Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland Headshot

Actress

Birth Date: September 10, 1982

Age: 42 years old

Birth Place: Kansas City, Missouri

Misty Copeland was born in Kansas City, Missouri but spent most of her childhood in southern California. Misty was first introduced to ballet at classes held at a local Boys & Girls Club in her community.

Copeland had become the captain of her school's drill team, and the coach had recommended that she try to study dance. Copeland was a quick learner, deemed a prodigy and was en pointe as a ballerina after only 3 months of study.

Only 5 months later she was cast as Clara in the Nutcracker, drawing over 2,000 patrons per show, and capturing the attention of the Los Angeles media. Due to her mother's many relationships, the family moved around a great deal, and, rather than force Copeland to give up ballet, her teachers agreed to host her.

This decision caused problems involving an emancipation suit, restraining orders and custody battles, but legal proceedings were ultimately dropped, and Copeland returned home with her mother and began studying ballet under the tutelage of a former member of the American Ballet Theatre. Copeland herself joined the ABT in 2000, after a number of summer workshops, and was made a corps de ballet member in 2001.

She was a soloist with the company by 2007 and in 2015 she became the first African-American woman in the theatre's history to be made principal dancer. Copeland wrote two autobiographical books about her experiences, and was the narrator of "A Ballerina's Tale" (2015), a documentary about the challenges she faced in pursuit of her dreams.

Credits

Thriller 40Stream

Self
Movie
2023

Influential with Katty Kay

Guest
Show
2023

PBS Arts Talk

Host
Show
2023

Who's Talking to Chris Wallace?Stream

Guest
Talk
2022

Power of Women: The ChangemakersStream

Self
Special
2022

Sherri

Guest
Talk
2022

Be My Guest With Ina GartenStream

Self
Series
2022

Lift

Executive Producer
Movie
2022

Nick Cannon

Guest
Talk
2021

CBS Mornings

Guest
News
2021

Screwdriver

Actor
Sierra
Show
2021

We Have a Dream

Guest
Show
2021

Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas SpecialStream

Guest
Series
2020

Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices

Guest
Show
2020

Dear...Stream

Self
Docuseries
2020
100%

The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards

Music Performer
Show
2020

We Have a Dream

Guest
Show
2020

We Have a Dream

Guest
Show
2020

The Kelly Clarkson Show

Guest
Talk
2019

Access Daily

Guest
Show
2019

Tamron HallStream

Guest
Talk
2019

Today With Hoda & Jenna

Guest
Show
2019

We Have a Dream

Guest
Show
2019

Pop Up Santa Holiday Special

Guest
Show
2018

Today 3rd Hour

Guest
Show
2018

To Dine For With Kate Sullivan

Guest
Show
2018

We Have a Dream

Guest
Show
2018

Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

Guest
News
2018

We Have a Dream

Guest
Show
2018

The Nutcracker and the Four RealmsStream

Actor
Movie
2018
32%

The 40th Annual Kennedy Center Honors

Guest
Show
2017

Access Live

Guest
Show
2017

Daily Blast Live

Guest
Show
2017

We Have a Dream

Guest
Show
2017

World of Dance

Guest
Reality
2017

Live with Kelly and Ryan

Guest
Talk
2017

Prokofiev: Romeo e Giulietta

Guest Star
Juliet
Show
2017

We Have a Dream

Guest
Show
2017

Today's Take

Guest
Show
2016

Little Big Shots

Guest
Reality
2016

A Toast to 2015!

Guest
Show
2015

Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2015

Guest
Show
2015

The Late Show With Stephen ColbertStream

Guest
Talk
2015

A Ballerina's Tale

Actor
Movie
2015

A Ballerina's Tale

Executive Producer
Movie
2015

Women of Power

Guest
Show
2014

Late Night With Seth MeyersStream

Guest
Talk
2014

The Arsenio Hall Show

Guest
Show
2013

The Real

Guest
Talk
2013

Steve Harvey

Guest
Talk
2012

CBS This Morning

Guest
Show
2012

The Chew

Guest
Talk
2011

The TalkStream

Guest
Talk
2010

In Depth With Graham Bensinger

Guest
Show
2010

The Dr. Oz Show

Guest
Talk
2009

To the Contrary With Bonnie Erbé

Guest
Show
2008

Our World With Black Enterprise

Guest
Show
2006

Rachael Ray ShowStream

Guest
Talk
2006

So You Think You Can DanceStream

Guest
Reality
2005

So You Think You Can DanceStream

Guest Star
Reality
2005

Tavis Smiley

Guest
Talk
2004

Jimmy Kimmel Live!Stream

Guest
Talk
2003

The View

Guest
Talk
1997

CBS News Sunday MorningStream

Guest
News
1979

Good Morning America

Guest
News
1975

Great PerformancesStream

Host
Franchise
1972

60 MinutesStream

Guest
News
1968

Today

Guest
News
1952

News aboutMisty Copeland