100+ Famous Black Females
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- Allen was born Aleisha LaNaé Allen in New York City on April 28, 1991, and has been modeling for print and TV ads since the age of 4. As a 6-year-old she appeared on ''Blue's Clues'', and later she became a series regular on ''Out of the Box''.
A singer and ballerina (as well as an actress), Allen most recently starred in ''School of Rock'' with 'Jack Black'. - Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Alicia Keys was born in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, to Terria Joseph (née Teresa M. Augello), a paralegal who was also an occasional actress, and Craig Cook, a flight attendant. Her father is African-American and her mother, who is Caucasian, is of Italian and English/Irish/Scottish ancestry. Alicia began taking piano lessons at age 7 at her mother's insistence. She proved to be such a prodigy that she was later accepted into the prestigious Professional Performance Arts School of Manhattan, where she majored in choir. Not only her musical talent but also her grades proved to be so exceptional that she was allowed to graduate, as valedictorian, at age 16. In 1998, she signed with Arista Records, and wrote, produced, and recorded her own albums. In 1999, she left Arista to join J Records, headed by legendary music impresario Clive Davis, and her success has been meteoric. Her 2001 debut album, "Songs in A Minor," sold 6 million copies and garnered five Grammys. Her album "Diary" won her four more Grammys in 2005.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Captivating, gifted, and sensational, Angela Bassett's presence has been felt in theaters and on stages and television screens throughout the world. Angela Evelyn Bassett was born on August 16, 1958 in New York City, to Betty Jane (Gilbert), a social worker, and Daniel Benjamin Bassett, a preacher's son. Bassett and her sister D'nette grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida with their mother. As a single mother, Betty stressed the importance of education for her children. With the assistance of an academic scholarship, Bassett matriculated into Yale University. In 1980, she received her B.A. in African-American studies from Yale University. In 1983, she earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the Yale School of Drama. It was at Yale that Bassett met her husband, Courtney B. Vance, a 1986 graduate of the Drama School.
Bassett first appeared in small roles on The Cosby Show (1984) and Spenser: For Hire (1985), but it was not until 1990 that a spate of television roles brought her notice. Her breakthrough role, though, was playing Tina Turner, whom she had never seen perform before taking the role, in What's Love Got to Do with It (1993). Bassett's performance earned her an Academy Award nomination and a Golded Globe Award for Best Actress.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles was born on September 4, 1981 in Houston, Texas. Her mom, Tina Knowles designs their glittering costumes & her dad, Mathew Knowles manages Destiny's Child. Solange, her sister (they're 4 years apart) has released her debut album. She dances with her big sister during DC-3 concerts. Beyoncé's of Louisiana Creole & African descent.
She and her group were discovered by Whitney Houston. One of her favorite songs is "Lovefool" by The Cardigans. Her favorite item of clothing is a pair of path work metallic boots. She writes & produces many of the group's songs, including smash hits "Jumpin Jumpin", "Bootylicious", "Nasty Girl", "Independent Women", "Happy Face" and "Apple Pie a la mode".- Bobbi Baker is known for Tell Me Your Secrets (2021), David Makes Man (2019) and House of Payne (2006).
- Bobbi Kristina Brown was born on 4 March 1993 in Livingston, New Jersey, USA. She was an actress, known for For Better or Worse (2011), The Houstons: On Our Own (2012) and Being Bobby Brown (2005). She died on 26 July 2015 in Duluth, Georgia, USA.
- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Brandy Norwood is an African-American singer-songwriter and actress from McComb, Mississippi. She is known for her roles in Moesha, Osmosis Jones and Cinderella. She has released many R&B albums and singles since the 1990s. She is known as "The Vocal Bible". She gave birth to a daughter named Sy'rai Iman Smith in June 2002.- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Brooklyn Sudano was born on 5 January 1981 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Cruel Summer (2021), Taken (2017) and 11.22.63 (2016). She has been married to Mike McGlaflin since 8 October 2006. They have one child.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Carmen Elizabeth Ejogo was born in Kensington, London, England, to a Nigerian father and a Scottish mother. Her television career began in the United Kingdom in the early 1990s, where she presented the children's series Saturday Disney (1990). Subsequently, she has had an acting career in the United States. She has appeared in Metro (1997) with Eddie Murphy, What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001) with Martin Lawrence, and Love's Labour's Lost (2000) with Kenneth Branagh, among other films, and also presented "The Carmen Ejogo Video Show" - her own video show on BSB's Power Station channel. She starred as Thomas Jefferson's slave concubine in the television drama Sally Hemings: An American Scandal (2000) as Sally Hemings and also as Sister Anderson in the remake version of the cult classic original film Sparkle (2012).
Ejogo is also a vocalist, having collaborated with several artists in the 1990s. She wrote and sang lead vocals on the song "Candles" by English drum 'n' bass DJ Alex Reece - she appeared in the music video and is listed in the production credits as 'Carmen'. She also sang vocals and duets with British artist Tricky on a song called "Slowly". Aside from "Candles", Ejogo appears on four songs of the Sparkle (2012) original soundtrack album from the movie of the same name, singing lead on "Yes I Do" (as a solo), and co-lead vocals with Jordin Sparks and Tika Sumpter on "Jump", "Hooked on Your Love" and "Something He Can Feel". She is also a member of Mensa International, the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Cassi Davis was born on 31 July 1964 in Holly Springs, Mississippi, USA. She is an actress, known for A Madea Family Funeral (2019), Boo! A Madea Halloween (2016) and Boo 2! A Madea Halloween (2017). She has been married to Kerry Patton since 2017.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Chandra Currelley-Young is known for Madea Gets a Job (2013), For Better or Worse (2011) and Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005).- China Anderson loves to act, sing, dance, model and her dreams of becoming a superstar are closing in upon her. She's speedily becoming a household name. She is exceptionally professional, is naturally outgoing and has a personality that sparkles. At the tender age of four, she began to pursue her dreams by going on her very first audition in which she booked the Feature Film "Idlewild" with the musical group "Outkast". Less than a year later, she booked and starred in the #1 Box Office Movie "Madea's Family Reunion" directed by Tyler Perry. In 2007, in the role of Young Kate Thomas, she debuted in Eddie Murphy's #1 Feature Film "Norbit". She also stars in the film titled "Krews" out in 2010. China enjoys doing television too. She is on ABC's television sitcom "Carpoolers" which debuted in 2008. She is featured in Keke Palmer's music video "All My Girlz". China Anderson also appears in National Commercials and Print Ads for Wells Fargo, Target, Disney 3 6 5, Skechers, Walmart, McDonald's, Travelers Insurance, AT&T, and as well as for Macy's and UCLA Children's Center. She can also be seen in the Infomercial "That's Revolting" and she stars in the series "Diary of a Single Mom" directed by Robert Townsend which debuted early in 2009 and recurs in episodes for 2010 and 2011. China Anderson is also featured in the upcoming Feature Film "Monster Mutt" slated for release in 2010. In her latest projects for 2009/2010 she recurs on ABC's Television hit Series "Grey's Anatomy" and Guest Stars on NBC's Television hit Series "Heroes". And just recently May 2010 she was featured on "The Tonight Show w Jay Leno and Kevin Eubanks. She is also a featured voice in Steven Spielbergs upcoming "Alien Invasion Pilot" titled "Fallen Skies" due out in 2011. In 2010/2011 she is featured across the board on "Wells Fargo" National Television Commercials, Voice-Overs, Radio and Print Ads. She is also a 2009 cast member in the Theatre drama "Fences" written by Pulitzer Prize Winning Playwright August Wilson, directed by Eileen Mack Knight. Prior to earning her feature film roles, China was crowned Division Winner for ages three to four in the "Hawaiian Tropic Model Search" runway competition. She does cheer-leading for Young Champions Cheer America where she competed and took 1st Place Division Winner. In addition to entertaining, some of her favorite things to do are reading to younger audiences, bowling, shopping, going to movies, and doing gymnastics.
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
China Anne McClain comes from an artistic family. Her father, Michael McClain, is a music producer, vocalist, writer and sound engineer. His first production was on Beyonce's younger sister, Solange Knowles (Solo Star CD - track no.16 entitled Sky Away). China Anne's mother, Shontell, is also a vocalist and songwriter. China Anne and her two sisters, Sierra and Lauryn, formed a singing group they lovingly call "3mcclaingirls". They have completed their first song, "Silly Games". The music was produced by their father's production company, Gabesworld Music and co-produced by Larry Nix. The song was also written and co-produced by their mother. China Anne's younger brother, Gabriel (age 4) also acts, sings, dances and does handstands with ease! The family's music production company, GabesWorld Music is named after Gabriel.
Ian Burke, a family friend, was over for dinner and China Anne performed a song from Spy Kids 2. Ian made a phone call to a director named Rob Hardy who was searching for a young girl who could sing and act to play Alexis in his upcoming film, The Gospel. China Anne had her 1st audition with Rob Hardy and discovered months later that she was chosen to play the character, Alexis. China Anne's sisters, Sierra Aylina McClain and Lauryn Alisa McClain, also appear in the Children's Gospel Choir scene of the movie.
Since filming The Gospel, China Anne has continued to audition for casting directors in Georgia, North Carolina, Illinois and California. She appears in a park scene playing with a dog and in an after school scene of the upcoming film, Madea's Family Reunion. She was also recently interviewed by Jacque Reid at BET on the red carpet at The Gospel premiere in Atlanta, Georgia.
China Anne is also an active member of Screen Actors Guild. She is funny, talented, extremely disciplined and has mature self-control. Her favorite part about filming movies is the time she spends in hair and make-up. Her performance and genuine, kind spirit garnered her rave reviews from her fellow actors, cast and crew. Their on-going support inspires China Anne to continue to perform and learn more about her passion - Acting.
China Anne's hobbies are singing, dancing, drawing elaborate greeting cards and going to church with her family. She enjoys memorizing the lines of various Disney movies and loves to audition. China Anne is an exceptional student and reads chapter books with ease. She is an expert with a hula-hoop and just learned to roller-blade this past summer. Her dream is to someday write and direct her own films and to go on the road performing with her sisters.- Christel Khalil was born on 30 November 1987 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for The Young and the Restless (1973), W.I.T.C.H. (2004) and We Need to Talk (2022). She was previously married to Stephen Hensley.
- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Christina Milian was born Christine Flores on September 26, 1981 in Jersey City, New Jersey & raised in Waldorf, Maryland. At the age of 19, Milian signed a contract with Def Jam. In 2001, Milian released her self-titled debut album, which featured the singles "AM to PM" and "When You Look at Me"; "AM to PM" charted within the Top 40 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and both peaked in the top three on the UK Singles Chart. In 2004, Milian released her second studio album It's About Time, which provided her first major U.S. hit, "Dip It Low", which reached number five on the U.S. Billboard chart. "Whatever U Want" was released as the album's second single. Both singles charted within the Top 10 of the UK chart.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Cicely Tyson was born in Harlem, New York City, where she was raised by her devoutly religious parents, who had come from the Caribbean island of Nevis. Her mother Theodosia was a domestic worker and her her father William was a carpenter and painter. Tyson was discovered by a fashion editor at Ebony Magazine, and with her stunning looks she quickly rose to the top of the modeling industry. In 1957 she began acting in Off-Broadway productions. She had small roles in feature films before she was cast as Portia in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968). Four years later, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her sensational performance in the critically-acclaimed film Sounder (1972). In 1974, she went on to portray a 110-year-old former slave in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974), which earned her two Emmy Awards. She also appeared in the television miniseries Roots (1977), King (1978), and A Woman Called Moses (1978). While Cicely has not appeared steadily onscreen because of her loyalty to solely portraying strong, positive images of Black women, she is definitely one of the most talented, beautiful actresses who ever graced stage or screen.- Actress
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Courtney Michaela Ann "Coco" Jones was born on January 4, 1998 in Columbia, South Carolina and raised in Lebanon, Tennessee to Javonda Antenessia Jones (née Floyd), a session vocalist & Mike Jones, a former NFL player. She rose to prominence starring in the Disney Channel film, Let It Shine (2012) & was featured on Radio Disney's Next Big Thing from 2010 to 2011. Jones was formerly signed with Hollywood Records, before releasing her independent singles and EPs beginning in 2014. As of March 2022, Jones is officially signed to Def Jam Recordings.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
COCOA BROWN is undeniably one of the most talented performers of this era. The Newport News, Virginia native, born Farah Brown, assails her craft with such passion and soul searching veracity, when she claims the stage the ensuing act is nothing short of a force of nature. COCOA BROWN audaciously draws from painful reminiscences and hard-knocked lessons, bravely weaving humorous tales that uplift, upend and upgrade everything you thought you knew about comedy. What drives the comic that female fans nationwide have nicknamed "The Truth"? The sheer will of a woman who has survived the worst life had to offer and is still standing.
COCOA can currently be seen in the comedy documentary, "Dying Laughing", which is currently on NetFlix,, alongside Jamie Foxx, Amy Schumer, Kevin Hart and Jerry Seinfeld, to name a few. Cocoa Brown headlined the successful "Shaquille O'Neal: All-Star Comedy Jam", on Showtime. A starring role in the hugely successful and critically acclaimed "American Crime Story: People v. OJ Simpson", which aired on the FX Network; a recurring role on TV Land's "Soul Man" with Cedric "The Entertainer" and Neicy Nash and starring as fan favorite "Jennifer" for six (6) seasons on #1 rated "Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse" for the past six (6) seasons on The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). COCOA BROWN has amassed an extensive body of work, including co-starring in last summer's blockbuster "Ted 2", alongside Seth MacFarlane and Mark Wahlburg, working alongside Samuel L. Jackson in "Lakeview Terrace" and her starring role in "Tyler Perry's Single Mom's Club". COCOA BROWN recurred as co-host on the ABC Daytime talk show "FABLife" and has been a guest on all three (3) seasons of the hit daytime talk, "The Real". COCOA BROWN has released her comedy CD "One Funny Momma", which is available on iTunes.
With a Screen Actor's Guild Award nomination under her belt, COCOA BROWN aspires for an Oscar, an Emmy Award and a Pulitzer Prize. The lovable and down-to- earth celebrity and proud single mother to her pre-school aged son, Phoenix, keeps television audiences tuning in for an intoxicating dose of "Cocoa-infused" humor. She captivated arena audiences across the country as part of the "Mike Epps & Friends" comedy tour. Her creative writing and meticulously produced sets couple with the ever-changing hairstyles and gutsy sense of fashion ignites rousing, protracted standing ovations. Yet, amid such explosive success, Brown admits she desires very little.
COCOA BROWN says, "I want audiences to connect with my story and in the course of that journey find their own. That's my inspiration, my peace. I am in a good place now. I am finally learning how to love myself and I am comfortable in my own skin. Most importantly, I am not afraid to use my voice." That is certainly a good thing. That beautiful, husky, unapologetic and very funny voice will no doubt, change the world.- Actress
- Producer
Crystle Stewart was born on 20 September 1981 in Houston, Texas, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for For Better or Worse (2011), Acrimony (2018) and Good Deeds (2012). She has been married to Max Sebrechts since 9 August 2014.- Cynthia is a woman of many talents with titles such as supermodel, entrepreneur, mother, actress, TV personality, and many more under her belt. Best known for her on screen personality in the successful Bravo series, "Real Housewives of Atlanta." After a record breaking ninth season, Season 10 premiered on November 5th, featuring Cynthia's 50th birthday celebration. The new season focuses on Cynthia navigating life as a single mother, pursuing new business ventures and ultimately living her best life as "50 Cynt."
Cynthia started her long running career in this business by moving to New York to pursue a career as a fashion model. She was quickly signed on to a five year contract with Wihelmina Models, which led her to a very successful first book as the cover of Essence Magazine. Not only was Cynthia's first cover with Essence one of the highest-selling covers in the magazine's history, it was also a personal favorite of then editor-in-chief Susan Taylor. Soon thereafter, Cynthia booked her second cover and thus set the mood for her successful career.
Her next move was to Paris and Milan, where she was seen strutting down the runways of Paris and Milan Fashion Week. After living abroad for almost a year, Cynthia returned to New York City and was in high demand landing campaigns for Maybelline, Oil of Olay and Macy's. Magazine editorials for Vogue, Glamour, Elle, Essence and Vanity Fair soon followed. One of Cynthia's biggest career moments was being chosen over Naomi Campbell for a co-starring role opposite Sandra Bernhadt in the film "Without You I'm Nothing."
Fast forward to 2018, Cynthia has built a THE BE BETTER foundation, dedicated to girl empowerment, and two accessory lines; Cargo by Cynthia Bailey, a beautiful line of purses, tote bags, and luggage, and Cynthia Bailey Eyewear, a bold collection of affordable yet fashionable eyewear, which were both launched because of Cynthia's love of accessorizing. In August, Cynthia landed herself on QVC to promote her brands, and continues to donate 10% of her proceeds to various charities. - Demetria Dyan McKinney (born August 27, 1979) is an American actress and singer. From 2006 to 2012 she starred in the TBS sitcom Tyler Perry's House of Payne. Her other series regular roles include Tv One sitcom The Rickey Smiley Show, Bounce TV prime time soap opera Saints & Sinners and Syfy horror drama Superstition.
Her stage credits include playing Coretta Scott King in the Rhythm and Blues Opera I Dream (2010), and well as role of Deena Jones in Dreamgirls (2012). In 2017, McKinney played Whitney Houston in the TV One film Bobbi Kristina. She released her debut album Officially Yours in 2017. Plays Cedric's mother in the BET series The Quad.
McKinney starred as Janine Shelton-Payne on the TBS comedy series Tyler Perry's House of Payne from 2006 to 2012. She was nominated for a 2009 National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications Vision Award for Best Performance in a Comedy, in recognition of her work on House of Payne. She set to return for her in the House of Payne spin-off The Paynes in 2018. McKinney also guest starred on Necessary Roughness, Drop Dead Diva,Devious Maids, Chicago Med, and Being Mary Jane. She has been a guest star on The Real Housewives of Atlanta airing on the Bravo Television Network since its 7th season premiere on November 9, 2014.
From 2012 to 2014, McKinney had series regular role on the TV One comedy series, The Rickey Smiley Show. In 2016, she was cast as Tamara Austin in the Bounce TV prime time television soap opera Saints & Sinners. In 2017, she was cast opposite Mario Van Peebles and Robinne Lee in the Syfy horror drama Superstition. Also in 2017, McKinney starred in the TV One movie Bobbi Kristina as Whitney Houston, the late icon and mother to Bobbi Kristina.
In 2017, McKinney released her debut album Officially Yours. She received nomination for NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist. - Actress
- Producer
Denise Boutte was born on 19 January 1982 in Maurice, Louisiana, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Why Did I Get Married? (2007), Kombucha Cure (2023) and Extreme Movie (2008). She has been married to Kevin Boutte since 2003. They have one child.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Emeli Sandé was born on 10 March 1987 in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. She is a music artist and actress, known for Trance (2013), The Great Gatsby (2013) and BBC Music: God Only Knows (2014). She was previously married to Adam Gouraguine.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Essence Atkins was born on 7 February 1972 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for A Haunted House (2013), How High (2001) and Same Difference (2019). She was previously married to Jaime Mendez.- Actress
- Producer
Eva Marcille was born on 30 October 1984 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Young and the Restless (1973), I Think I Love My Wife (2007) and Smallville (2001). She was previously married to Michael Sterling.- Producer
- Actress
Gabrielle Christina Victoria "Gabby" Douglas (born December 31, 1995) is an American artistic gymnast. She was a member of the United States women's national gymnastics team, dubbed the Fierce Five by the media, at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where she won gold medals in the individual all-around and team competitions. She was also a member of the gold-winning American team at the 2011 and the 2015 World Championships, and the all-around silver medalist at the 2015 World Championships. She was part of the Final Five at the 2016 Summer Olympics, where she won gold in the team competition.
Douglas is the first African-American woman in Olympic history to become the individual all-around champion, and the first American gymnast to win gold in both the individual all-around and team competitions at the same Olympics. She and Simone Biles are the only two American all-around champions to win multiple gold medals in a single Olympic Games. Douglas is the first female reigning Olympic all-around champion to return to the World Championships and medal in the all-around since Elena Davydova in 1981. Gabby Douglas is also the reigning AT&T American Cup all-around champion.
As a public figure, Douglas' gymnastics successes have led to her life story adaptation in the 2014 Lifetime biopic film, The Gabby Douglas Story, as well the acquisition of her own reality television series, Douglas Family Gold.- Actress
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- Soundtrack
Gabrielle Union was born on October 29, 1972, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Theresa (Glass), who managed a phone company, and Sylvester E. Union, a military sergeant and business executive. When she was eight, her family moved to Pleasanton, California, where she grew up and attended high school. There, Union was an all-star point guard and a year-round athlete participating in soccer, basketball, and track. She graduated from Foothill High School (Class of 1991).
After high school, Gabrielle attended college at University of Nebraska, where she played on the soccer team; and then later transferred to Cuesta College. Eventually, she ended up at UCLA. On her way to law school, just planning on being a working stiff, things started to happen during her senior year. Gabrielle had a college internship at a L.A. modeling agency, she thought it would be an easy way to pick up some extra credits. Little did she know that clients were eyeing the help. Upon the completion of the internship, she was asked to become a client with the agency. Gabby thought of it as a great way to pay off a stack of college loans, and modeled until her agent found that she could actually act. Her first audition/job was landed without any headshots, on Saved by the Bell (1989). Since then, she has gone on to have many small but substantial film roles and has guest-starred on several hit TV shows, all before landing the role of "Dr. Courtney Ellis", on CBS' short-lived medical drama City of Angels (2000).
Although she plays parts that are opinionated and strong, Gabrielle believes that, "Hollywood needs to recognize all shades of African-American beauty." Gabrielle is a 1996 graduate of UCLA with honors in sociology.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Gayle King was born on 28 December 1954 in Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Queen & Slim (2019) and The Boss (2016). She was previously married to William G. Bumpus.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Halle Maria Berry was born Maria Halle Berry on August 14, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Oakwood, Ohio to Judith Ann Berry (née Hawkins), a psychiatric nurse & Jerome Jesse Berry, a hospital attendant. Her father was African-American and her mother is of mostly English and German descent. Halle first came into the spotlight at seventeen years when she won the Miss Teen All-American Pageant, representing the state of Ohio in 1985 and, a year later in 1986, when she was the first runner-up in the Miss U.S.A. Pageant. After participating in the pageant, Halle became a model. It eventually led to her first weekly TV series, 1989's Living Dolls (1989), where she soon gained a reputation for her on-set tenacity, preferring to "live" her roles and remaining in character even when the cameras stopped rolling. It paid off though when she reportedly refused to bathe for several days before starting work on her role as a crack addict in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever (1991) because the role provided her big screen breakthrough. The following year, she was cast as Eddie Murphy's love interest in Boomerang (1992), one of the few times that Murphy was evenly matched on screen. In 1994, Berry gained a youthful following for her performance as sexy secretary "Sharon Stone" in The Flintstones (1994). She next had a highly publicized starring role with Jessica Lange in the adoption drama Losing Isaiah (1995). Though the movie received mixed reviews, Berry didn't let that slow her down, and continued down her path to super-stardom.
