Aunjanue Ellis

<p><i>Though she's had a long career, </i><a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2022-01-18/will-smith-and-aunjanue-ellis-on-their-ali-frazier-moment-in-king-richard"><i>Aunjanue Ellis</i></a><i> has only recently broken through to widespread acclaim.</i> <i>Now, she  is  nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in "</i><a href="https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-11-23/king-richard-movie-will-smith-venus-serena-williams"><i>King Richard</i></a><i>" as Oracene Price, the mother of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. In this “The Envelope” podcast interview, she opens up  about fighting for her character to receive her due  as a coach of the Williams sisters, the practical perks of being nominated for an Oscar, and her approach to playing nonfictional characters.</i></p><p>To read a full transcript of this interview, please visit the episode page at <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/awards/story/2022-02-22/oscars-aunjanue-ellis-king-richard-will-smith-venus-serena-envelope-podcast ">latimes.com.</a></p>