Tika Sumpter was born in New York and graduated from Marymount
Manhattan College. Sumpter began her career as model, before she landed
the role of "Layla Williamson" in ABC's daytime soap opera,
One Life to Live (1968)
(2005-2010, 2011).
After she left the soap, Sumpter won a recurring role in the CW series,
Gossip Girl (2007), and appeared
in the BET sitcom,
The Game (2006).
After supporting roles in the films,
Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming (2010),
Salt (2010),
What's Your Number? (2011)
and
Think Like a Man (2012), she
was cast alongside
Jordin Sparks and
Whitney Houston in the 2012
musical film,
Sparkle (2012). In
2013, she was cast as vixen "Candace Young" in the OWN drama series,
The Haves and the Have Nots (2013).