In 1998, she received critical success when she starred as a street smart young woman who takes up with a struggling politician in Warren Beatty's Bulworth (1998). The following year, she won even greater acclaim for her role as actress Dorothy Dandridge in made-for-cable's Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), for which she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Movie/Mini-Series. In 2000, she received box office success in X-Men (2000) in which she played "Storm", a mutant who has the ability to control the weather. In 2001, she starred in the thriller Swordfish (2001), and became the first African-American to win Best Actress at the Academy Awards, for her role as a grieving mother in the drama Monster's Ball (2001).- Veteran actress Ion Overman plays Det. Ruiz opposite Jeremy Piven and Richard T. Jones in CBS' "Wisdom of the Crowd."
Ion is best known as Linda, Josh's (Derek Luke) stuck-up and corrupt fiancée in Tyler Perry's most successful movie to date, "Madea Goes to Jail," which generated over $90 million at the box office. Ion is also well-known as fan favorite Candace in Showtime's ground-breaking series, "The L Word."
Ion made her acting debut in the 1995 movie "The Walking Dead," and went on to star in the UPN sitcom "Love, Inc." She has also appeared in numerous films and recurred on hit television shows including "Desperate Housewives," "Secret Life of an American Teenager," and "Ghost Whisperer." Ion has also made guest star appearances on "Two and a Half Men," "NCIS," "Leverage," "CSI: Miami", "Castle," and "Without a Trace," among others.
Ion is a passionate supporter of several non-profit initiatives, including the ASPCA, The World Wildlife Fund, and Project:NOW (founded by actor/producer Dale Godboldo). - Producer
- Actress
- Writer
Jada Koren Pinkett Smith was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to Robsol Grant Pinkett, Jr., a contractor, and 'Gammy' Adrienne Banfield Norris, a nurse. They divorced after only a few months of marriage. Her father is of African-American descent and her mother is of Afro-Caribbean ancestry (from Barbados and Jamaica). Jada majored in dance and choreography at the Baltimore School for the Arts, where one of her classmates was Tupac Shakur. She spent a year at the North Carolina School of the Arts before dropping out to pursue her career in acting. Her big break came in 1991 when she was cast in the part of a college frosh on the television sitcom A Different World (1987). She made her feature film debut two years later in Menace II Society (1993). She did not gain widespread recognition, however, until her role opposite Eddie Murphy in The Nutty Professor (1996). In addition to being in front of the camera, she has spent time behind it directing music videos. Pinkett-Smith is married to Will Smith, and they have a son, Jaden Smith; and a daughter, Willow Smith.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Janet Damita Jo Jackson was born on May 16, 1966 in Gary, Indiana, to Katherine Jackson (née Katherine Esther Scruse) and Joe Jackson, a musician. She is the youngest of ten children. Before her birth, her brothers formed a band later called The Jackson 5. She lived at home with her sisters, while her brothers and father lived an extravagant life in Los Angeles. She later moved in with them while her brothers were making a name for themselves, and signed a deal with Motown. Janet was in the shadow but later also made a name for herself.
As she was touring, and making appearances with her brothers, and the rest of the family, she co-starred with the rest of them in "The Jacksons". In 1977, she got the part of Penny Gordon on "Good Times". That showed her acting abilities early on. She also made a few memorable appearances on the hit TV show "Diff'rent Strokes" as Charlene Dupree. Soon afterwards came her role on "Fame".
She married boyfriend James Debarge, but they divorced just months later. She signed with A&M Records, and recorded her first solo album titled "Janet Jackson". The album did poorly on the music charts. Two years later she recorded "Dream Street" which turned out to be another disaster. A year later she signed on Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to record a third album, this time called "Control". It was a hit, selling 5 million copies in the U.S. alone, spawning six hits, and the #1 "When I Think of You". Afterwards, she fired her father, her manager to truly gain control.
Janet was determined to make this happen again. She then recorded "Rhythm Nation 1814". This time it sold 9 million copies in the U.S. - a bigger hit than "Control"! She happened to fall in love with a dancer named René Elizondo, Jr. from one of her sister's, LaToya Jackson's music video and later secretly married him in March of 1991. The year before she got a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Janet went to work on her fifth album simply called "Janet.". It was her biggest hit to date selling over 10 million copies in the U.S. alone and includes her biggest hit single to date, "That's The Way Love Goes". Two years later she released a Greatest Hits album "Design of a Decade" which included two new hits "Runaway", and "Twenty-Foreplay". Her sixth album "The Velvet Rope" clarified her pop culture status.
In the midst of the release of "Nutty Professor II", René Elizondo filed for divorce, which is when it emerged they had been secretly married. Janet recorded her seventh album "All For You". Another hit. She was honored by MTV as an MTV Icon. In 2003, Janet went to work on her next album "Damita Jo" - it was another hit.- Actress
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- Director
Jazsmin Lewis was born on 22 March 1976 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Barbershop (2002), Traci Townsend (2007) and My Sisters World. She has been married to Brian Kelly since 2005. They have one child. She was previously married to Jesse Saunders.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born in Stockton California, Jazz began performing at just two years old. Her mother owned a dance studio where she developed her onstage skills, studying an array of dance styles from salsa to ballroom, and modern to African. She booked her first commercial at just six years old, and landed her feature film debut appearing as Angela Basset's daughter in the classic "Waiting to Exhale." As she started her career in film and television, Jazz's talents in dance were also accelerating as she joined the prestigious Joe Tremaine Teen Dance Company at eight years old lead by Michael Rooney and Marguerite Derricks. She went on to dance with the Boston Ballet and the School of American Ballet before landing a full scholarship to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Jazz continued balancing her dance career with her education, graduating two years early in the top 5% of the country's high school students. Just ahead of her 18th birthday while a soloist and the face of Columbia City Ballet, Jazz sustained an injury that would change the course of her career and future. She pivoted to her love of bringing characters to life on screen, and she has been working steadily ever since. As an actor Jazz has trained with The Lee Strasberg Institute in Los Angeles and New York, Stella Adler in New York, Janet Alhanti, Lesly Kahn, and John Rosenfeld Studios in Los Angeles just to name a few.
Jazz Raycole is currently in the adaptation of Michael Connelly's books and Netlfix show created by David E. Kelley, "The Lincoln Lawyer." Also in television, Jazz was seen in the NBC/Jerry Bruckheimer drama series "Council of Dads," and is often recognized for her breakout role as Allison Hawkins in the post-apocalyptic drama "Jericho." Additional credits include starring opposite Niecy Nash and Cedric the Entertainer as Lyric Ballentine on the TV Land sitcom "The Soul Man," emerging opposite Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose on BET's "The Quad," appearing as Stanley Hudson's daughter on "The Office," and holding roles in "Vanity," "Everybody Hates Chris," "Bones," "Rizzoli & Isles," "The Secret Life of the American Teenager," "New Girl," "Suburgatory," "Monk," "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," and "My Wife and Kids."- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Jenifer Lewis is one of Hollywood's most familiar faces, with more than 300 appearances in film and television. Dubbed a "national treasure" by TV Guide.com, Jenifer stars on the hit show Black-ish (ABC), where her hilarious portrayal of "Ruby Johnson" earned her a nomination for the 2016 Critics Choice Award.
Jenifer's most recent movies include The Wedding Ringer, Think Like A Man, Think Like A Man Too and Baggage Claim. She delivered legendary performances as Tina Turner's mother in What's Love Got to Do With It and in The Preacher's Wife as the mother of Whitney Houston's character. Jenifer starred opposite Matt Damon in Clint Eastwood's Hereafter and for director Tyler Perry, Jenifer created unforgettable characters in Madea's Family Reunion and Meet the Browns. In the movie Castaway, Jenifer portrayed Tom Hanks' boss. In animated films, Jenifer's uniquely recognizable voice is adored by Disney fans worldwide in roles such as "Flo" in Cars and Cars 2 and as "Mama Odie" in The Princess and the Frog.
Jenifer's TV roles have ranged from regular appearances as "Aunt Helen" on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to guest star roles on Friends, Boston Legal and Girlfriends. For six seasons, Jenifer portrayed "Lana Hawkins" on Lifetime's hit series Strong Medicine.
Although best known for her Hollywood success, Jenifer has enjoyed a wide-ranging and varied career in music and theater. Jenifer has performed in four Broadway shows, including Hairspray in the role of "Motormouth Mable." In 2014, she received an electrifying standing ovation at Carnegie Hall when she sang with the New York Pops orchestra. All told, Jenifer has presented more than 200 concerts, performing in 49 states and on four continents.
Jenifer was born and raised in Kinloch, Missouri. Her accomplishments as an entertainer and community activist have been recognized with an honorary doctorate from her alma mater, Webster University in St. Louis and by the American Black Film Festival's Career Achievement Award.- Actress
- Producer
Jennifer Freeman was born on 20 October 1985 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for You Got Served (2004), My Wife and Kids (2000) and Johnson Family Vacation (2004). She was previously married to Earl Watson.- Music Artist
- Producer
- Actress
Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on September 12, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois to Darnell Donerson (née Hudson) & Samuel Simpson. She is an Academy Award-winning actress, Grammy Award-winning recording artist and best-selling author. This bright, beautiful and booming-voiced talent is a perfect example of how NOT winning the title of American Idol (2002) can still be a superstar boon to your career and not the disappointment of a life time.
She earned minor attention as one of the twelve finalists on the third season of the FOX TV series in 2004, but finished an underwhelming sixth runner-up. Hudson grew up singing in gospel choirs, acting in community theater productions, singing on cruise ships and touring for in Disney's "Hercules: The Musical." With no formal musical training, her raw vocal power initially pleased the panel of Idol judges and she, Fantasia Barrino and La Toya London were initially promoted as the show's very own "Dreamgirls" and were expected to be the final three standing at the end of the competition. Surprisingly, all three were midway placed in the bottom group at one point, and Jennifer was cut from the pack. Fantasia eventually won the competition and, seemingly, all the glory and the fame.
Hudson appeared with the "American Idol" summer tour and performed on the road in concerts over the next two years. When it was time to audition for the coveted role of "Effie Melody White" in the long-awaited film version of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls (2006), among Jennifer's competition would be Fantasia herself. This time Jennifer was the winner and earned the right to play the coveted role. Immediately ordered to gain weight for the role, the film was loosely based on the real-life pursuits of The Supremes, with the character of Effie taking on the tragic form of the group's ill-fated co-founder Florence Ballard (1943-1976), but with a far less tragic ending.
Jennifer's performance became the most triumphant musical film debut since Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl (1968). Making the role her own, she delivered the same heart-breaking, gut-wrenching one-two punch that made Jennifer Holliday, who originated the role on stage, the toast of the Broadway scene in 1981. It was no easy task to outshine both Beyoncé and Eddie Murphy in one movie, but Jennifer was the movie's heart and soul and easily won over the critics. She went on to win not only the Oscar, Golden Globe, British Film, New York Film Critics and National Board of Review awards for "Best Supporting Actress," she picked up nearly every film critic's award there was to be had!
