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Diarra Kilpatrick

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Diarra Kilpatrick
Kilpatrick at Black Excellence Brunch 2026.
Born1983 or 1984 (age 42–43)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Occupations
  • actress
  • writer
  • producer
Years active2006–present
Notable workDiarra from Detroit, American Koko, The Salton Sea

Diarra Kilpatrick (born c. 1983) is an American actress, writer, and producer, who has received recognition and awards for work in theatre, TV, and film. She produced, wrote, and starred in two series including American Koko (2017) on ABC, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination,[1][2] and the mystery comedy-drama series, Diarra from Detroit[3] which has also received award nominations.

Early life and education

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Kilpatrick was born in 1983,[4] and raised in Detroit.[5] She is the half-sister of Kwame Kilpatrick.[5]

As a child she performed in productions at Meadow Brook Theater and at school. When she reached age eligibility at age 12, she joined the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit after having been rejected as too young at age 10, and performed in The Piano Lesson[1] and later an adaptation of Comedy of Errors.[5][4] Kilpatrick attended Bates Academy for the gifted and talented, and later graduated from the Detroit Country Day School, where she had also acted.[1] She earned her bachelor's degree at NYU Tisch.[4]

Career

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Theatre

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From roughly 2007 to 2015, Kilpatrick acted in Los Angeles theater productions and earned several awards and nominations for stage performances (see Awards).[1][6][7] Her play credits during this time include Three Sisters After Chekhov, The Interlopers[8], The Royale[9][10][11], Closely Related Keys[12][13][14][15], and Tarell Alvin McCraney's In the Red and Brown Water[16][17][18][19][20] for which she won an LA Weekly Theatre Award and an NAACP Theatre Award. The Hollywood Reporter called her performance luminous.[17] Bob Verini in his review at Arts in LA said, "the stunning Diarra Kilpatrick's [character] Oya begins fresh-faced and ends shattered, yet her decline is so subtly etched we’re practically unaware of her falling apart until it’s too late."[21] Tony Frankel at Stage and Cinema wrote, "it is Diarra Kilpatrick who will have you breathless as she vacillates from wide-eyed innocence to tragic self-realization. [...] Ms. Kilpatrick calls forth incorruptibility with such effortless grace that when rage suddenly emits from the [...] actress, it startles like a crime against nature."[22]

Film

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Kilpatrick's first film appearance was in the 2006 romantic drama Forbidden Fruits.[23] She co-starred as a transgender woman in Jason Bushman's queer[24] comedy-drama film Hollywood, je t'aime (2009)[25]. The Hollywood Reporter review by Stephen Farber called her performance adept.[24] She appeared in the independent films H4 (2012), a modernized Shakespeare adaptation, and Jeryl Prescott's drama Stand Down Soldier (2014) which is about the family troubles of PTSD-afflicted veterans.[26] In 2015 she had a supporting role in the Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez crime drama film Lila & Eve. In 2016, she starred as a nameless hitchhiker in the drama film The Salton Sea by Veena Sud, for which she received the Nordic International Film Festival award for best actress.[27][28] She later starred in the television film revival of Nash Bridges (2021), a police procedural.[29]

TV Acting, Writing, and Producing

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She made guest-starring appearances on television series such as House, The Game, Hart of Dixie, Mike & Molly, Southland, Major Crimes, and five appearances on Private Practice. She wrote and served as story editor for episodes of the comedy-drama I'm Dying Up Here and was a staff writer for the NBC police-procedural The Mysteries of Laura[7]. She had a recurring role in the comedy series, The Last O.G. and wrote two episodes of the show.

