Aja Naomi King

Feisty. Impressionable. These are two of the characteristics shared by Aja Naomi King with her character, Michaella Pratt, in the series How to Get Away With Murder. Born in Walnut, California, King grew up intending to become a doctor. While that dream did not materialize, she did become an excellent actress able to play the role of a lawyer or a medical professional. The actress ended up starring as Cassandra Kopelson, a surgical intern, on Emily Owens, M.D.

Even while in college, she was already making history. King was the only Black woman in her program. After Yale, the future actress spent three years in New York juggling waitress jobs with audition schedules. She said that finding the right balance was challenging, and she probably felt tired all the time due to her busy daily activities. Appearing on several short films served as her stepping stone to a more fruitful career, which she enjoys now.