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Numa Perrier is a Haitian-American actress, artist, director, writer, and producer. She is a co-founder of Black&Sexy TV and started her production company titled, "House of Numa".[1] Her debut feature film, Jezebel, premiered at SXSW in 2019.[2] Her sophomore film, the Netflix romantic comedy The Perfect Find premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival where it received the Audience Award for Narrative Film.[3]
Perrier was born in Haiti and was adopted and raised in Washington state in a family of eight children.[4] In Washington, Perrier grew up on a farm in Cathlamet, Wahkiakum County. The town had a population of around 500 people. Despite the size, Perrier claims living in the small town helped create a deep connection with nature around her. Growing up on a farm helped Perrier's imagination run wild and sparked Perrier's passion for creating. Although Perrier left Washington at the age of 10, and has lived in many other places since Perrier notes Washington as one of the more memorable places she has lived. [5] She got to know her biological mother when she was 17.[6] Perrier moved to Las Vegas in late adolescence and did online "peep show" work as a cam girl to make money. Her savings allowed her to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and visual art.[7]
Perrier co-founded Black&Sexy TV, a creative collective and streaming service for Black millennial audiences, with former partners Dennis Dortch, Brian Ali Harding, and Jeanine Daniels in 2010.[8] Their first collaboration was a film called A Good Day to Be Black and Sexy, which premiered at Sundance and was picked up by Magnolia Pictures.[9] Beginning in 2011, they used YouTube to post their content. Notable shows include The Couple, The Number, Hello Cupid and RoomieLoverFriends.[4] Numa starred in The Couple alongside Desmond Faison, and HBO picked up the series for development.
In 2017, Perrier directed her first feature film Jezebel, starring Tiffany Tenille. The semi-autobiographical film draws on Perrier's experience as a "cam girl" performer. Perrier also co-stars in the film, which was shot on location in Las Vegas.[7] Jezebel premiered at SXSW in March 2019, and received positive critical reception.[10] The Hollywood Reporter selected Jezebel as one of its "Best of SXSW 2019" picks.[11] The Los Angeles Times referred to Perrier as "a very fine naturalistic actor" and gave further praise to her filmmaking, noting her "striking handling and welcome thoughtfulness of style."[12] Array Releasing acquired the film in 2019 with a limited theatrical run and it debuted on Netflix on January 16, 2020.[13] Perrier was awarded Best Director and Best Feature Film for Jezebel at the 2019 American Black Film Festival.[14] Perrier played a recurring guest star role on Showtime's SMILF prior to its cancellation.
Perrier directed a live magic show, The Legend of Black Herman, as a part of Derek Fodjour's art installation, Magic, Mystery, and Legerdemain, which ran from March 29 to May 7, 2022, at the David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles.[15] She has also directed television episodes for programs including OWN's Queen Sugar, Showtime's comedy-drama series Cinema Toast,[16] Hulu's legal drama Reasonable Doubt, and Hulu's comedy series Unprisoned. Perrier also directed the season 3 finale for the ABC sitcom Young Rock.[17][7] For her work on The Wonder Years reboot on ABC, Perrier was nominated for the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series.[18]
Perrier's first studio film, The Perfect Find, starring and co-produced by Gabrielle Union premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival where it received the Audience Award. Based on the book by Tia Williams and adapted by Leigh Davenport, the film follows a woman in her forties starting a new career only to fall for a much younger man who is also her boss's son.[19] The film released worldwide on Netflix on June 23, 2023, and garnered Perrier an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special.[20]
Also in 2023, she directed two episodes of the Hulu comedy series Unprisoned starring Kerry Washington, for which she received the Astra TV Award for Best Directing in a Streaming Comedy Series[21] as well as an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series.[20]
Upcoming projects
In December 2021, it was announced that she will produce and star in The Erotic, a biopic about poet and author Audre Lorde.[22] In June, 2022, it was announced Perrier would produce and direct The War and Treaty, from a script by Will McCormack and Craig Borten, based on the life of the Nashville husband and wife vocal duo.[23]
Perrier married Gabrey Milner, son of Broadway playwright Ron Milner, in October 2020.[24]
Film
As actress
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Jezebel | Sabrina | [7] |
| 2023 | The Perfect Find | Pearl Bailey | |
| 2023 | First Time Female Director | Maya |
As director
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Jezebel | [7] |
| 2023 | The Perfect Find | [25] |
Television
As actress
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–2014 | The Couple | Chick | |
| 2013 | The Choir | Rochelle | |
| 2019 | SMILF | Elsie |
As director
| Year | Title | Episode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Queen Sugar | Episode 4: "Skin Transparent" | |
| 2021–2022 | The Wonder Years | Episode 6: "Be Prepared" and Episode 19: "Love & War" | |
| 2022 | Reasonable Doubt | Episode 8: "Song Cry" | |
| 2023 | Unprisoned | Episode 6: "Nigrescence" and Episode 7: "Unavailably Available" | |
| 2023 | Young Rock | Season 3, Episode 13: "False Ceilings" |
| Year | Association | Category | Project | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | SXSW Film Festival | Audience Award | Jezebel | Nominated | [10] |
| 2019 | Nashville Film Festival | New Directors Competition | Nominated | ||
| 2019 | American Black Film Festival | Best Film | Won | ||
| Best Director | Won | ||||
| 2019 | Indie Memphis Film Festival | Emerging Filmmaker Award | Won | ||
| 2022 | Black Reel Awards for Television | Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series | The Wonder Years | Nominated | |
| 2023 | Tribeca Film Festival | Audience Award | The Perfect Find | Won | |
| 2024 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special | Nominated | [20] | |
| 2024 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series | Unprisoned | Nominated | [20] |
| 2024 | Astra TV Award | Best Directing in a Streaming Comedy Series | Won | [26] | |
| 2024 | Black Reel Awards for Television | Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series | Pending | ||
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