After making her mark as one of the premiere female music video directors, Millicent B. Shelton has become an award-winning director for television and film. She has directed over 100 episodes of television, which include an array of comedies and dramas working with such noteworthy actors including Al Pacino on "Hunters," Octavia Spencer on "Truth Be Told," Brie Larson on "Lessons in Chemistry" and Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon on "The Morning Show." She also directed the pilot episode of the Starz comedy hit, "Run the World." Most recently, her work can be seen in Netflix’s No. 1 film, "End of The Road," starring Queen Latifah and Ludacris.
Shelton began her career as a wardrobe production assistant on the Spike Lee film "Do the Right Thing." She went on to direct music videos for artists such as Mary J. Blige, R. Kelly, Aaliyah, CeCe Peniston, and Salt-n-Pepa.
Shelton has earned attention for her picturesque cinematic style, nuanced work with actors, and a deep storytelling sensibility that transcends both drama and comedy. She was the first African-American woman to receive a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for the “Apollo Apollo” episode of NBC’s "30 Rock" and she received the Director’s Guild of America nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series for the “Poirot” episode of "Lessons in Chemistry." She was also the first recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for "The Bernie Mac Show." In addition, Shelton has won a Peabody Award for "Men of a Certain Age" and multiple NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Directing in both a Dramatic and a Comedy Series.
Shelton’s expansive career also includes the hit shows “The Night Agent," “Insecure,” “Locke & Key,” “Girlfriends,” “9-1-1,” “The Equalizer,” “The Flash,” “The Walking Dead,” “Ballers,” “Jessica Jones,” “Black-ish” and “American Crime,” among others. In addition to her television and film work, Shelton’s commercial work has included a series of comic spots for Old Spice.
She is an alumna of Princeton University and New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
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