Eva Marcille

Eva Marcille Pigford is an American actress, fashion model, and television personality born on October 30, 1984, in Los Angeles, California. She rose to prominence in 2004 after winning the third cycle of the reality television series America's Next Top Model, becoming the first Black contestant to win the show. She is widely recognized for her television roles, including Tracie Evans in Tyler Perry's House of Payne, Tyra Hamilton on The Young and the Restless, and Marilyn "Madam" DeVille in the BET+ drama series All the Queen's Men.

Marcille was raised in Los Angeles by her African American parents. She attended Raymond Avenue Elementary School, Marina Del Rey Middle School, and Washington Preparatory High School. She subsequently enrolled at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia, but left the university at age 19 shortly after her triumph on America's Next Top Model. Her middle name, Marcille, is an amalgam of her grandmothers' names, Marjorie and Lucille. In November 2006, she officially dropped her original surname Pigford to professionally adopt Eva Marcille, aiming to earn acting roles independently of her modeling fame.

Her victory on America's Next Top Model secured her a CoverGirl cosmetics contract, a feature spread in Elle Magazine, and a modeling contract with Ford Models. Marcille later signed with L.A. Models and appeared in advertising campaigns for brands such as Samsung, DKNY Jeans, Avon, Apple Bottoms, and CoverGirl. She walked in New York Fashion Week for Marc Bouwer and participated in Los Angeles Fashion Week shows for NAQADA, Deborah Lindquist, Monarchy Collection, and Sachika. Additionally, she appeared on the covers of numerous publications, including Essence, Women's Health and Fitness, King, Sheen, Upscale, and Rolling Out.

Marcille transitioned into acting and television hosting with appearances on series such as Kevin Hill, Nick Cannon Presents Wild 'N Out, Smallville, The Game, and Everybody Hates Chris, alongside hosting BET J's My Model Looks Better Than Your Model. She made her major film debut in Crossover in 2006 and appeared in I Think I Love My Wife in 2007. In 2008, Marcille joined the cast of the daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless as Tyra Hamilton. Her performance earned her two NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series in 2009.

Marcille continued her television career by hosting the second season of Hair Battle Spectacular in 2011 and appearing in the series Born Again Virgin and Scared Famous. In 2017, she joined the cast of Bravo's reality series The Real Housewives of Atlanta, becoming a full-time cast member for its eleventh season before leaving the show in 2020. In 2019, she founded the CBD oil company cEVAd. Beginning in 2021, Marcille assumed the lead role of Marilyn "Madam" DeVille in the Tyler Perry-directed BET+ drama series All the Queen's Men.