she also apprenticed
film directing under the tutelage of mentor Spike Lee. Lonette
continues to write and produce music and screenplays along with
television concepts for Lonette McKee Entertainment Inc. To include
Dream Street, an original screenplay for theatrical release which was
chosen as Finalist in Sundance Film Lab and will mark her directorial
debut.
A recent concert at Aaron Davis Hall played to a sold-out audience.
Lonette is a Blog Contributor for the Huffington Post and teaches the
Actor's Workshop at The City College of New York Continuing and
Professional Studies. She recently enjoyed rave reviews in New York for
her work Off Broadway in Sowa's Red Gravy and A Raisin in the Sun at
the prestigious Clarence Brown Theatre, both directed by Woodie King
Jr. She was recently nominated for a 2013 AUDELCO Award in Best Actress
category.
Lonette is an animal lover and outspoken advocate for human and animal
rights.