She later starred in an episode of The Twilight Zone reboot in 2019. The Guardian said that her presence was so invigorating that it almost cured flaws in the script.[30] In 2020 she was cast as Clara Drake in the HBO period drama series, Perry Mason.[31][32]

Kilpatrick has created, written, produced, and starred in several projects for TV. In interview, she has explained the impulses behind her projects:

"In television or film, I was going out [i.e. auditioning] a lot for nurses, prostitutes and sassy friends. Every Black actress, and really every actor of color, has that story. I was just interested in doing something that saw a Black woman at the center that went on a journey with her."[4]

Diarra from Detroit (2024-present)

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In April 2023, she had signed an overall deal with BET Studios.[33] She created, produced and starred in the Diarra from Detroit, a mystery comedy-drama series set in Detroit. The series received positive reviews from critics.[34][35][36] The show, Kilpatrick's performance, the writing, and the director, earned various award nominations (see Awards below). NPR's Tonya Mosley, who is from Detroit, said about the show:

"This work is unlike anything I've ever seen. It's smart and funny while also interweaving some very serious topics, like the epidemic of missing Black children and the social and economic challenges of Detroit. [It also] tackles divorce and friendship and betrayal and police corruption. And did I mention that it's funny?" -Tonya Mosley of NPR[37]

American Koko (2015 and 2017)

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In 2015, she wrote, produced, and starred in a satirical web series, American Koko, and launched it on YouTube.[4] The series won the American Black Film Festival’s Best Web Series Award in 2015. Kilpatrick has said that the budget was $3,000, which was her tax return check.[37][38][39] The web series was noticed by producer/actor Julius Tennon and his wife Viola Davis who picked it up for development at their production company, JuVee Productions.[4][40] The new series was purchased by ABC.[7] The original first season was re-shot and a second season was produced.[2][41] Both seasons premiered online on ABC Digital on June 19, 2017.[42]

The show follows Koko (played by Kilpatrick), who "is a Los Angeles race detective at the Everyone’s a Little Racist Agency (E.A.R), which has the daunting mandate of ending racism in America."[43] The role earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series nomination.[44]

"In post-post-racial America, problems of a distinctly racial nature are considered especially heinous. In Lost Angeles, these sticky racial situations are handled by an elite team of problem solvers. Agent Baldwin Bledsoe, our resident genius and social scientist. Lucky Ling, our eternal optimist. Milo Gold, like Batman his superpower is white privilege. And there's Akosua Miller, codename: Koko. Not only an employee, she was also once a client. She was cured of Type 1 Angry Black Woman Syndrome, the kind inherited from residual racial trauma. Working for the Everyone's a Little Racist Agency isn't just a job for Koko, it's a mission. This is her story." -Opening voice-over narrated by Viola Davis[45][37]

The Climb (2017)

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Kilpatrick wrote, produced, and starred in a pilot for Amazon Studios in fall 2017 titled The Climb, directed by Chris Robinson and co-produced with Christina Lee through the The Mark Gordon Company.[46][47][48][49] It is a "Detroit-set comedy about an assistant who ditches her job to find internet fame."[44] The series was not picked up by Amazon.[50]

Several reviewers praised Kilpatrick's work when it was publicly aired on Amazon Prime. The Guardian's Stuart Heritage compared the pilot to Haters Back Off and also said, "The show is gorgeous to look at, bordering on high fashion at times, and it would undoubtedly land upon a better sense of itself if given a series."[51] Daniel Feinberg of The Hollywood Reporter compared it to SMILF and downplayed comparisons to Insecure while saying, "I don’t think The Climb is a great pilot, but I think star and creator Diarra Kilpatrick has a voice and a mindset that are worth supporting. [This pilot is like a] 27-minute short-film showcase reel that would, in a perfect world, be steered by a strong and nurturing network development team."[52] Decider's Brett White compared it to Broad City and said, "Kilpatrick sells every aspect of this character, bringing a rich humanity to social media queens that are often dismissed as vapid."[53]

Personal life

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Kilpatrick is married.[32]

Awards and nominations

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Filmography

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As Actor

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2006 Forbidden Fruits Lisa
2007 Unfinished Waitress Short
2008 Keepin' the Faith: Higher Ground Asia
2009 All Americana Steph Short
Gang Girl Bess Roundtree
Hollywood, je t'aime Kaleesha
Surrender Bess Roundtree Short
2011 Under-Tow Shar Short
Talking with the Taxman About Poetry Afton
2012 H4 Clarice
2014 Stand Down Soldier Billi
Four Women Sarah Short
2015 Lila & Eve Maya
The Brink Jane Short
2016 The Salton Sea The Hitchhiker Nordic International Film Festival Award for Best Actress
2020 Baldwin Beauty - Short
2021 The Goldfish Maya Short
14 Days Faitma Short