Hudson's meteoric rise made quite an impact in the world of music with the successful release of both her Sony/Arista Records albums. Her 2008 debut, self-titled record debuted at #2 on the "Billboard Hot 100" and won a Grammy Award for "Best R & B Album, and her sophomore album, "I Remember Me," also debuted at #2 and went on to win three awards at the 2009 NAACP Image Awards including "Best Album." Her third album, 2014's "JHUD," released by RCA, was a highly successful throwback to 70's inspired R&B.
Continuing to distinguish herself on the large screen, Jennifer began things off featured in the film version of Sex and the City (2008) with Sarah Jessica Parker. She then played the concerned daughter of compulsive gambler Forest Whitaker in the drama Winged Creatures (2008); earned a NAACP Image Award nomination for her moving effort in the tender drama The Secret Life of Bees (2008); portrayed Winnie Mandela opposite Terrence Howard's Nelson in the biopic Winnie Mandela (2011); co-starred with Whitaker again and Angela Bassett in the family Christmas drama Black Nativity (2013); co-starred as an amateur singer taken in by talent agent Adam Sandler in the romantic comedy Sandy Wexler (2017); appeared as Grizabella in the film version of the hit musical Cats (2019); and was given the opportunity to play the "Queen of Soul" herself, Aretha Franklin, in the biopic Respect (2021). Back in 2013, she was honored, at such a young stage, with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
On TV, Jennifer has played the recurring roles of Veronica Moore in the musical series Smash (2012) and Michelle White in the dramatic series Empire (2015). She also was given the distinction of playing and singing the role of Motormouth Maybelle in the live TV movie Hairspray Live! (2016).
As for other special live performances over the years, Jennifer was invited to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl XLVIII in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009. It would be her first live performance since the October 24, 2008 family tragedy of losing mother Darnell and older brother Jason in a domestic shooting incident. In January of 2013, she was asked to perform at the Obama Presidential Inaugural Ball and in 2019, was invited to sing the nominated song "I'll Fight" from the movie RBG (2018), a documentary chronicling the life and career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Honored at VH1's Do Something Awards for her charitable work and also the recipient of the Samsung Galaxy Impact Award at Variety's Power of Women luncheon with the Samsung Galaxy Impact Award, Jennifer, along with her sister Julia Hudson, founded The Julian D. King Gift Foundation in 2009, as a catalyst for change in children's health, education and welfare. The Foundation exists to provide stability, support and positive experiences for children of all backgrounds so that they will become productive, confident and happy adults.
Expanding her talents in the arts, Hudson added author to her list of accomplishments in January 2012 with the release her New York Times best-selling memoir, "I Got This: How I Changed My Ways, Found Myself and Lost Everything that Weighed Me Down."- Actress
- Producer
- Composer
Three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, New York Times best-selling poet, and critically acclaimed actor are only a few titles held by Jill Scott. Before having the #1 album in the country with "The Light of The Sun", performing at The White House, being named People Magazine's Top TV Breakout Star of 2010 and appearing on VH1 Divas alongside Aretha Franklin, the triple threat began her career collaborating with musical icons, The Roots, Will Smith, and Common in the late 90s. In 2000, she released her much anticipated debut record, Who is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds, Vol. 1, a double platinum album that earned Scott several Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist. Two more critically acclaimed albums followed, Beautifully Human: Words & Sounds, Vol. 2 and The Real Thing: Words & Sounds, Vol. 3 which garnered two more Grammy Awards and spawned multiple worldwide tours.
Never limited to music, Jill Scott is a true multimedia brand across books, clothing, TV and film. Most recently, Jill starred in Get On Up: A James Brown Biopic, as DeeDee, the wife of James Brown. She also starred alongside Tyler Perry & Janet Jackson in the #1 national movie series Why Did I Get Married? (Pt. 1 and 2), Baggage Claim, Steel Magnolias and Sins of the Mother which aired on Lifetime and became the second-most watched premiere in the network's history. Jill was also casted as the lead character in the HBO/BBC mini-series filmed on location in Botswana, The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, a Peabody Award-winning show directed by the late Oscar Award-winning director Anthony Minghella. In 2017, Jill Scott was casted as "Nayyirah Shariff" in the original Lifetime film Flint, a drama based on the Flint water crisis in Flint, Michigan - also starring Betsy Brandy, Marin Ireland and Queen Latifah.
A consummate writer at heart, she penned The Moments, The Minutes, The Hours, a compilation of poems that instantly became a New York Times bestseller. Scott also developed an intimates line for Ashley Stewart and founded Blues Babe, a registered 501(c)3 foundation that has raised over hundreds of thousands dollars to support minority students pursuing college degrees.
Jill released her highly anticipated 5th studio album Woman on July 24, 2015 which opened on the music charts at #1 giving Jill her 2nd consecutive number one album. In January of 2017, Jill Scott marked her brand's expansion into stationary, releasing an exclusive "Jill Scott" greeting card collection in partnership with Hallmark Mahogany. Jill Scott received a 2017 Grammy nomination in the "Best Traditional R&B Performance" category for her single, "Can't Wait." Jill's most recent endeavor - find her taking on the role of "Hazel" in the BET + remake of the 1996 romantic comedy, The First Wives Club.- Actress
- Producer
- Composer
Jordin Brianna Sparks was born on December 22, 1989 in Phoenix, Arizona and raised in Glendale, Arizona & Ridgewood, New Jersey. She was born to Jodi Beth Wiedmann & Phillippi Sparks. She rose to fame in 2007 after winning the sixth season of American Idol at age 17, becoming the youngest winner in the series' history. Her self-titled debut studio album, released later that year, was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold over two million copies worldwide. The album spawned the Billboard Hot 100 top-ten singles "Tattoo" and "No Air"; the latter, a collaboration with Chris Brown, is currently the third highest-selling single by any American Idol contestant, selling over three million digital copies in the United States. The song earned Sparks her first Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Sparks' second studio album, Battlefield (2009), debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200 chart. Its title single reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Sparks the only American Idol contestant to have her first five singles reach the top 20 in the United States. The second single, "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)", became Sparks's first number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. Throughout her career, Sparks has received numerous accolades, including an NAACP Image Award, a BET Award, an American Music Award, a People's Choice Award and two Teen Choice Awards. In 2009, Billboard magazine ranked her as the 91st Artist of the 2000s Decade. In 2012, Sparks was ranked at number 92 on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Women in Music". As of February 2012, she has sold 1.3 million albums and 10.2 million singles in the United States alone, making her one of the most successful American Idol contestants of all time.
Following the release of Battlefield, Sparks ventured into acting, pursuing television and Broadway. She made her stage debut as Nina Rosario in the musical In The Heights (2010), and her feature film debut as the titular character in Sparkle (2012). Sparks has also released several perfumes, including Because of You... in 2010 as well as Fascinate and Ambition in 2012. After a five-year absence from music, she released a mixtape, #ByeFelicia (2014), under a new record deal with Louder Than Life/Red Associated Labels, a joint deal with Sony Music Entertainment. Sparks' R&B-focused third studio album and most recent to date, Right Here Right Now (2015), saw smaller commercial success but received positive reviews from music critics.- Actress
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- Writer
Karyn Parsons decided to go into acting at the age of 13. She had her first TV role in the NBC drama The Bronx Zoo (1987), but she made her big break as Will Smith's cousin "Hilary Banks" on the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990). During the show's six-year run, she starred in movies such as Class Act (1992) and Major Payne (1995). After The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), she starred in the short-lifted sitcom Lush Life (1996), co-starring Lori Petty, which only lasted three episodes before it was canceled. In 1998, she starred in her first lead role in the award-winning movie Mixing Nia (1998). She guest-starred in TV sitcoms before starring in 13 Moons (2002), in which she met her husband, director Alexandre Rockwell, whom she married in 2003. After their wedding, they had a child and now live in New York.- Actress
- Director
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Award-nominated actress, writer, and director Keesha Sharp has become known in the entertainment industry for her innate ability to bring complex characters to life on screen, her steadfast professionalism, and her irrefutable beauty, inside and out. Keesha can be seen on season 3 of "Power Book II: Ghost" . Recently, Sharp starred as Trish Murtaugh in the international hit series "Lethal Weapon" for FOX, rebooting the hit movie franchise of the same name. Sharp stood out as Trish, a lawyer and devoted wife and confidante to Roger (Damon Wayans). "Lethal Weapon" became an instant hit in the US and overseas. Sharp was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2017 NAACP Image Awards for her work on the show. She also recently recurred on the hit FOX series "Empire" and the acclaimed "The Good Fight" (Paramount+).
On the film front this year, Sharp stars in the Psychological thriller "Dark My Light" (2023) with Albert Jones and Tom Lipinski. In addition, she stars in "Heist 88" (2023) with Courtney B. Vance and Keith David for Paramount+. This reunites her with her co-star from "The People Vs O.J. Simpson" (Vance) and August Wilson's "Seven Guitars" (David).
Sharp is also well known for her role as Dale Cochran, wife of defense attorney Johnnie Cochran (Courtney B. Vance), in the Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning limited series "The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story," her series regular role as Gigi on the TBS/Syndicated comedy "Are We There Yet," and as Monica Charles Brooks on the hit CW series "Girlfriends," for which she was nominated for her first NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
In addition to her diverse acting credits, Keesha Sharp has become a force as a Director as well. Known for her preparation, meticulous dedication to the story and talent for communicating with actors, Sharp is a Director for different genres of television. After making her directorial debut on the multi-cam comedy "Are We There Yet" (TBS), she has gone on to direct dramatic action series "Lethal Weapon" (FOX) and "Black Lightning" (CW), the comedy "The Last OG" (TBS), dramas "Bel Air" (Peacock), "Found" (NBC), "All American: Homecoming" (CW), "Our Kind of People" (FOX) and sci-fi "Charmed" (CW).
Acting film credits include: "Marshall" starring opposite Chadwick Boseman in which Keesha earned an NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture category for her standout role as Buster Marshall in the film. Other credits include "Why Did I Get Married?," indie films "Frozen Peas" and "Born Guilty," "The 636," for which she won Best Actress at the 2014 NYLA International Film Festival, "Shattered!", "Never Die Alone", and "American Adobo." Other television credits include: NBC's "The Player," The CW's "Significant Mother," CBS' "Bad Teacher," ABC Family's "Melissa & Joey," UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris," TV Land's "The Exes," CBS' "Elementary," "Cold Case," and many more.
Born in Rochester, New York, Sharp was immersed in music and studied the clarinet, piano, and cello at the prestigious Hochstein School of Music. Her enthusiasm for school theatre led her to apply to The Boston Conservatory, where she received a scholarship. After graduating Cum Laude with a B.F.A. from the Conservatory, Sharp set her sights on the stage. She performed in the Broadway National Tour of Carousel, debuted Off-Broadway in Michael Bradford's Living in the Wind and played eight different roles in the interactive comedy Eat the Runt. Other theatre performances include: Abyssinia, Aida, Thunder Knockin', Jitney, The Producers, Big Street, Suburb and Joe Turner's Come and Gone, in which Sharp read alongside playwright August Wilson himself.
