Jill Scott as Precious Ramotswe on "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency"
North Philly native Jill Scott, an internationally acclaimed, three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and poet, made her Hollywood theatrical debut with the films "Hounddog" (as Big Mama Thornton) and Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married?"
She made her primetime sitcom debut with a four-episode run on UPN's "Girlfriends," starred in Showtime's "Cave Dwellers" and crafted a book of poetry, titled "The Minutes, The Moments, The Hours" (St. Martin Press).
As a musician, Jill Scott made her name in the international music scene with the release of "Who Is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds Vol. 1," which achieved double-platinum status and earned her NAACP Image Awards, trophies from both Billboard and Soul Train and the honor of sharing the stage with Aretha Franklin for VH1's "Divas Live."
Other projects include directing a video for Hidden Beach label-mate, trombonist Jeff Bradshaw, and appearing on "Sesame Street" in celebration of its 33rd year. Her original compositions were featured on the soundtracks for "Brown Sugar," "Rush Hour 2," "Down to Earth," "Kingdom Come" and the "Red Star Sounds" compilation.
Scott began pursuing a career in acting in 2000, joining a fellowship at a theater company in Philadelphia where for two years she took small jobs in exchange for acting lessons.