Oct 30, 1970

Brooklyn, New York, USA

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 30, 1970, Long developed an
interest in acting at an early age. She received training from Betty
Bridges, mother of former child star Todd Bridges (best known for his role
on the TV series Diff'rent Strokes.
Long got her start on TV, playing a character on the soap opera Guiding
Light from 1991 to 1993. She earned her first helping of fame with her
role on the popular sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel Air, which cast her as Will
Smith's love interest. The a... ... (read more...) ctress made her film debut in John Singleton's
acclaimed Boyz 'N the Hood (1991), sharing the screen with the likes of
Cuba Gooding, Jr., Ice Cube, Angela Basset, and Lawrence Fishburne. She
followed the film with Made in America (1993), a comedy that cast her as
the daughter of Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson.

Long subsequently established herself as a strong presence in romantic
dramas and comedies, carving out a niche in such films as Soul Food
(1997), Love Jones (1997), and The Best Man (1999). The actress also
ventured into a number of other genres, as demonstrated by her roles in
films ranging from supernatural horror (Stigmata) (1999) to big business
crime drama (The Boiler Room) (1999) to inner-city police thriller (In Too
Deep) (1999).