In addition to her work on the screen and stage, Sharp has several other original projects in the works she has written or co-written. She continues to sing, and has a full-length album in production. When she isn't working in front of or behind the camera, or in the studio recording music, Sharp has a love for fitness and stays in shape boxing and studying Krav Maga.. She also enjoys playing piano, hiking and long road trips. Sharp resides in Los Angeles with family.- Actress
- Producer
- Music Department
Lauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer was born on August 26, 1993 in Harvey, Illinois and raised in Robbins, Illinois to Sharon and Larry Palmer, both former actors. Palmer showed vocal promise as a five-year-old, when she belted out "Jesus Loves Me" in her church choir. A year later the singer-actress had a solo in her kindergarten play but, to her mom's dismay, the mike had not been adjusted to suit her daughter's height. Without missing a beat, Palmer lowered the mike and moved the crowd with her heavenly voice. At that very moment, her family knew there was something special about Keke (a nickname given to her by her sister).
Although music was still her passion, Palmer's first big break came via her acting skills, making her big-screen debut in Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004) as Queen Latifah's niece. Immediately recognizing her star potential, the film's producers encouraged her parents to take their daughter to California to explore other acting opportunities. Relocating required that Palmer's parents leave behind the security of their jobs, a newly purchased home and uproot their other three children. However, it didn't diminish the family's support of Palmer's aspirations.
Once settled on the West Coast, Palmer did not waste any time. Within six weeks she had booked an episode of the critically acclaimed CBS series Cold Case (2003), a national K-Mart commercial and was chosen from a nationwide search to play opposite William H. Macy in a TNT movie, The Wool Cap (2004). Her performance was so amazing that it earned her a Screen Actors Guild nomination--to date, she is the youngest actress (then at age ten) ever to receive a nomination in a Lead Actress Category.
In 2006 Palmer appeared as the lead character "Akeelah Anderson" in the critically acclaimed, award-winning film Akeelah and the Bee (2006). The film, about a young South Los Angeles girl who attempts to win a national spelling bee, won the hearts of audiences everywhere. Her breakthrough performance has received praise from many film critics and organizations. Among the list of nominations received, "Akeelah and the Bee" was listed as one of NBR's 2006 Top Independent Films of the Year, as well as four nominations from the NAACP Image Awards. Palmer, alone, won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture, as well as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture by the Black Movie Awards. She has also received nominations for Most Promising Newcomer by the Chicago Film Critics, Best Actress by the Black Reel Awards, and Best Young Actress by the Broadcast Film Critics Association. Keke held her own in scenes with veteran co-stars Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne.
That very same year, Palmer appeared in Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion (2006), which was #1 at the box office for two consecutive weeks. Palmer went on to win a 2007 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her breakout role in "Akeelah and the Bee". She also received a ShoWest Award for Rising Star of the Year. Shortly after, Palmer lit up the small screen starring in the Disney Channel's hit movie, Jump in! (2007). This one-two punch of big-screen success coupled with small screen ratings power made Keke Palmer a household name in Hollywood.
Palmer contributed her first recording, which was featured on the "Akeelah and the Bee" soundtrack, titled "All My Girlz", and followed it up with the ever popular "My Turn Now" on the "Jump In!" soundtrack. As if two soundtracks were not enough, she was also asked to sing "Tonight", an end title song from the smash-hit Ben Stiller movie, Night at the Museum (2006). Her Atlantic Records debut album, "So Uncool", is jammed with up-tempo R&B tracks, inspirational moments, and love songs. In 2008, Palmer starred in the Weinstein Co. feature, The Longshots (2008). The film was based on the true story of a young female quarterback, played by Palmer, that makes Pop Warner history; she starred opposite Ice Cube, for first time director and Limp Bizkit front man, Fred Durst.
Palmer also starred as the title character in the hit Nickelodeon series, True Jackson, VP (2008), for 68 episodes. She played a high-school student who becomes the head of a major fashion label. In the fall of 2008, "True Jackson" bowed with over 4.8 million viewers, setting a record for Nickelodeon's largest audience for a live-action premiere. She has received four NAACP Awards for Best Actress in Children's Television for her role as "True Jackson". In 2011, Keke joined the voice cast of Nickelodeon's Winx Club (2004). She played Aisha, the Fairy of Waves. For her voice work on Winx Club, she received another NAACP Award nomination, this time for Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Series or Special.
Keke starred in the movie, Abducted: The Carlina White Story (2012), for the Lifetime Network. She had a voice role in the 20th Century Fox animated film, Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), as the character "Peaches". Her co-stars include Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Jennifer Lopez and Queen Latifah.
Palmer was seen on the big screen in the Alcon/Warner Bros movie, Joyful Noise (2012), singing alongside legendary Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton, however, it was Palmer who the critics singled out for her "young and inspiring" rendition of the Michael Jackson song, "Man in the Mirror".
Palmer resides in Los Angeles, CA.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Kelendria Trene 'Kelly' Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, talent show judge, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the group's two-year hiatus, Kelly Rowland released her first solo album, Simply Deep (2002), which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. Rowland also ventured into acting with starring roles in the successful films Freddy vs. Jason (2003) and The Seat Filler (2004).
Following the disbandment of Destiny's Child in 2006, Rowland released her second album, Ms. Kelly (2007), which produced the international top-ten hits "Like This" and "Work". In 2009, she hosted the first season of The Fashion Show and was featured on David Guetta's "When Love Takes Over", which hit number one in many countries. Its success influenced Rowland to explore dance music on her third album Here I Am (2011), which spawned the UK top-ten singles "Commander" and "Down for Whatever". She became a judge on the eighth season of The X Factor UK (2004) in 2011 as well as the third season of The X Factor (2011) in 2013. Rowland's fourth album, Talk a Good Game (2013), became her third top-ten album on the US Billboard 200 chart. Rowland has continued her television career by hosting Chasing Destiny (2016) in 2016 and starring as a coach on The Voice (2012) since 2017.
Throughout her career, Rowland has sold over 30 million records as a solo artist, and a further 60 million records with Destiny's Child. Her work has earned her several awards and nominations, including four Grammy Awards, one Billboard Music Award, and two Soul Train Music Awards. Rowland has also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as part of Destiny's Child, and as a solo artist, she has been honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and Essence for her contributions to music.- Actress
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- Director
Kenya Moore was born on 24 January 1971 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for I Know Who Killed Me (2007), Dolls of Voodoo (2013) and Life Twirls On (2015). She was previously married to Marc Daly.- Actress
- Composer
- Music Department
Keri Hilson was born on 5 December 1982 in Decatur, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Riddick (2013), The Rover (2014) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007).- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Keshia Knight Pulliam was born on 9 April 1979 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and director, known for The Cosby Show (1984), House of Payne (2006) and Madea Goes to Jail (2009). She has been married to Brad James since 25 September 2021. They have one child. She was previously married to Ed Hartwell.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Kiely Williams was born on 9 July 1986 in Alexandria, Virginia, USA. She is an actress and director, known for The House Bunny (2008), The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008) and The Cheetah Girls: One World (2008). She has been married to Brandon Cox since 17 December 2016. They have two children.- Actress
- Producer
Kiki Haynes was born on 17 December 1976 in East Orange, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for All the Queen's Men (2021), For Better or Worse (2011) and A Wesley Christmas (2022).- Actress
- Executive
- Soundtrack
Kimberly Elise was born on 17 April 1967 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She is an actress and executive, known for Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005), The Manchurian Candidate (2004) and John Q (2002). She was previously married to Maurice Oldham.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Kym Whitley was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Khartoum, Sudan (Africa). Kym knew she was blessed with the gift to make people laugh, after a chance encounter with Redd Foxx, who told her "she had the Comedic Goods". Kym began living her dream as a stand up comedian in Hollywood. Kym Whitley became Hollywood's go-to-girl with her smooth transition as a talented, comedic actress in numerous TV shows, namely, ABC's "My Wife and Kids", CBS's "Two Broke Girls", Disney's "That's So Raven", TV Land's "Soul Man" and HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Kym completed production of her docu-series, "Raising Whitley" on the OWN network. You have seen Kym in the following films: "Haunted House 2", "We Bought A Zoo", "Fun with Dick and Jane", "College Road Trip", "The Nutty Professor" and "Next Friday" to name a few.
Kym Whitely was nominated for a 2017 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Guest Actress for her portrayal as Big Candi, in the Emmy Nominated, "The Bay, The Series", Digital Daytime Drama Series. In addition, Ms. Whitley co-stars alongside Angela Bassett, in the 2017 Primetime Emmy Winning episode of "Master of None" written by the Emmy Winning Writers, Lena Waithe, and Aziz Ansari.
Kym starred in Freeform's (formerly ABC/Family) sitcom "Young & Hungry" for five years, which wrapped in 2017. Kym is also an accomplished voice-over actress. Ms. Whitley has voiced the character, Honeybee on "Black Dynamite: The Animated TV Series", and the character, Melonee in the Animated feature film, "Rango."- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
La La Anthony is an actress and producer, known for her roles in Think Like a Man (2012) and Think Like a Man Too (2014), in which she starred alongside Kevin Hart and Taraji P. Henson, Spike Lee's Chi-Raq (2015), and television shows Unforgettable on A&E with Poppy Montgomery and Starz' hit show Power, executive produced by 50 Cent and starring Omari Hardwick.
La La is also co-producer of "Eclipsed" on Broadway starring Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Lauren London first appeared in the film, ATL, opposite actor and recording artist, Tip "TI" Harris. Due to London's breakout success in ATL, she received an offer to star in the film, This Christmas, with Loretta Devine, Idris Elba and Regina King. Her next film role was in the teen romantic comedy, I Love You, Beth Cooper, opposite Hayden Panettiere. London made her television debut on Everybody Hates Chris. Her other television credits include a recurring guest star role on HBO's Entourage, a recurring guest star role on CW's 90210 and a special guest star role in the VH1 series, Singles Ladies, executive produced by Queen Latifah. London's next feature film is Madea's Big Happy Family, directed by Tyler Perry. She is a Los Angeles native.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Leona Lewis was born on 3 April 1985 in Islington, London, England, UK. She is a music artist and actress, known for Avatar (2009), No Strings Attached (2011) and Sex and the City 2 (2010). She has been married to Dennis Jauch since 27 July 2019. They have one child.- Lisa Arrindell was born at Parkchester General Hospital in the Bronx, New York, and brought straight home to Brooklyn, where she was raised. She is a graduate of The High School of Performing Arts, now called The Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Arts and Performing Arts, and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre at The Juilliard School.
Lisa's extensive acting career includes HBO's A Lesson Before Dying, Disappearing Acts, Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First Hundred Years, Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion, The Sin Seer, Livin' Large, Law and Order, Law and Order SVU, Random Acts of Flyness, Elementary, Madam Secretary, Saints & Sinners, The Quad, Notorious, Bull, etc. Lisa appeared on stage in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof [Broadway], Jubilee [Arena Stage], Reparations [The Billie Holiday Theatre], Richard III [NY Shakespeare Festival], Heliotrope Bouquet [Playwrights Horizons], and Earth and Sky [Second Stage] among others. She served as the resident acting coach for Season 2 of Starz's hit television show, P-Valley. Currently, Lisa has four films in post-production and is a member of The Actors Center Company in New York City.
