Lauren E. Banks is a graduate of Howard University where she trained under the late Al Freeman, Jr., served two years as President of The Howard Players and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BFA in Theatre Arts: Acting.
In 2017, Lauren graduated from the Yale School of Drama with a Masters Degree in Acting. A member of Ron Van Lieu’s last graduating class, Lauren was awarded the Carol Finch Dye Award who’s previous recipients include Meryl Streep and Frances McDormand. Months later, Banks landed a series-regular role starring opposite Kevin Bacon in Showtime’s CITY ON A HILL, EP’d by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Jennifer Todd.
Most recently, Lauren garnered the attention of a global audience in her leading role as “Jennie Reeves” opposite David Oyelowo in Chad Feehan’s Paramount+ series Lawmen: BASS REEVES, executive produced by Taylor Sheridan. The series is now the most watched series premiere across Paramount+ and CBS with over 28 million households tuning-in worldwide. Her performance was said to have been played with “warmth and great feeling” by the New York Times. Other recent credits include the anthology series ROAR opposite Issa Rae, also starring Nicole Kidman, GASLIT starring Julia Roberts & Sean Penn, and MANIAC opposite Jonah Hill directed by Cary Fukunaga. Lauren has also wrapped production on THE DUTCHMAN, an upcoming American thriller film directed by Andre Gaines, based on the 1964 play of the same name by playwright & poet Amiri Baraka.
