Photo: Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Public records list Sanaa Lathan as a stage actor, musical theatre actor and film actor. Sanaa Lathan was born on September 19, 1971 in New York City, New York, United States. That works out to 55 years old in 2026. Education on record includes University of California, Berkeley. Recorded honors include Theatre World Award (2004), NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (2016) and Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress (2012).
My Take
Sanaa Lathan is one of those actors who makes everything look effortless, which I think is why she doesn't always get the loud mainstream credit she deserves. Born in New York, trained at UC Berkeley, she came up through theatre and earned a Theatre World Award in 2004 — so her foundation is serious, not just Hollywood-by-accident. Her work in Love & Basketball still hits differently; that film holds up precisely because she brought real emotional weight to Monica, not just a sports-movie protagonist. She's done film, television, voice acting, Broadway — a genuinely versatile range — and won a Lucille Lortel Award and an NAACP Image Award along the way. I've always felt like she operates a level above the material she's sometimes handed, carrying scenes on pure presence. She's the kind of performer I'll watch in anything without needing to check reviews first.
This take was written by generative AI, one per person, from publicly reported facts (editorial policy). It is a reading of the record, not reporting.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Sanaa Lathan
- Name (Japanese)
- サナ・レイサン
- Reading
- さな・れいさん
- Born
- September 19, 1971 (age 55)
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Occupation
- stage actor / musical theatre actor / film actor / television actor / voice actor
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Boar
2. Background
- University
- University of California, Berkeley
Awards & achievements
- 2004 Theatre World Award
- 2016 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
- 2012 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
Only publicly available facts are listed; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. Base data was compiled from Wikidata from June 2026 onward; ages are recalculated daily and deaths are checked against Wikidata on an ongoing basis. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Sanaa Lathan born?
Sanaa Lathan was born on September 19, 1971 and is 55 years old.
Where is Sanaa Lathan from?
Sanaa Lathan is from New York City, New York, United States.
What does Sanaa Lathan do?
Sanaa Lathan works as stage actor, musical theatre actor, film actor, television actor, voice actor.
Where did Sanaa Lathan study?
Sanaa Lathan attended University of California, Berkeley.
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