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2008 House Sally Episode: "The Itch"
2008–2012 Private Practice Nurse Danielle 5 episodes
2009 The Game Groupie Episode: "Take a Bow"
The Young and the Restless Young Maid Episode: "Episode #1.9195"
2010–2011 Disaster Date Herself Recurring role (season 3); main role (season 4)
2011 Hart of Dixie Mother Episode: "Gumbo & Glory"
2012 Mike & Molly Amira Episode: "Surprise"
2013 Southland Yvette Episode: "Babel"
2014 American Koko Akosua Miller Youtube series, later re-produced with ABC in 2017[37]
2017 American Koko Akosua Miller Main role, producer, writer. Nominated - Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series[60][64]
2015 Major Crimes Peaches Williams Episode: "The Jumping Off Point"
2017 The Climb Nia TV pilot
2019 The Twilight Zone Didi Scott Episode: "The Comedian"
The Last O.G. Lisa Recurring role
2020–2023 Perry Mason Clara Drake Recurring role (season 1); main role (season 2)
2021 Nash Bridges Lena Harris Television film
2024–present Diarra from Detroit Diarra Brickland Lead role, also creator and producer
Nominated — Black Reel Award for Outstanding Lead Performance, Comedy Series (2024)
Nominated — Black Reel Award for Outstanding Comedy Series (2024)

