Bahni Turpin (born June 4, 1962 in Pontiac, Michigan) is an American audiobook narrator and stage and screen actor based out of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

. Her audiobook career includes some of the most popular and critically-acclaimed books in recent years, including ''

The Help ''The Help'' is a historical fiction novel by American author Kathryn Stockett and published by Penguin Books in 2009. The story is about African Americans working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi, during the early 1960s. A ''USA T ...

'' and '' The Hate U Give''. She has won 9

Audie Awards The Audie Awards (, rhymes with "gaudy"; abbreviated from ''audiobook''), or simply the Audies, are awards for achievement in spoken word, particularly audiobook narration and audiodrama performance, published in the United States of America. The ...

, including Audiobook of the Year for '' Children of Blood and Bone''; 14 Earphone Awards; and 2

Odyssey Award The Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production is an annual award conferred by the American Library Association upon the publisher of "the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United State ...

s. Turpin has also earned a place on AudioFile magazine's list of Golden Voice Narrators, and in 2016, she was named

Audible Audible may refer to: * Audible (service) Audible is an American online audiobook and podcast service that allows users to purchase and stream audiobooks and other forms of spoken word content. This content can be purchased individually or unde ...

's Narrator of the Year. In 2018,

inducted her into the Narrator Hall of Fame.

Career

Turpin began her acting career in 1991 with her debut role in the film ''

Daughters of the Dust ''Daughters of the Dust'' is a 1991 independent film written, directed and produced by Julie Dash and is the first feature film directed by an African-American woman distributed theatrically in the United States.Michel, Martin (November 20, 2016) ...

'', the first feature film directed by an African-American woman distributed theatrically in the United States. She has since appeared on television shows such as ''

Criminal Minds ''Criminal Minds'' is an American police procedural crime drama television series created and produced by Jeff Davis. The series premiered on CBS on September 22, 2005, and originally concluded on February 19, 2020; it was revived in 2022. It ...

.'' Turpin is also a member of the

Cornerstone Theater Company Cornerstone Theater Company is a theater company based in the United States that specializes in community-based collaboration. According to the mission statement published on the company's website, "Cornerstone Theater Company is a multi-ethnic, ...

. Outside of acting, Turpin has been a long-time yoga instructor.

Reviews

Discussing the power Turpin brings to every role she plays,

wrote, "Turpin’s embodiment of characters helps to further pull you into the author’s world and drive home all of the pain and emotion they are carrying." They continued, stating that "her embodiment of characters that span a wide range of ages and cultural backgrounds is unparalleled." * ''House of Rougeaux'' "Actor Turpin’s skill with a vast array of accents brings the characters of Jaeckel’s multigenerational novel to life. …Turpin’s multifaceted performance enhances this rich tapestry of a novel." * '' The Hate U Give'': Turpin’s remarkable sensitivity carries this performance to the ranks of greatness.

Awards and honors

Awards

Best of the Year lists

Selected narrations

Filmography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turpin, Bahni 21st-century American actresses Audiobook narrators Living people 1962 births Audie Awards People from Pontiac, Michigan Actors from Michigan American voice actresses