Lorraine Toussaint

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Lorraine Toussaint
Born	April 4, 1960 Trinidad, West Indies

Lorraine Toussaint (born April 4, 1960) is a television actress best known for playing assistant medical examiner Elaine Duchamps on the television drama Crossing Jordan. Before taking the role, Toussaint was a featured guest-star on the drama Law & Order, as Shambala Green, a foil to Michael Moriarty's Ben Stone, and later to Sam Waterston's Jack McCoy. Toussaint also starred alongside Annie Potts in the four year Lifetime drama Any Day Now. She also played the role of "Almond Joy" in the movie Hudson Hawk. As of 2007 she began a recurring stint on Ugly Betty, where she plays prison inmate Yoga, who befriends Claire Meade (played by Judith Light) at a correctional institute. In the season finale the two team up and make an escape en route to prison.

Toussaint was also a regular guest on the drama Threat Matrix, as Carina Wright/Agent Cassandra Hodges. In 1993, Toussaint played a role of Beth in Point Of No Return starring Bridget Fonda.

Toussaint graduated from Manhattan's School of Performing Arts in 1978, before going on to graduate from Juilliard Drama School.