As Writer and Producer

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Year Title Role Note Ref.
Writer Producer
2024 Diarra from Detroit Yes Executive Also creator and lead actor [65]
2018 The Last O.G. Yes No [66]
2018 I'm Dying Up Here Yes No Also story editor on 9 episodes
2017 The Climb Yes No TV Pilot [55]
American Koko Yes Yes Re-make by ABC [55][67][68]
2014 The Mysteries of Laura Yes No Staff Writer [55]
2015 American Koko Yes Yes Web series [58]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 Johnson, Reed (December 4, 2012). "Diarra Kilpatrick is a natural as a force of nature". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  2. 1 2 N'Duka, Amanda (June 19, 2017). "'American Koko': Viola Davis-Produced Digital Series Launches Season 2 In Honor Of Juneteenth". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 20, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  3. ↑ "BET+ Unveils Trailer for Upcoming Series 'Diarra from Detroit' Starring Diarra Kilpatrick, Morris Chestnut, Phylicia Rashad and More". February 1, 2024. Archived from the original on October 13, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tate, Crystal (June 19, 2017). "Actress Diarra Kilpatrick Is One To Watch". Essence. Archived from the original on June 24, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 Hinds, Julie (September 15, 2017). "Web series created by Kilpatrick family member gets rave reviews". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on September 16, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  6. 1 2 Pincus-Roth, Zachary (April 8, 2013). "L.A. Weekly Theater Awards 2013 The Winners". LEADING FEMALE PERFORMANCE. Archived from the original on June 19, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Petski, Denise (July 14, 2016). "ABCd Picks Up Viola Davis-Produced 'American Koko' Digital Series From Diarra Kilpatrick". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 1, 2026. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Ovation Awards nominations announced for 2010-11 season". LA Times Blogs - Culture Monster. September 19, 2011. Archived from the original on July 22, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  9. ↑ "The Royale". The Los Angeles Times. May 6, 2013.
  10. ↑ McNulty, Charles (May 6, 2013). "Review: 'The Royale' punches well but has character issues - Los Angeles Times". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 12, 2023.
  11. ↑ Margolies, Dany (May 13, 2013). "The Royale - Kirk Douglas Theatre". Arts in LA.
  12. ↑ NcNulty, Charles (March 14, 2014). "Wendy Graf's 'Closely Related Keys' a complicated affair". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 4, 2026.
  13. ↑ Klugman, Deborah (March 10, 2014). ""Closely Related Keys" – Los Angeles theater review". Arts Beat LA.
  14. ↑ Margolies, Dany (March 11, 2014). "Closely Related Keys - Lounge Theatre". Arts in LA.
  15. ↑ Velez, Ashley (March 9, 2014). "Theater Review: 'Closely Related Keys' At The Lounge Theatre". Neon Tommy. Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism.
  16. ↑ McNulty, Charles (October 23, 2012). "Review: Awash in poetry in the 'Red and Brown Water'". Los Angeles Times. California Times. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024.
  17. 1 2 Meisel, Myron (November 1, 2012). "In the Red and Brown Water: Theater Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022.
  18. ↑ Klugman, Deborah (December 6, 2012). "In the Red and Brown Water (review)". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017.
  19. ↑ Webb, Jennie (November 26, 2012). "'In the Red and Brown Water' Makes Marvelous Music". Backstage. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020.
  20. ↑ Battle, Chelsea (February 14, 2013). "This Week's Play Review: In Red and Brown Water". LA Sentinel.
  21. ↑ Verini, Bob (October 22, 2012). "In the Red and Brown Water (review) - Fountain Theatre". Arts in LA. Archived from the original on July 20, 2025.
  22. ↑ Frankel, Tony (November 2, 2012). "Los Angeles Theater Review: IN THE RED AND BROWN WATER (Fountain Theatre)". Archived from the original on September 22, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Forbidden Fruits". Rotten Tomatoes.
  24. 1 2 INDIEWIRE (July 13, 2009). "Four In Focus: "Hollywood Je T'aime" Director Jason Bushman". Indie Wire.
  25. ↑ "Hollywood, je t Aime". Rotten Tomatoes. June 9, 2016. Archived from the original on June 11, 2026. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  26. ↑ Jeryl Prescott (2014). Stand Down Soldier. UMC Urban Movie Channel.
  27. 1 2 "Nordic International Film Festival 2016 Winners". Nordic International Film Festival. Archived from the original on February 28, 2018.
  28. ↑ Sud, Veena (2016). The Salton Sea.
  29. ↑ Petski, Denise (May 7, 2021). "'Nash Bridges' Revival: Diarra Kilpatrick, Bonnie Somerville Among Six To Join Returning Don Johnson, Cheech Marin & Jeff Perry". Archived from the original on January 3, 2026. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  30. ↑ Mangan, Lucy (February 25, 2020). "The Twilight Zone review – a dire, half-hearted reboot". The Guardian.
