Yaani King Explained

Yaani King Mondschein
Birth Date:10 August 1981
Birth Place:New York City, U.S.
Occupation:Actress

Yaani King Mondschein (born August 10, 1981) is an American actress, best known for portraying Neely Lloyd in the crime drama series Saving Grace (2007–2010), Bridgette King in the OWN series ‘’The Kings of Napa’’ (2022) and providing the voice and motion capture for Riley Abel in the action-adventure video game (2014).

Early life

King was born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on August 10, 1981. Her mother, a retired NYPD officer, also performed in theater.[1] She is of Guyanese and West Indian descent, and grew up in New York's Queens borough.[2] She attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and later studied acting at The Actors Centre in London.[2]

Career

Yaani began her acting career appearing in a number of off-Broadway productions, and had guest roles on television series including Law & Order and Sex and The City. She made her film debut in a small part in the 2003 erotic thriller In the Cut, before a supporting turn in the 2004 romantic comedy The Prince & Me.[2] In 2007, she moved to Los Angeles and had guest starring roles on Criminal Minds, , and Ghost Whisperer.

From 2009 to 2010, King was a regular cast member on the TNT crime drama series Saving Grace as Neely Lloyd, a young drug addict. During this time, she also guest starred on Mad Men, Major Crimes, and NCIS.

Yaani provided the voice and motion capture for Riley Abel in the 2014 action-adventure video game .[3] Later that year, she played a plantation slave in the Civil War western film Deliverance Creek.[4] [5] In 2015, she was cast in a recurring role as Ada Eze on the ABC prime time television soap opera Blood & Oil,[6] and had a role on The Magicians in 2016. She appeared in the 2020 horror comedy film Bad Hair.

In 2022, Yaani was cast as one of leads in the Oprah Winfrey Network prime time soap opera, The Kings of Napa.[7]

Personal life

Yaani married actor Adam Mondschein on July 25, 2012.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2003In the CutFrannie's Student
2004The Prince and MeAmanda
2005God's Forgotten HouseCrystal
2008 For Heaven's SakeAshley
2008Gospel HillSarahUncredited
2012The Last FallChris
2013CavemenJasmine
2015Kraft of Revenge: Mousetrap 2MousetrapketeerShort film
2020Bad HairSista Soul
2023Steadfast - The Thornton Chase Story

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2002The Education of Max BickfordStudent Episode: "I Never Schlunged My Father"
2002Law & OrderMonique ThomasEpisode: "Access Nation"
2003Sex and the CityMarcyEpisode: "Pick-A-Little, Talk-A-Little"
2007Campus LadiesDeborahEpisode: "Barri & Joan Rush a Black Sorority"
2007Criminal MindsDeborah LewisEpisode: "Fear & Loathing"
2007Sheila LathamEpisode: "Fallen Idols"
2008Numb3rsLaurie PorterEpisodes: "End Game", "Atomic No. 33"
2009Ghost WhispererAnne-Marie RamseyEpisode: "Excessive Forces"
2009–2010Saving GraceNeely LloydMain role (season 3), 19 episodes
2011Against the WallTamika Episode: "Second Chances"
2012VegasEstelle Drew Episode: "Legitimate"
2012CountyAngela Unsold television pilot
2013Mad MenPhyllis Episodes: "Collaborators", "The Flood"
2013Major CrimesMrs. Walker Episode: "Risk Assessment"
2014ExtantMom Episode: "Extinct"
2014Deliverance CreekCassieTelevision film
2015NCISLeandra Perkins Episode: "Status Update"
2015The Haves and the Have Nots Alliyah DelongRecurring role
2015Blood & Oil Ada Eze Recurring role
2016The MagiciansKiraEpisode: "The Writing Room"
2022The Kings of NapaBridgette PeeleSeries regular, 8 episodes
2022Quantum LeapFrankieEpisode: "Salvation or Bust"
2023Party DownMaggieEpisode: "Jack Botty's Delayed Post-Pandemic Surprise Party"

Video games

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Yaani King Mondschein. IMDb.
  2. Web site: Yaani King. myLifetime.com. August 22, 2015.
  3. Web site: First Details For The Last Of Us: Left Behind DLC Announced. Justin Alderman. We Got This Covered. November 15, 2013. August 22, 2015.
  4. Web site: Yaani King Books Regular Role On Lifetime's Post-Civil Wa - Shadow and Act. Tambay A. Obenson. October 31, 2013. Shadow and Act. August 22, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20140916125839/http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/yaani-king-books-regular-role-on-lifetimes-post-civil-war-set-drama-deliverance-creek. September 16, 2014. dead.
  5. Web site: Pilots 'Eye Candy' & 'Deliverance Creek' Cast Regulars - Deadline. Nellie Andreeva. Deadline. October 31, 2013. August 22, 2015.
  6. Web site: Wilson Bethel Cast In ABC's 'Blood & Oil' - Deadline. Denise Petski. Deadline. August 21, 2015. August 22, 2015.
  7. https://deadline.com/2021/04/the-kings-of-napa-ebonee-noel-rance-nix-karen-leblanc-yaani-king-mondschein-own-drama-1234730093/ ‘The Kings Of Napa’: Ebonee Noel, Rance Nix, Karen LeBlanc, Yaani King Mondschein To Star In OWN Drama