Angell was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, but when she was two years old, her family relocated to Columbia, South Carolina, where she grew up with her younger sister. She was the first African-American student body president at Seven Oaks Elementary School.
After graduating from high school, she relocated to Brooklyn, New York in the hopes of pursuing a career in acting. Angell got a head start in the acting industry thanks to her mother, who is a talent agent.
She discovered her passion for acting when she received a standing ovation for her performance in a school play when she was six years old. She moved to Los Angeles, California, after being cast in the television pilot “On Our Own,” which was not picked up.
Despite this, she has appeared in shows such as “NYPD Blue,” “The Parkers,” and “Renegade.” She rose to prominence in 2001 after being cast in the film “Baby Boy,” in which she played Kim in the coming-of-age story of mechanic Jody Summers as he navigates Los Angeles. It starred Tyrese Gibson, but Tupac Shakur, who died in 1996, was originally set to star.
