Quartay DeNaya

Quartay DeNaya was raised in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Growing up in a single parent household by her mother Quartrina, DeNaya was taught the importance of faith and hard work. Graduating with academic honors from Osseo Senior High school, she was accepted into the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (Hollywood). After graduating with her Associates degree and the runner up nod for "Most Improved" in her class, she became a member of the Academy's Theatre Company in 2015. Later that year, she booked the lead role in the short film Roots in Concrete (2015) a film inspired by the death of 15 year old girl Latasha Harlins who was shot and killed right before the 1992 LA riots. Roots in Concrete received numerous film festival nominations. The film is directed by Princess Grace HBO Film Award winner, Allison A. Waite. A few years later, DeNaya was cast as Latasha Harlins in the opening sequence of the feature film Kings (2017), starring Halle Berry and Daniel Craig. This featu