When in comes to actresses, better yet when it comes to women in the entertainment industry in general, there are very few who garner the love and affection that beautiful Nia Long does from the culture. To celebrate her 54th birthday, check out a gallery of some of our favorite photos of her over the years.

Long was born in Brooklyn, New York. At two years old, her parents divorced. She accompanied her mother who moved to Iowa City, Iowa, to study fine arts. Her mother again relocated when Nia was seven years old, this time to Los Angeles. She eventually graduated from Westchester High School in 1989. In addition to her academic classes, Long he studied ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics, guitar, and acting.

Betty Bridges, the mother of Diff’rent Strokes star Todd Bridges was her acting coach and it didn’t take Nia long to get her feet in the door. After she was in the Disney television film The B.R.A.T. Patrol and CBS soap opera Guiding Light, Nia got her big break when she played Brandi in John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood. Her performance catapulted her into the public eye and from then on, there was no looking back. Since then, she has starred in classic films including Friday, Love Jones, Soul Food, Are We There Yet?, The Best Man and the Big Momma’s House series. On top of those and a plethora of other movies, she also played on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for a season and made appearances in countless other shows and music videos.

On top of her amazing talent, the world has always been in awe of her beauty. The phrase “Black don’t crack” comes to mind when you think of the now 53 year-old. Enjoy a gallery of some of our favorite photos of the Queen over the years. HAPPY 54TH BIRTHDAY TO NIA LONG!