Along with her acting career, Lisa educates and inspires audiences with her passion for health and wholeness. She enjoys teaching theater students who are earnestly curious about pursuing a career in the performing arts and is on staff at The Freeman Studio and The Billie Holiday Theatre's Youth Arts Academy in New York City. Lisa is the joyful mother of two stunning, loving, highly creative, and intelligent people. - Actress
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Lisa Bonet was born in San Francisco, California, to Arlene Joyce (Litman), a teacher, and Allen Bonet, an opera singer. She has lived most of her life in New York and Los Angeles; in L.A., she attended Reseda High School and Celluloid Actor's Studio. Her father was African-American and her mother was Ashkenazi Jewish (from a family from Poland and Russia). Her parents divorced when she was young. She began acting in commercials at the age of 11. At age 16, she landed the role of Denise Huxtable in the hit comedy series The Cosby Show (1984). The show made her a popular actress. In the mid '80s, she met Lenny Kravitz at a New Edition concert in Los Angeles. At the time, Lenny was a struggling, unknown musician who went by the name Romeo Blue. It wasn't long after they started dating that Lisa and Lenny's relationship was all over the tabloids. The two lovers were said to be soulmates, as they shared a neo-hippie persona and biracial background (Lenny is also half-black, half-Jewish). In 1987, Lisa and Lenny got married (they went to Las Vegas and eloped), and they had a daughter named Zoë in 1988. By 1989, Lenny had landed a record deal and recorded his first album, "Let Love Rule." Lisa co-wrote a couple of songs on the album and was said to have been the inspiration for most of the album. Lisa even directed Lenny's first video for "Let Love Rule." But Lisa and Lenny's relationship was full of problems from the start, including intense scrutiny from the media and Lenny's reported infidelities. It was around this time that Lisa made a deliberate attempt to shed her "goody-two-shoes" Cosby daughter image by making the controversial movie Angel Heart (1987), in which she had racy nude and sex scenes. The backlash from making Angel Heart (1987) is rumored to have prompted Lisa's exit from The Cosby Show (1984). But with Bill Cosby's help, Lisa landed in another comedy series, A Different World (1987), in which she starred as a student at a historically black university. But perhaps because of her personal problems, Lisa began showing up late for work (or sometimes not at all), and she was fired from the series. She and Lenny separated in a bitter breakup and eventually divorced in 1993. Lenny's second album, "Mama Said," filled with songs about heartache, is said to be mostly about Lisa. After her divorce from Lenny, Lisa faded from the high-profile stardom she had experienced when she was in a relationship with him, while Lenny became more famous than his ex-wife. No longer an in-demand actress, Lisa occasionally made B movies, many of which went straight to video. In 1992, Lisa started dating yoga instructor Bryan Kest. They began living together and it was around that time that Lisa legally changed her name to Lilakoi Moon, although she still uses the name Lisa Bonet for her entertainment career. Lisa has said that she has deliberately cut back on acting so that she could spend more time with her family. However, she did make a brief return to the spotlight in 1998 by co-starring with Will Smith in the big-budget hit movie Enemy of the State (1998), and had an important role in High Fidelity (2000). Lisa has since become friends with her ex-husband Lenny again. And, in an "aren't we all just one big happy family" situation, her best friend is Cree Summer, a former co-star on A Different World (1987) who released an album produced by her long-time friend Lenny Kravitz. It was Lisa who suggested that Lenny produce the album, and Lisa directed a promotional video for the album. As of 2007, Lisa lives in the Los Angeles area with her children.- Actress
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Logan Browning was born on 9 June 1989 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and director, known for The Perfection (2018), Bratz (2007) and Powers (2015).- Actress
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Equally at home on stage and on screen, award-winning actress Loretta Devine has created some of the most memorable roles in theatre, film and television.
Devine first captured national attention in the role of Lorrell, one of the three original "Dreamgirls" in Michael Bennett's classic award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. She followed that performance with a fiery portrayal of Lillian in Bob Fosse's critically acclaimed stage production "Big Deal." Subsequent work in George C. Wolfe's "Colored Museum" and "Lady Day at Emerson Bar and Grill," cemented Devine's status as one of the most talented and versatile stage actresses.
Film roles soon followed including a poignant turn as a single mother opposite Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett and Gregory Hines in Waiting to Exhale (1995) which earned Devine her first NAACP Image Award for 'Best Supporting Actress.' Devine also won an NAACP Image Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Penny Marshall's The Preacher's Wife (1996). Devine received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress for her work in "Women Thou Art Loosed." Devine was featured in the Academy Award-winning film "Crash" and the hit movie of "Dreamgirls." Some of her additional film credits include appearances in the successful "Urban Legend" franchise, "I Am Sam" opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Sean Penn, "Kingdom Come," "What Women Want," "Punks," "Hoodlums," "Down in the Delta" and "Stanley and Iris."
Devine's more recent film credits include co-starring roles in "This Christmas" and "First Sunday" both of which opened Number 1 at the box office. Devine voiced the character of "Delta" in Disney's "Beverly Hills Chihuahua." She appeared with Chris Rock in Sony Screen Gems remake of "Death at a Funeral" and "Lottery Ticket" for Alcon/Warner Brothers. Devine portrayed "The Woman in Green" in Tyler Perry's adaptation of Ntozake Shange's "For Colored Girls." In 2011, Devine starred in two leading roles in the film "Jumping the Broom" with Paula Patton, Laz Alonso and Angela Bassett and in the Tyler Perry directed film "Madea's Big Happy Family," both films earned top spots at the box office, respectively. Devine followed up her box office hits with a strong lineup of independent films including Robert Townsend's "In The Hive" which earned Devine a NAACP Image Award nomination for "Best Actress in a Motion Picture", "You're Not You" alongside Hilary Swank, James Franco's "The Sound and the Fury" and the Kristen Wiig dramedy, "Welcome to Me."
On television, Devine became a critical darling in her Emmy award-winning role as "Adele" on ABC's hit medical drama "Grey's Anatomy." Devine's credits include numerous series roles on shows such as "The Cosby Show" spin-off "A Different World," Eddie Murphy's stop-motion animated series "The PJs," David E Kelly's "Boston Public," ABC's "Eli Stone" and alongside Jennifer Love-Hewitt on Lifetime's "The Client List." She most recently starred on NBC's critically acclaimed sitcom "The Carmichael Show" and co-starred in the 3rd season of BET's "Being Mary Jane" as the titular character's main antagonist, "Cece." Devine continues to voice "Hallie the Hippo" on Disney Channel's Peabody Award-Winning animated series, "Doc McStuffins," and will next star in the Netflix family series, "FAMILY REUNION" which will feature an all-black cast and crew.
With a career spanning three decades, Devine has earned much praise and accolades for her work on both the big and small screen. For her work as "Adele" on "Grey's Anatomy," Devine earned both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, a Gracie Allen Award for "Outstanding Female Actor in a Featured Role," a nomination for "Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series" from the Critics' Choice Television Awards and a NAACP Image Award and a NAACP Image Award nomination. In total, Devine has won nine NAACP Image Awards and has received a record twenty-four nominations. Devine has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from both the Pan African Film Festival and the NAACP Theatre Awards and the Thespian Award from the LA Femme International Film Festival.
Devine graduated from the University of Houston and later received a Master of Fine Arts from Brandeis University. She also received a Doctorate of Humane Letters as well as a Distinguished Alumni Award from The University of Houston.
She currently resides in Los Angeles.- Actress
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With roots leading back to Louisiana southern aristocracy, lovely leading lady Lynn Whitfield was born in 1953, the eldest of four children and a third-generation BFA graduate from Howard University. Her dentist father was instrumental in developing Lynn's initial interest in acting as he was a prime figure in forming community theater in her native Baton Rouge. She is of African American and Native American descent, specifically Cherokee.
First garnering attention on the stage by studying and performing with the Black Repertory Company in Washington, D.C, she married one of the company's co-founders and pioneers of black theatre, playwright/director/actor Vantile Whitfield in 1974. She eventually moved to New York and appeared off-Broadway in such shows as "The Great Macdaddy" and "Showdown" before earning acclaim in the 1977 Los Angeles production of the landmark black play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide...When the Rainbow Is Enuf" co-starring Alfre Woodard. Lynn eventually became a force to be reckoned with intelligent and principled roles on quality film and TV as well
Lynn's Hollywood career unfolded under a talent development program at Columbia Pictures in 1979. Appearing on such established TV shows as "Hill Street Blues" and in a 1982 PBS version of her "For Colored Girls..." stage hit, she made her film debut with Doctor Detroit (1983) and doled out a number of support roles in other popular films as well such as Silverado (1985), The Slugger's Wife (1985), Jaws: The Revenge (1987), and Dead Aim (1987). It was TV, however, that garnered her the most attention, working her way into top lead and co-star roles. The topical social dramas The George McKenna Story (1986) co-starring Denzel Washington, Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI (1986) opposite Howard E. Rollins Jr. and Oprah Winfrey's historical miniseries The Women of Brewster Place (1989) were her early highlights. In addition, she found some steadier work on series TV playing classy professionals, including two for ABC (a doctor in Heartbeat (1988) and a news anchorwoman in Equal Justice (1990).)
The peak of her acclaimed career arguably came in the form of highly popular but deeply troubled Follies Bergere headliner-turned civil rights activist Josephine Baker. In the HBO biopic The Josephine Baker Story (1991), Lynn played the legendary entertainer with Emmy-winning gusto, a role that stretched her to the limits as she played the role from age 18 to 68. Earning an NAACP Image Award in 1992 for her role in the miniseries Stompin' at the Savoy (1992), she later appeared in Pauly Shore's comedy In the Army Now (1994) and went back to series TV alongside Bill Cosby in the short-lived The Cosby Mysteries (1994).
Lynn had an upsurge in the late 90s with roles in the films A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) with Martin Lawrence and Gone Fishin' (1997) with "Silverado" co-star Danny Glover. She also earned excellent reviews for her supporting work in Eve's Bayou (1997), a role that drew on her Louisiana heritage. More quality TV came her way when she starred as Sophie in Sophie & the Moonhanger (1996), a mini-movie that focused on the relationship of the wife of a Klansman and her longtime black housekeeper. She kept up the momentum with an unsympathetic role in the Oprah Winfrey miniseries The Wedding (1998), where she again had to cover a long life span, this time from 19 to 47.
Into the millennium, Lynn has continued to find prolific work both on film and TV. Big screen credits include a co-starring role as a party advisor in the Chris Rock/Bernie Mac political comedy Head of State (2003), written and directed by Rock; star/writer/director Tyler Perry's romantic comedy Madea's Family Reunion (2006); the urban film Redemption (2004) starring Jamie Foxx that chronicles the turbulent life of (now) imprisoned L.A. Crips gang founder Stan "Tookie" Williams; a featured part in an updated version of Clare Boothe Luce's The Women (2008) headed by Meg Ryan and Annette Bening; a co-starring role opposite singer/songwriter Ciara in the family musical drama Mama I Want to Sing (2011); another co-star role opposite another musical artist, rapper/songwriter 50 Cent, in the sports drama All Things Fall Apart (2011); a starring role as a woman who loses her police officer son and takes in a young parolee Crawford Wilson in the social drama King's Faith (2013); and the Sean Astin action comedy Espionage Tonight (2017).
On the TV front, Lynne has made guest appearances in such regular programs as "Boston Public," "Strong Medicine," a recurring role in "Without a Trace," "Shark," "Flash Forward," How to Get Away with Murder," "Hit the Floor," "Mistresses" and, more recently, as Lady Belle Greenleaf, the matriarch of a rich, unscrupulous Southern Baptist, mega-church family in the dramatic series Greenleaf (2016).
