Numa Perrier
Numa Perrier is a Haitian-American actress, director, writer, producer and visual artist. She is the co-founder of Black&Sexy TV. Her first feature film, Jezebel, premiered at SXSW in 2019.[1][2]
Numa Perrier | |
---|---|
Born | |
Nationality | Haitian-American |
Occupation | Actress, director, writer, producer |
Years active | 2008-present |
Notable work | Jezebel |
Early life
Perrier was born in Haiti on December 14, 1979, adopted and raised in Washington state in a family of eight children.[3] She got to know her biological mother when she was 17.[3][4] Perrier moved to Las Vegas in late adolescence and did online sex work as a cam girl to make money. Her savings allowed her to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in visual art.[5]
Career
Perrier co-founded Black&Sexy TV, a network of several shows created for Black American audiences, with former romantic partner Dennis Dortch in 2008.[6] Their first production was a film called A Good Day to Be Black and Sexy, which premiered at Sundance and was picked up by Magnolia Pictures.[7] Beginning in 2011 they used YouTube to post their content. Notable shows include The Couple, The Number, Hello Cupid and RoomieLoverFriends.[3]
Perrier directed her first feature film Jezebel, starring Tiffany Tenille, in Las Vegas in 2017. The film is semi-autobiographical and draws on Perrier's experience as an online sex worker; Perrier also plays a supporting role in the film.[5] Jezebel premiered at SXSW in March 2019, and has received positive critical reviews.[2] THR selected Jezebel as one of its "Best of SXSW 2019" picks.[8] Array Releasing acquired the film in 2019 with a limited theatrical run and debut on Netflix January 16, 2020.[9] The Los Angeles Times refers to Perrier as "a very fine naturalistic actor" and gave further praise to her filmmaking noting her "striking handling and welcome thoughtfulness of style"[10]
Perrier played a supporting role on HBO's SMILF prior to its cancellation. She also directed an episode of the fourth season of Queen Sugar.[5]
She has a production company called House of Numa.[11]
Personal life
Perrier has one daughter, Rockwelle, with Dennis Dortch.[3] Dortch and Perrier split up between 2016 and 2017.[5]
References
- Christian, Aymar Jean (2018-01-09). Open TV : innovation beyond Hollywood and the rise of web television. New York. ISBN 9781479815975. OCLC 994144475.
- "'Jezebel': Film Review | SXSW 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- McDonald, Soraya Nadia. "Meet Dennis Dortch and Numa Perrier: The couple behind 'The Couple'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- Mumin, Nijla (2014-08-11). "Women In Red: Numa Perrier's 'Florida Water' Reconstructs Image and Memory". IndieWire. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- McDonald, Soraya Nadia (2019-03-25). "In 'Jezebel,' director Numa Perrier recalls the early days of internet sex work". The Undefeated. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- "Cool Jobs: Get Hip To 'Black & Sexy TV,' The Now Generation's Netflix". Black Enterprise. 2014-11-19. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- Ramos, Dino-Ray (2019-02-20). "'Jezebel' Clip: SXSW Coming-Of-Age Drama From Numa Perrier Explores Sisterhood And The Internet Fetish World". Deadline. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- "'Booksmart' - Critics' Picks: The Best of SXSW 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
- Ramos, Dino-Ray (December 4, 2019). "ARRAY Acquires Numa Perrier's Cam Girl Coming-Of-Age Drama 'Jezebel'; Watch The First Trailer".
- "Review: Day in the life of a sex worker turns up unexpected gem in 'Jezebel'". Los Angeles Times. January 16, 2020.
- "'Jezebel' Director Numa Perrier Is Just Getting Started". shadowandact.com. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
External links
- Numa Perrier on IMDb
- Black&Sexy TV Official website
- House of Numa Official website