Lady Toussaint Duchess, or as she fondly calls herself, “Lady T,” paid a visit to Eunice on July 13.
Lady T, a Ponchatoula native, has made a name for herself in the entertainment business.
Lady T, born as Sonyah LaMarr Hamilton in Ponchatoula to her mother Thelma Lee Hamilton Toussaint, attended elementary school, graduated from Ponchatoula High and Southeastern University. After completeing college she went onto, as she said, “to study my passion for theater and drama.”
Why making a stop in Eunice? Lady T’s passion is theaterical acting and children. She said, “I was invited by one of children’s parent at Baton Rouge’s theater to come by to visit Eunice. I wanted to see what a small town could offer children...it’s theater, and whatever else a small town can offer children.” Lady T’s stay in Eunice also involved her visiting the Liberty Theater, Eunice Player’s Theater, LSUE campus and the Jean Lafitte Center. She added, “Eunice is a small, amazing town that offers the entire family something!”
Lady T fondly recalls growing up in a small town similiar to Eunice. “Coming from Ponchatoula, and back then growing up in a small town, with only one red light, there was not much opportunity for children to venture out, and doing so in a positive way.”
Lady T’ is an actress of over 25 years, and CEO of Toussaint Duchess Entertainment. TDE is an international entertainment company that specializes in developing faith-inspired productions.
TDE is the company behind Lady T’s “Souper Soul Sundays,” and the three-part theatrical soap opera “Something Miraculous.”
Lady T added, “I star as the main character, Mrs. Lucy in Something Miraculous. The cast is diverse, family-oriented, children are involved in the cast. It’s a trademark, like theatrical meets soap opera kind of event. The show episodes once a month, and on going series featured on Sundays, with a Cliff Hanger after each show.”
“Something Miraculous,” was dedicated to her cousin Michael Toussaint Sr.’s son Michael Toussaint Jr. who was killed in a car accident in 2015.
One of Lady T’s major goal is to give back to her state of Louisiana. “I thank God that I had the opportunity to venture out of my small town. Even though I am in Hollywood, I value morals and believe in the family unit.”
She has starred in many of her company’s stage plays and has worked closely with Tyler Perry and T.D. Jakes.
She is known for starring in T.D. Jakes’ gospel stage play, “Woman Thou Art Loosed,” directed by acclaimed writer and director Tyler Perry. She is being featured in a LifeTime movie, “The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life is Not a FairyTale.”
Lady T has lived and worked all over the country, working closely with names like Babyface, Fantasia Barrino, Fred Hammond, and Robin Givens on various different projects.
In her early career, she has worked in the fields of commercial and print advertisements in the San Francisco bay area. Her work included State Farm Insurance commercials, modeling and commercial print work for a number of magazines.
She went onto graduate from The John Robert Powers modeling school in San Francisco, California.
Lady T began acting in stage productions after modeling school. She then transitioned into film and television, and relocated to Los Angeles, California. She attended and graduated from Margie Haber Studios, the same top acting school that Halle Berry, Brad Pitt, Tom Arnold and Heather Locklear attended.