Milauna Jemai Jackson is a supporting actress on How to Get Away with Murder, who portrays the role of Renee Atwood.
Biography[]
A native of Chicago, Milauna Jemai Jackson was raised on the South Side by her single mother. To study in a safe environment, she lived half of the time with her mother and the other half with her grandparents. Before enrolling in the performing arts program at Marie Sklodowska Curie Metropolitan High School, she was acting in church programs and community theater at a young age. She had her mother Linda and Miss Lillian Monkus (deceased), whom she met in high school, as female role models.[1]
After high school, Milauna Jackson attended several colleges; Howard University & Cal State Fullerton, before enrolling at the University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC. It was there that she started appearing in commercials, a Twista video, and industrial films. She also did theatre plays. In 2002 she moved to Los Angeles to further her career aspirations. In 2012 she enroll in UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) and complete her education. During her orientation day she learned that she'd gotten a role on an HBO pilot Da Brick directed by Spike Lee, "and that was the last part of my academic year." In 2004, two years later, Milauna Jackson landed a role in the TV series Cold Case (episode "Volunteers"). But her first role on a television program was in 2000 in the court show Arrest & Trial (episode "Nightstalker") where she played herself. She also appeared in several TV movies, other TV series and films. She was also a regular member of Squad 85, an American comedy series created by Gregory Bonsignore. It was aired on YouTube's YOMYOMF channel and premiered on November 13, 2012.[2]
A few weeks after her audition for the role of DEA SA Kim Martinez on Strike Back, Milauna Jackson found herself in South Africa for the filming of the show. It was in Johannesburg that the military advisor for the show, Paul Hornsby, put her skills and knowledge in hand-to-hand combat, weapons work and other military techniques to the test.[3] She also has a recurring role on NBC's Aquarius on Saturday @9p EST starring David Duchovny, as the wife of David's detective partner, Grey Damon.