Biography
Patrice Johnson Chevannes is an acclaimed actress, writer, director, and producer, born in Jamaica and raised in New York City alongside her eight siblings. She began her undergraduate studies at Cornell University, where she realized her true passion was acting, not aerospace engineering. She then transferred to The City College of New York, earning a Bachelor's degree in Performing Arts. Patrice has performed in numerous plays both on and off Broadway, sharing the stage with renowned actors such as Liam Neeson and Laura Linney in The Crucible. She notably portrayed Desdemona opposite Sir Patrick Stewart’s Othello in a production famously described as a photo-negative interpretation of Shakespeare's play. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with distinguished directors including Sir Richard Eyre, Jude Kelly, Sir Michael Boyd, Sir Trevor Nunn, and Peter Sellars.
In 2002, Patrice developed a strong desire to bring authentic Caribbean voices to film, seeking to represent the people she grew up around rather than stereotypes. Along with her siblings, she founded the production company God and all o wee Productions, meaning "God and all of us" in Jamaican Patois, as well as a music company called Ubigwitus Inc., translating to "You big with us." That summer, they filmed their first feature. Patrice has written, directed, and produced three award-winning feature films through these companies. Their debut film, Kings County, premiered at the 2003 Urban World Film Festival. Their second feature, NY's Dirty Laundry, was showcased at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. Their third film, Hill and Gully, has garnered multiple awards, including Best Feature Film at the Caribbean Lens Film Festival in Los Angeles. All three films are set in New York and reflect her Caribbean-American heritage. Patrice is represented by Abrams Artists in New York.