Divorced from Vantile Whitfield in the late 70s, Lynn later married British director Brian Gibson in 1990, by whom she has a daughter, Grace. They parted ways in 1992.- Actress
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Madison Pettis got her big break at 8 years old with her very first film, playing the daughter of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in Disney's hit family comedy, "The Game Plan". Now all grown up, Madison has an extensive list of acting credits and over 20 million followers on social media. Soon she can be seen starring in upcoming projects, "Margaux", a horror-thriller, and coming-of-age-film "Deltopia". Recently she starred in two Netflix films, "He's All That" and "American Pie: Girls' Rules". Madison also starred in the Kerry Washington/Jon Avnet-produced "Five Points" for Facebook Watch. She also guest-starred on "Law & Order: SVU", "Parenthood", "The Real O'Neals", and had a recurring role on "The Fosters" among others. Inspiring millennials to register and vote, Madison served as a celebrity ambassador for Rock the Vote. In her first tv series, Madison was Disney Channel's youngest star in the role of Sophie the President's daughter on "Cory in the House". In a crossover episode, she guest starred on "Hannah Montana", which led to the producers offering her a starring role in her second series, "Life With Boys" for Teen Nickelodeon which aired in 86 countries worldwide. Madison has worked with many notable names in the business, including Will Smith in "Seven Pounds", Mahershala Ali in USA's "The 4400", and many more. Her talents also include numerous voiceover animation roles. She starred in nearly 100 episodes as the voice of "Izzy" in Disney's "Jake and the Never Land Pirates". Other credits include a recurring role on "Fancy Nancy" produced by Tina Fey, as well as "Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 & 3" and more. Madison has the honor of being the youngest entertainer invited to tour for the USO and has traveled around the world to support our troops and their families.- Music Artist
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Mariah Carey was born in Long Island, New York on March 27, 1969. Her parents are Patricia Hickey (Irish-American) and Alfred Roy Carey (African-American/Venezuelan). Mariah attended Greenlawn's Harborfields High School. In June 1990, Mariah made her debut with her self-titled album, Mariah Carey which entered at #73, but on August 4, 1990 it reached #1. Her 1990 self-titled debut album went multi-platinum and spawned an extraordinary four consecutive #1 singles: "Vision of Love," "Love Takes Time," "Someday" and "I Don't Wanna Cry," and led to Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Vocalist. Her 1993 album titled Music Box went ten-times platinum. On September 30, 1995, she made music history. Her single "Fantasy" from her 1995 Daydream album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first female artist to accomplish a number one debut in the U.S. Her other Daydream's single "One Sweet Day" remained for 16 weeks at the top of the charts. She is the only artist since The Beatles to have so many #1 singles and albums. With "Heartbreaker", the first single from her 1999 album Rainbow and also her 14 #1 single, she became the only artist to top the charts in each year of the 1990s, and with "Heartbreaker" at its 60th week atop the Billboard's charts, she pushed ahead of The Beatles's 59-week record as the only artist with the most cumulative weeks spent atop Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart.
Following "Heartbreaker," her second single "Thank God I Found You" also from her Rainbow album became her 15th #1. "We Belong Together" from her 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi became her 16th #1 single and was also her first #1 without any guest artists since her song "My All" (also a #1 single) captured the top spot in May 1998. The single "Don't Forget About Us" also from her 2005 album Emancipation of Mimi became her 17th #1 single, tying her with Elvis Presley's 17 #1 singles. Three more Grammy Awards were gained from The Emancipation of Mimi album. She is the most successful selling female artist in music history and is the only female artist to have the most #1 singles and albums and also holds the record for straight #1 singles and albums each year. Along with numerous awards and incredible vocal range, she also composes all of her own material, with the exception of song covers.
In April 2008, the single "Touch My Body" became her 18th #1 single, pushing her ahead of Elvis Presley's 17 #1 singles. Now she is the only artist since The Beatles to have as many number one singles and the only singer alive likely to succeed them.- Actress
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Marsha Thomason is a British television and film actress who is known for playing Sara Evers in Disney's The Haunted Mansion, Naomi Dorrit on the ABC series Lost, FBI agent Diana Berrigan on the USA Network series White Collar, Francine Bridge on Sky's Cobra and DS Jenn Townsend in ITV crime series The Bay.- Actress
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Meagan Monique Good was born on 8 August 1981 in Panorama City, California, USA, to Tyra Wardlow-Doyle, who worked as her manager, and Leondis "Leon" Good, an LAPD officer. She began appearing on commercials at the age of four. Then she started guest-starring on series like The Parent 'Hood (1995), Touched by an Angel (1994), Moesha (1996), The Steve Harvey Show (1996) and The Division (2001). She also starred in Raising Dad (2001) with Bob Saget.- Actress
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Melyssa Ford was born on 7 November 1976 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is an actress and director, known for Think Like a Man (2012), Three Can Play That Game (2007) and Entourage (2004).- Producer
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Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is an American attorney and author who served as the first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married to former President Barack Obama.
Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, Obama is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. In her early legal career, she worked at the law firm Sidley Austin where she met Barack Obama. She subsequently worked in nonprofits and as the associate dean of Student Services at the University of Chicago as well as the vice president for Community and External Affairs of the University of Chicago Medical Center. Michelle married Barack in 1992, and together they have two daughters.
Obama campaigned for her husband's presidential bid throughout 2007 and 2008, delivering a keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She has subsequently delivered acclaimed speeches at the 2012, 2016, and 2020 conventions. As first lady, Obama served as a role model for women and worked as an advocate for poverty awareness, education, nutrition, physical activity, and healthy eating. She supported American designers and was considered a fashion icon.
After her husband's presidency, Obama's influence has remained high. In 2020, Obama topped Gallup's poll of the most admired woman in America for the third year running- Music Artist
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Monica Arnold was born October 24, 1980, in Oak Park, Georgia, to Marilyn Best, a church singer and airline customer service representative, and M.C. "Billy" Arnold, Jr., a mechanic. At the age of four, she began singing in her local church choir. After entering many talent shows, Monica was spotted by Dallas Austin, a record producer, who has put albums out for such big named artists,such as TLC. Amazed by her voice, Dallas offered her a record deal,with his Artista-Distributed Rowdy Records label. After her debut album 'Miss Thang' Monica's career began to really start. Her album included smash singles including "Before you walk out of my Life" and "Why I love you so Much." After graduating high school at the age of sixteen with a 4.0 grade average, Monica released her second album 'The Boy is Mine.' Teaming up with another teen icon, Brandy Norwood, the two put together a massive radio hit, "The Boy is Mine." She also put out other hit singles, "Angel of Mine" and "First Night." Her duet with Brandy went on to receive many awards, including Best Video of the Year, and best R&B Song. After her success with the album, she appeared on many television talk shows, Rosie O'Donnell, David Letterman, and also a small stint on Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990). Not only seen on television, Monica was also noticed on basically every teen magazine, YM, Teen People, Twist and Teen. After accomplishing singing, Monica accomplished another thing, acting. Summer 2000 released her first feature film, Boys and Girls (2000). Later she will have a starring role, opposite Charisma Carpenter in The Twins(2001).- Actress
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Monique Coleman was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for High School Musical (2006), A Christmas Dance Reunion (2021) and Greed: A Seven Deadly Sins Story (2022). She was previously married to Walter Jordan.- Actress
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Actress Natalie Desselle Reid hailed from Alexandria, Louisiana. She graduated from Peabody Magnet High School and attended Grambling State University for 2 1/2 years. The acting bug bit her after a starring role in Grambling's production of "Bubbling Brown Sugar." After several productions as a thespian, she decided to move to Los Angeles and test the waters. Realizing Hollywood was not aware of her "arrival" she became a receptionist, a soul food waitress and lastly a tank mechanic at McDonnell Douglas.
A devotee to the anomalous careers of Roseanne, Oprah and Whoopi she began to chart her course. Her break came when Robi Reed cast her in F. Gary Gray's "Set It Off" which led to a guest starring role on television's "Family Matters". After her initial foray into Hollywood, she found herself "down and out" in Inglewood, California and then the "call" came. The role that established her as a comedic thespian aka "the funny chick" in Robert Townsend's" B.A.P.S", starring opposite the luminous Halle Berry. The films "How to be a Player", "Cinderella" and televisions "Built to Last" and "For Your Love" followed.
In the 2000s, she played Janie Egins on the television show "Eve" for three seasons, and had one of her last film roles in Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family (2011). Her most cherished production was her family, which included her husband Lenny Reid and their three children Sereno, Summer, and Sasha.- Linnethia Monique "NeNe" Johnson was born on December 13, 1966 in Queens, New York City, New York & raised in Athens, Georgia. She's best known for having appeared on the reality television series, The Real Housewives of Atlanta (2008) as an original cast member and for her recurring character, Roz Washington on the Fox comedy-drama series, Glee (2009). NeNe also played Rocky Rhoades as a series regular on the sitcom, The New Normal (2012) on NBC until its cancellation in 2013. She has participated on NBC's The Apprentice (2004) & ABC's Dancing with the Stars (2005). She made her Broadway debut as Madame in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella in 2014 and starred as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago on 2015.
She was one of the regular panelists on ABC's revival of the 1950s game show, To Tell the Truth (2016). In addition to her television projects, She had a clothing line on Home Shopping Network, before launching her SWAGG boutiques in select cities across the country. - Actress
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Stunning pop culture icon, Hollywood leading lady and three-time NAACP award winner Nia Long returns to the big screen this fall in the highly anticipated Universal Pictures sequel The Best Man Holiday (in theaters November 15th) where she reunites with original castmates Taye Diggs ("Private Practice"), Terrence Howard (Hustle & flow), Morris Chestnut (The brothers) and Harold Perrineau ("Lost"). Additionally in Spring 2014, Long will star in Tyler Perry's Single mom's club alongside Wendi McLendon- Covey (Bridesmaids), Tyler Perry (Madea) and Amy Smart (Crank).
Early this year, Long joined the all-star cast of Showtime's "House of Lies" alongside Golden Globe Award winner Don Cheadle & Kristen Bell as "Tamara," a business school classmate and former flame of Marty's (Don Cheadle) who has been hired by the same consulting firm Galweather Stearn after taking time off to raise a family.
Long made her film debut in the poignant film portraying the social problems in inner-city Los Angeles, Boyz n the hood , and continued on to star in Friday, alongside Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, as well as Love Jones, which won the prestigious Audience Award at Sundance. Other notable film roles include Soul Food, Alfie opposite Jude Law, The Best man, Are We There Yet?, Big Momma's House 1 & 2 opposite Martin Lawrence, Stigmata, the Broken Hearts Club and Made in America.
On the small screen, Long's portrayal of "Officer Sasha Monroe" on NBC's hit crime drama "Third Watch" awarded her two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Drama series. Long's other TV accomplishments include "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Boston Legal," "Judging Amy," and "Big Shots." Long also voiced "Roberta" in the first season of the Fox hit "the Cleveland Show."
Making her directorial debut on Ashanti's music video "Baby" and Yolanda Adam's "This Too Shall Pass," Nia continues her work behind the camera and is developing a feature film that centers on renowned world champion boxer and trainer Ann Wolfe.
In addition to her film and TV work, Long's passion lies in serving her community. With her family roots planted in Trinidad, Grenada, and Barbados, Long's long term goals are to connect women in the US to those of the islands and to mentor young girls to regain their self-esteem. Additionally, Long lends her support to Black Girls Rock, an organization that promotes the arts for young women of color and encourages dialogue on the ways women of color are portrayed in the media. In 2012 she was named an official surrogate to the Barack Obama reelection campaign.
