Regina Taylor
A groundbreaking actress and playwright who became the first Black woman to play Juliet on Broadway and a powerful voice in American theater.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American actress·Birthday: August 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Regina Taylor shattered expectations from the beginning. Fresh out of college, she landed the role of a lifetime, becoming the first African American woman to play Juliet in a major Broadway production of 'Romeo and Juliet'. This set the stage for a career defined by intelligent, nuanced performances, most famously as the compassionate lawyer Lilly Harper in the TV drama 'I'll Fly Away', for which she won a Golden Globe. Taylor never confined herself to acting; she is a prolific and award-winning playwright, using the stage to explore African American history and identity in works like 'Crowns' and 'Oo-Bla-Dee'. Her influence extends to academia, where she mentors new generations as a endowed chair in theater.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Regina was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Regina Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Regina's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first Black actress to play Juliet on Broadway in a 1986 production.
- Won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her role in the television series 'I'll Fly Away'.
- Serves as the Denzel Washington Endowed Chair in Theater at Fordham University.
- Wrote the hit play 'Crowns', which has become one of the most-performed musicals in the U.S.
Did You Know?
She was a member of the acting company at the Dallas Theater Center early in her career.
She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University.
She played the wife of Denzel Washington's character in the film 'Courage Under Fire'.
She is a founding member of the African American theater company, Crossroads Theatre Company's artistic ensemble.
“I'm interested in the stories we haven't heard, the voices that have been silenced.”
