Nafessa Williams is an American actress known for her work in television and film, particularly in character-driven dramas and genre storytelling. Born on December 4, 1989, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she studied criminal justice at West Chester University before transitioning into acting. She began her screen career with roles in television, gaining early recognition for her portrayal of Nicole Gordon on the long-running soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful (2011–2012). Williams achieved wider prominence for her role as Anissa Pierce / Thunder in the DC Comics series Black Lightning (2018–2021), where she became part of one of the first live-action Black lesbian superhero storylines...