Mississippi actress Aunjanue Ellis has been nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar for her role in "King Richard."Will Smith stars as the father of American tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, and Ellis plays their mother, Oracene. Smith was nominated for best actor. The film was also nominated for best picture and original screenplay. During an interview with 16 WAPT News in November, Ellis said the film is about the entire Williams family."And how they were able as really a family, and an enterprise, to change the face of sports in America," Ellis said.Ellis is no stranger to the big screen, with roles in the movies "Ray," "Men of Honor," "The Help," and "If Beale Street Could Talk." She has also had roles in "When They See Us," and "Lovecraft Country," to name a few.She is also no stranger to delivering commanding performances."I’m always drawn to playing women that have been placed in the shadows of patriarchy," Ellis said. "I don’t know how else to say that, you know?"The two-time Emmy-nominated actress is getting a lot of Oscar buzz for her work in "King Richard," but she continues to make her mark off screen for her advocacy and activism. Ellis said a conversation with Smith led to the superstar writing personal checks to co-stars after Warner Media moved to release "King Richard" in theaters and on-demand simultaneously. That left actors not making money off the movie’s returns. Ellis said she took that up with Smith."I was telling him about the inequity in Black women’s pay in this industry," Ellis said.And Smith listened."I was going to have that one check from 'King Richard,' you know? I applaud him for being responsive to that, and because he did that, one of my family members can walk into a house that they own," Ellis said.Ellis’ activism doesn’t begin and end with pay inequity in Hollywood. She was vocal about calling for a change in Mississippi’s state flag. Now that a new state flag has been adopted, Ellis said it was a change that was a long time coming. But she still sees the old flag with the Confederate symbol flying freely many places near her Pike County home and feels there is more work to be done.