Taylour Paige

Taylour Paige
Paige at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival
Born
Taylour Dominique Paige

(1990-10-05) October 5, 1990 (age 34)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Alma materLoyola Marymount University
OccupationActress
Years active2008–present
Spouse
Gary "Rivington Starchild" Angulo
​
​
(m. 2022)​

Taylour Dominique Paige-Angulo (born October 5, 1990) is an American actress. She is best known for playing the title role in the black comedy crime film Zola (2020), which won her the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. Other notable performances were in the VH1 sports drama series Hit the Floor (2013–2016), as well as in the films Jean of the Joneses (2016), White Boy Rick (2018), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020), Boogie (2021), and Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024).

In 2022, Paige ventured into music, collaborating with Kendrick Lamar on the song "We Cry Together", which reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned her a Grammy Award nomination.

Early life and education

Taylour Dominique Paige[1] was born on October 5, 1990, in Santa Monica, California to Reginald Paige and Cheryl Williams.[2][3] She grew up in Inglewood, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, with her older brother Travis.[4] Paige began dancing at the age of 2 and trained at Katnap in Venice, Westside Ballet Academy, and later spent two consecutive summers at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC. In 2001, she became a student of choreographer Debbie Allen, and auditioned for her musical Pearl.[5][6]

Paige attended St. Bernard Catholic High School in Playa del Rey where she graduated in 2008. She became a Los Angeles Laker Girl in 2010[5] and spent three months with the professional cheerleading squad before leaving to finish college and pursue her acting career. As a Laker Girl, she was featured in a special by Fox Sports on the making of the 2011 Laker Girls Calendar.[7] She is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University.[8]

Career

Paige has been featured in commercials and advertising campaigns for Transamerica, Best Buy, McDonald's, Adidas and Just Dance 3 following her stint as a Laker Girl. Her first film role was in High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008), where she was a featured dancer. After appearing in small roles in several short films, Paige starred as Ahsha Hayes in the sports drama television series Hit the Floor (2013–2018).[9][10] She left the show in 2016 after three seasons.[11]

In 2016, Paige starred as the eponymous character in Canadian filmmaker Stella Meghie's directorial debut Jean of the Joneses.[8] The film was met with positive reviews.[12] She had a supporting role as Cathy Volsan-Curry in the crime drama film White Boy Rick (2018), which was met with mixed reviews.[13] Paige has made guest appearances in the thirteenth season of Grey's Anatomy and Ballers.[14]

Paige had her breakthrough role as the titular character in the black comedy crime film Zola (2020).[15] The film and her performance earned rave reviews, and earned Paige the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead.[16][17] That same year, Paige had a supporting role as Dussie Mae in the drama film Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which was met with critical acclaim and earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.[18][19] In May 2022, Paige made her music debut by contributing to rapper Kendrick Lamar's fifth studio album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers on the critically-acclaimed track "We Cry Together", earning a Grammy Award nomination.[20][21][22] She then co-starred alongside Lamar on its short film adaptation in September.[23][24] In November, Paige was featured in Barbadian singer Rihanna's fourth installment of her Savage X Fenty Show.[25][26]

In May 2021, Paige landed the female lead opposite Peter Dinklage and Jacob Tremblay in the superhero film The Toxic Avenger for Legendary Entertainment.[27] In September, she joined the cast of the action comedy film Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, where she starred alongside Eddie Murphy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.[28][29]

She will next star in the upcoming comedy film Brothers.[30] She will also star in the dark comedy film The Trainer.

Personal life

From May 2019 to August 2021, Paige was in a relationship with actor Jesse Williams.[31][32]

On October 5, 2022, she married fashion designer Gary "Rivington Starchild" Angulo after sharing their engagement two weeks prior.[33][34]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2008 High School Musical 3: Senior Year Featured dancer "I Want It All" song
2010 Alex in Wonderland: Rehearsing Wonderland School Girl Video short
Alex in Wonderland: Interview with Debbie Allen
2011 Mousetrap Mousetrap Keeper #4 Short
2015 Touched Gina
2016 Jean of the Joneses Jean Jones
2018 White Boy Rick Cathy Volsan
2020 Zola A'Ziah "Zola" King
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Dussie Mae
2021 Boogie Eleanor
2022 Sharp Stick Treina Also executive producer
Another Country Mother Short
Mack & Rita Carla
We Cry Together Girlfriend Short film
2023 The Toxic Avenger J.J. Doherty
2024 Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Jane Saunders
Brothers Abby Munger-Jacobson
The Trainer TBA
2025 Magazine Dreams Pink Coat
TBA I Love Boosters † TBA Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2004 That’s So Raven Extra (dancer) Season 2: Episode 18
2010 Making of the Laker Girls Calendar 2011 Herself Television documentary
2013 2013 Do Something Awards Herself Television special
2013–2016 Hit the Floor Ahsha Hayes Series regular (seasons 1–3)
2013 Hit the Floor AfterBuzz TV Panelist Unknown episodes
2015 Ballers Theresa 2 episodes
2016 Grey's Anatomy Emma Episode: "Falling Slowly"
2024 The Baxters Angela Manning 4 episodes
2025 It: Welcome to Derry TBA [35]

Music videos

Year Title Role Notes
2014 "She Came to Give It to You" Dancer Usher ft. Nicki Minaj
2022 "We Cry Together" Girlfriend Kendrick Lamar ft. Paige

Discography

Charted songs

List of charted songs, with year released, selected chart positions, and album name shown
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
[36] 		AUS
[37] 		CAN
[38] 		SWE
[39] 		WW
[40]
"We Cry Together"
(with Kendrick Lamar) 		2022 16 19 22 96 20 Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Title Result Ref.
2021 Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Acting Ensemble Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Nominated [41]
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated [42]
[43]
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture Won
Gotham Awards Outstanding Lead Performance Zola Nominated [44]
2022 Black Reel Awards Outstanding Actress Nominated [45]
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards Best Female Lead Won [46]
2023 Grammy Awards Album of the Year (as featured artist) Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers Nominated [22]

References

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  3. ^ Paige, Taylour [@taylour] (July 9, 2020). "This young ting turned 66 July 7th. Cheryl Boutte. Thankful for her love, her resilience. Thankful for healing. Thankful for understanding..." Retrieved August 7, 2020 – via Instagram.
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