  31. ↑ Collins, Sean T. (July 5, 2020). "'Perry Mason' Season 1, episode 3 Recap: If the Teeth Fit …". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on July 19, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  32. 1 2 Terrell, Kellee (April 18, 2019). "From 'The Twilight Zone' to 'The Last O.G.,' Diarra Kilpatrick Proves She Can Do it All". Shondaland. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  33. ↑ Jones, Monique. "Diarra Kilpatrick Signs Overall Deal With BET Studios, Includes New Series 'Diarra From Detroit'". Shadow and Act. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  34. ↑ Tinubu, Aramide (March 21, 2024). "BET+'s Hilariously Chaotic 'Diarra From Detroit' Is a P.I. Drama With Flair: TV Review". Archived from the original on February 20, 2026. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  35. ↑ Han, Angie (March 20, 2024). "'Diarra From Detroit' Review: BET+'s Mystery-Comedy Serves as a Sparkling Showcase for Creator-Star Diarra Kilpatrick". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 13, 2026. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  36. ↑ "'Diarra From Detroit' BET Plus Review: Stream It Or Skip It?". April 2024. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  37. 1 2 3 4 Mosley, Tonya (April 15, 2024). "A first date turns into a whodunit in 'Diarra from Detroit'". NPR Fresh Air.
  38. ↑ Amanda N'Duka and Dino-Ray Ramos (December 15, 2017). Diarra Kilpatrick. The Deadline Podcast - New Hollywood (Interview).
  39. ↑ Victorian, Brande (March 21, 2024). "'Diarra From Detroit' Creator Says Show Is a "Beautiful Growing Up" of the Mystery Genre". The Hollywood Reporter.
  40. ↑ Rose, Jacqueline (June 21, 2016). "Viola Davis produced series tackles racism through comedy".
  41. ↑ Beachum, Chris (August 14, 2018). "Diarra Kilpatrick Interview: 'American Koko'". Gold Derby. Penske Media Corporation.
  42. ↑ Rose, Jacqueline (June 21, 2017). "Viola Davis produced series tackles racism through comedy". CNN. Archived from the original on June 21, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  43. ↑ Weatherford, Ashley (July 12, 2017). "The Radical ABC Show Tackling Racism Head-on". The Cut. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  44. 1 2 3 Kilpatrick, Diarra (December 8, 2017). "'The Climb' Creator Reflects on Her Public Pilot, From Pitch to Premiere". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  45. ↑ American Koko (Television production). ABC. 2017.
  46. ↑ Guest Writer (October 23, 2017). "Amazon To Premiere New Pilot The Climb, Starring & Written By Diarra Kilpatrick, On Nov. 10". BlackFilm.com. Archived from the original on August 4, 2026.
  47. ↑ Mangum, Trey (October 23, 2017). "Diarra Kilpatrick, star of the Viola Davis-produced 'American Koko,' lands comedy pilot at Amazon". Blavity. Archived from the original on August 4, 2026.
  48. ↑ "The Climb". Amazon. 2017.
  49. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (March 23, 2017). "Amazon Near Pickups Of Comedy Pilots From Michael Patrick King, George Saunders & Diarra Kilpatrick". Deadline. PMC.
  50. ↑ "Amazon passes on picking up Diarra Kilpatrick's 'The Climb' as a series". shadowandact.com. Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  51. ↑ Heritage, Stuart (November 10, 2017). "The most original thing I have seen in forever': do Amazon's new pilots deliver?".
  52. ↑ Feinberg, Daniel (November 15, 2017). "Critic's Notebook: 'Love You More,' 'Sea Oak' Lead Amazon's Lame Duck Pilot Season". The Hollywood Reporter.
  53. ↑ White, Brett (November 10, 2017). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'The Climb,' Amazon's Pilot About A Wannabe Social Media Superstar". Decider.
  54. ↑ Davis, Melissa (September 20, 2012). "22ND ANNUAL NAACP THEATRE AWARDS ANNOUNCES NOMINATIONS". Sugarcane. Sugarcane Global Media. Archived from the original on August 1, 2026. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  55. 1 2 3 4 Petski, Denise (July 14, 2016). "ABCd Picks Up Viola Davis-Produced 'American Koko' Digital Series From Diarra Kilpatrick". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 1, 2026. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  56. ↑ "23rd Annual NAACP Theatre Awards Announces Nominations". September 30, 2013.
  57. ↑ Wetherbe, Jamie (September 17, 2013). "Center Theatre Group leads 2012-2013 Ovation Awards nominations". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
  58. 1 2 "History of Winners". American Black Film Festival. 2015. Archived from the original on August 1, 2026. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  59. ↑ "25th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards Announces Nominations Online". December 30, 2015. Archived from the original on May 19, 2019.
  60. 1 2 Television Academy. "Nomination - Outstanding Actress In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series - 2018". Emmy Awards for American Koko. Archived from the original on October 8, 2025.
  61. ↑ Film Independent (December 4, 2024). "Here Are Your 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominees". Film Independent. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  62. ↑ Complex, Valerie (June 14, 2024). "Black Reel TV Awards Unveils 2024 Nominees: Nat Geo's 'Genius: MLK/X' Tops The Crop With 14".
  63. ↑ "'The Piano Lesson' Laps Film Field with 14 NAACP Image Awards Nominations – Full List". January 7, 2025.
  64. ↑ Television Academy (2018). "Outstanding Actress In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series". Emmys.
  65. ↑ Travers, Ben (July 29, 2026). "'Diarra from Detroit' Is the Detective Hangout Comedy You Didn't Know You Needed". IndieWire. Archived from the original on August 1, 2026. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  66. ↑ Diarra Kilpatrick on her Projects from "The Twilight Zone" Reboot to "The Last OG". KTLA. April 15, 2019. Archived from the original on July 20, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2026 – via YouTube.
  67. ↑ Frederick, Candice (September 9, 2018). "'American Koko' star Diarra Kilpatrick dishes on working with Viola Davis". AmNewYork. Archived from the original on November 12, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2026.
  68. ↑ Weatherford, Ashley (July 12, 2017). "The Radical ABC Show Tackling Racism Head-on". The Cut. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
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