That was exactly the case for Nia Long and Omar Epps in Fatal Affair. While love scenes are notoriously awkward for actors on set, the stakes get even higher when you're stimulating intimacy with a close personal friend. Omar kept putting lotion on his hands to make sure they weren’t ashy and rough.Omar Epps: I try, I try. I had on like five pairs of underwear, three bras, five Spanx. The only thing that made that scene awkward is because Omar is like my brother. While plenty of moviegoers would love a chance to act alongside Love and Basketball icon Omar Epps, there was one major issue: they're already close friends. And while she's no doubt worked on plenty of love scenes during this time, those sequences in Netflix's Fatal Affair were particularly uncomfortable.

Today, on her 53rd birthday, we celebrate the trailblazing star’s accomplishments and, below, look back at 53 of her most iconic beauty looks.Nia Long has had a long career in both TV and film, including roles in iconic projects like Boyz n the Hood. For one, her nude matte lip and minimal eye makeup at the Critics Choice Celebration Of Black Cinema– was a nod to ‘90s beauty. Always subtle and natural, her makeup perfectly enhances her natural beauty. Her hair continued to take on timeless looks: from her curly side ponytail at the NAACP Image Awards in 2007 to ombré highlights at The Best Man Holiday premiere in 2013.Īlthough she’s changed her signature hairstyle over the years, the makeup she pairs with each look– white-toned eyeshadow and a brown lip color– has been a go-to complementing each look. Rewind to the The Nutty Professor premiere in ‘96, Long made an appearance in a bob with flipped ends, and alternated between both looks well into the ‘00s. However, her inspirational hair looks aren’t only defined by the cropped look. For example, at the VH1 Fashion Awards in ‘98, the actress’ hair was styled into a black pixie cut– a look she has worn at the premieres of some of her most famous films, like In Too Deep.

On screen and throughout the start of her career, Long could be recognized by her short haircut and pin-thin eyebrows. Additionally, it’s no doubt that she has long been a beauty trendsetter. By the time she turned 30, she continued to grace the screen in culturally historic roles such as “Debbie” in Friday and “Lisa” in The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. And, of course, once can’t fail to mention romantic dramas such as The Best Man and Soul Food. Think: cult classics like Love Jones– to comedies like Big Momma’s House. Since her first break, Boyz In The Hood at the age of 20, Nia Long has represented the stories of Black women.

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