Joy Bryant

While enrolled as a student at Yale, Bryant was discovered by a modeling scout from Next Model Management and was selected to appear in Seventeen magazine's "Back to School" issue soon after.[8] She began working as a fashion model in Paris.[8] She appeared in advertisements for Gap, Victoria's Secret, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Rocawear.[9][10] In 2006, Bryant signed a multi-year contract with CoverGirl.[11] She has walked the runway for Tommy Hilfiger and Givenchy.[10] Bryant hosted BET's 2009 Rip the Runway fashion show with Derek Luke.[12]

She has graced the cover of numerous magazines, including Teen Vogue, Complex, Lonny, Domino and Rolling Out.[13][14] She has appeared in pictorials for InStyle, Paper, Vanity Fair, Vibe, Playboy, Stuff and Celebrity Skin.[13]

Early in her career, Bryant played a small role in Ill Al Skratch's video "I'll Take Her". Soulchild music video for the song "Nothing at All" opposite actor Andre Warmsley in 2004. Her acting debut came in 2001 in Robert Townsend's Carmen: A Hip Hopera, in which she portrayed one of Carmen’s best friends opposite Beyoncé and Mekhi Phifer.[15] After a small role in the action comedy Showtime, she made her big breakthrough in Denzel Washington's directorial debut, Antwone Fisher.[16] In 2003, she co-starred in the Mario Van Peebles biopic Baadasssss!,[17] followed by a recurring guest role on the drama series ER.[18] She portrayed Gina, Jessica Alba's character's best friend in the dance film Honey (2003).

In 2005, she appeared in several high-profile films, including the horror filmThe Skeleton Key[19] and the drama films London and Get Rich or Die Tryin', in the latter of which she played the childhood sweetheart of 50 Cent.[20] In 2007, she had a minor part in the thriller film The Hunting Party starring Richard Gere and Terrence Howard,[21] followed by a leading role in the ensemble comedy Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008).[22] She also played the role of Tunde Adebimpe's love interest in "Will Do" a 2011 TV on the Radio music video.

Bryant and Angela Missoni attending 2009 Women's World Awards in Vienna, Austria.

From 2010 to 2015, Bryant starred as Jasmine Trussell in Parenthood. BuddyTV ranked her #19 on its TV's 100 Sexiest Women of 2011 list.[23] Also in 2015, she had a guest-starring role as Erica Kincaid, a doctor, on the series Rosewood.[24] In 2017, she had a guest-starring role on the HBO series Girls.[25] The following year, Bryant was cast in a recurring role on the sports drama series Ballers, playing a successful public defender and mother of a rising football star.[26] In 2019, she portrayed Lori Foster on Netflix's teen drama web series Trinkets.[27]

In June 2014, Bryant and her husband Dave Pope launched a clothing line, Basic Terrain, a casual sportswear to performance outerwear line.[28][29][30] The collection was inspired by Bryant's love for the outdoors.[31] Basic Terrain's pop-up store was opened in July 2015 at Satine, a clothing boutique in Los Angeles.[32]