Nia was born in Brooklyn, to Talita (Gillman), a teacher and printmaker, and Doughtry Long, a high school teacher and poet. She now calls Los Angeles home where she lives with her 12 year old son, Massai, 14 month old son, Kez and partner Ime Udoka, an Assistant Coach for the San Antonio Spurs. Long loves to cook organic farmers market fresh meals adding a twist of her Trinidadian heritage. When she's not juggling between her career and motherhood, she enjoys staying active by doing pilates, boxing, hiking, and horseback riding. Long also finds pleasure in traveling and experiencing different cultures throughout the world. One of her favorite locations to visit is Jamaica, a place she calls her second home where she can reflect and refuel.- Nichole Galicia is a film and television actress whose extraordinary journey to the big screen began as a high fashion model on the catwalks of Europe. Most recently, acclaimed director Quentin Tarantino hand picked Galicia for his film, Django Unchained, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx. Galicia has garnered much buzz around the character she plays "Sheba," DiCaprio's enslaved mistress and since, she has been extremely well received in the fashion industry, with her photos running in Page Six, W and online fashion sites, noting her exceptional taste in clothing, versatile hairstyles among other trending aspects of her looks.
As if that wasn't enough, Nichole wrote an art book, The Nichole Kent Collection, detailing her impressive pop art collection.
On the small screen, Galicia made her mark as a series regular on season 3 of Syfy's Defiance playing the fearless Kindzi, the alpha female of the alien Omec race. Galicia was also the female lead in And She Was My Eve a short featured in Ron Howard's Project Imaginat10n Film festival.
When Galicia is not modeling or acting she devotes her time to charities focused on developing the esteem and confidence of youth. Nichole served on the board of the Junior Committee of the New York Center for Children. Galicia recently started her own charity, The Orchid Foundation, where she mentors and provides scholarships for girls in need across the country. As a sports fan, Galicia enjoys Formula One, football, and basically anything that provides her with an adrenaline rush. - Music Artist
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Nicki Minaj was born Onika Tanya Maraj on December 8, 1982 in St. James, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago and raised in Queens, New York City, New York. She grew up in a troubled family with a father that was a drug addict who later changed after he checked into rehab and started going to church. Minaj went to LaGaurdia High School and studied singing and acting.
She was first spotted by the CEO of Young Money, and was later recruited for The Carter Edition of Young Money's own "The Come Up" DVD series. Her rapping skills caught the eyes of Lil Wayne who later worked with her for many collaborations with his mixtapes.
In April 2007, Minaj released her first mixtape "Playtime Is Over". One year later she made another mixtape "Sucka Free" which made her Female Artist of the Year at the Underground Music Awards. In 2009 she made her third mixtape "Beam Me Up Scotty" which got positive reviews from BET and MTV.
To date, Nicki has released 3 platinum selling studio albums, Pink Friday, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, and the most recent The Pinkprint- Actress
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Nicole Ari Parker Kodjoe is an American actress and model. She made her screen debut with a leading role in the critically acclaimed independent film The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995) and went on to appear in Boogie Nights (1997), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Parker has starred in a number of movies, including Blue Streak (1999), Remember the Titans (2000), Brown Sugar (2002), Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008), Black Dynamite (2009), and Almost Christmas (2016). On television, Parker starred in the short-lived UPN romantic comedy Second Time Around (2004-05) and the ABC drama Time After Time (2017). In 2017, she joined the cast of Fox's prime-time soap opera Empire playing Giselle Barker. She appears as a recurring character in Chicago P.D. as Deputy Superintendent Samantha Miller and in And Just Like That... as Lisa Todd Wexley.- Actress
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Spencer is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, which she claims is the proverbial buckle of the Bible belt. She's the sixth of seven siblings and holds a BS in Liberal Arts from Auburn University. A "closet" lover of acting, this practical Alabamian knew that she'd someday work in the film industry, but never dreamed it would be in front of the camera. In 1995, acclaimed director Joel Schumacher changed all that by giving her a small part opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit film A Time to Kill, and Spencer was on her way. In 1996, she teamed up with Bullock again in Bullock's directorial debut of Making Sandwiches, a short film that premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.
Spencer made her stage debut in Los Angeles and originated the role of "LaSonia" (pronounced lasagna) in famed writer/director Del Shore's, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, starring opposite veteran actors Beth Grant, Dale Dickey and David Steen (2003). The play garnered Spencer and her fellow cast mates critical acclaim and a bevy of awards. Since then, Spencer has continued to see success as an actor in both film and television, working alongside Hollywood's elite. In February 2009, she was lauded by Los Angeles Times publication: The Envelope, for her brief but memorable performance in the Will Smith drama Seven Pounds.- Actress
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Olivia Longott was born on 15 February 1980 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Magic Mike XXL (2015), The Man in 3B (2015) and Conspiracy X (2010).- Producer
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Oprah Gail Winfrey , often known simply as Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which was the highest-rated television program of its kind in history and ran in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011. Dubbed the "Queen of All Media", she was the richest African-American of the 20th century, was once the world's only black billionaire, and the greatest black philanthropist in U.S. history. By 2007, she was sometimes ranked as the most influential woman in the world- Actress
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Paula Patton was born in Los Angeles, California, to Joyce (Vanraden) and Charles Patton. Her father is African-American and her mother, who is caucasian, has German, English, and Dutch ancestry. Her family lived across the street from the 20th Century Fox lot when she was growing up and she was a fan of films from her earliest years. Her mother, who also appreciated good films, was a schoolteacher, and her father was a lawyer. Paula claims that as a girl she would escape by "pretending to be someone else" so it was not a surprise that she acted in high school plays at Hamilton Magnet Arts High School. Her favorite role was that of "Abigail" in "The Crucible". However, she went on to study film at the University of Southern California in a summer program, and won a 3-month assignment making documentaries for PBS. This led to her working as a production assistant for TV documentaries, and also for Howie Mandel's talk show. She progressed to actually producing documentary segments for Medical Diaries (2000) airing on Discovery Health Channel. Paula now professes that she liked what she was doing, but her dream remained the same as when she was small so she took acting lessons and shifted gears to become a performer. She was almost immediately successful and, within three years, had played parts in major features, Hitch (2005) and Idlewild (2006) and the female lead in Deja Vu (2006) opposite Denzel Washington.- Producer
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Phaedra Parks stars in the hit Bravo reality series "Real Housewives of Atlanta," now in its ninth season and one of the network's highest rated shows. Parks is also a successful attorney, businesswoman, media personality, motivational speaker, author and social activist.
As managing partner of The Parks Group, an Atlanta-based law firm, Parks practices law in the areas of entertainment, intellectual property rights and civil and criminal litigation. Her clients have included celebrities and high-profile individuals and she is actively involved in the Atlanta legal community. She has served as president of the Gate City Bar Association and on the advisory board of the American Bar Association. Parks has been an on-air legal analyst for media outlets including NBC, Fox, CNN, truTV, EXTRA and Entertainment Tonight and has been quoted on legal issues in dozens of publications including The New York Times, Newsweek and People.
A passionate social activist, Parks is a tireless advocate for African-American boys. Through her nonprofit organization Save Our Sons she works with communities nationwide on the importance of positive male role models in the lives of black boys. She has spent time with the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and others who have been victims of violence and unjustified killings. Parks is a regular fixture in Washington, D.C., where she works with members of Congress on implementing initiatives to provide opportunities for at-risk youth. Parks is also outspoken on civil rights issues and has gone to cities from Selma, Alabama to Flint, Michigan to fight social injustices.
Parks is the author of the bestselling "Secrets of the Southern Belle: How to Be Nice, Work Hard, Look Pretty, Have Fun, and Never Have an Off Moment," which provides amusing and entertaining insight and tips on how to have all the charm, confidence and grace of a true Southern Belle. As a motivational speaker, Parks regularly travels around the country speaking to different groups about subjects ranging from business and law to personal growth and achieving success. Also a licensed funeral director, Parks is in the process of opening a funeral home in the greater Atlanta area.
Parks earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Wesleyan College, a Juris Doctorate from the University of Georgia as well as a degree in mortuary sciences from Jefferson State College. She is a Georgia native and currently lives in Atlanta with her two sons, Ayden and Dylan.- Actress
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Often considered hip-hop's first lady, the woman behind the moniker Queen Latifah was born Dana Elaine Owens on March 18, 1970, in East Orange, New Jersey. She is the daughter of Rita (Bray), a teacher, and Lancelot Owens Sr. She came from a police family-both her father and her older brother were cops-which would later influence her rhyming style and life philosophy. Her brother died in a motorcycle accident in 1992. Owens witnessed both sides of black urban life in the USA while growing up. After a brief stint as a Burger King employee, she soon found herself making waves in the hip-hop music scene.
After working as the human beatbox alongside Ladies Fresh, she was just 18 years old when she broke through in the late 1980s with a style that picked selectively from jazz, reggae, and soul traditions, from beats produced by D.J. Mark the 45 King. Her debut single, "Wrath of My Madness," was released in 1988. A year later, her debut long-player, "All Hail the Queen," enjoyed favored reviews: an old, wise head was evident on the top of her young shoulders. The former Burger King employee maintained her early commitment to answering the misogynist armory of some of her male counterparts and, at the same time, imparted musical good times to all genders. Her name means "delicate and sensitive" in Arabic, but she has often been anything but in her rhymes and the messages she sends out through them. One of the most prominent female hip-hop artists on the scene for over a decade, Queen Latifah has also made tremendous inroads in movies, television, and artist management, with her management company, Flavor Unit, alongside her business partner Shakim Compere. A role model who takes the responsibility to heart, Latifah has carefully constructed a fine career for herself-one that is constantly moving upward.- Actress
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Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman, also known as Raven, is an American actress, singer, songwriter, executive producer, and director. She began her career as actress, appearing as Olivia Kendall on The Cosby Show (1984) and Nicole Lee on Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992). She starred as Raven Baxter on the television series That's So Raven (2003), for which she was nominated for numerous accolades.
In music, Pearman released her debut studio album at the age of seven, Here's to New Dreams (1993), which saw the moderate commercial success. Her subsequent studio albums, Undeniable (1999), This Is My Time (2004), and Raven-Symoné (2008) saw some commercial success on the Billboard 200 chart. She also contributed vocals to several soundtracks from her Disney projects, including The Cheetah Girls (2003), That's So Raven (2003), and The Cheetah Girls 2 (2005), several of which were certified platinum and gold.
In 2011, she starred in the lead role on the sitcom State of Georgia (2011). She also joined the panel of the ABC daytime talk show The View (1997) from 2015 to 2016. Since 2017, Pearman has reprized her role as Raven Baxter on Raven's Home (2017), for which she was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming.- Actress
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Regina Hall was born December 12, 1970 in Washington, D.C., to Ruby, a teacher, and Odie Hall, a contractor. She graduated from Fordham University in 1992, and went on to earn a master's degree in journalism from New York University before shifting to an acting career. In 1997 at age 26, she began appearing in commercials, and then made the giant leap into movies. Her fame came with her role in the comedy-horror spoof Scary Movie, Regina Hall has frequented the big screen in roles that far from betrayed her age. Her recurring role in Scary Movie and the sequel Scary Movie 2 exhibited the 30-year-old's ability to maintain her youthful appearance, as she portrayed the high-school-aged Brenda Meeks. However, her first film role was in the 1999 film The Best Man. The following year, she made many other film appearances, including her starring role in Scary Movie in 2000. She first had a role in the movie Love and Basketball which also starred close friend Sanaa Lathan. In 2001, Hall's list of credits grew to include her first television role, as Corretta Lipp on the prime-time drama Ally McBeal, which was a recurring role for several episodes. Furthermore, in 2001 Scary Movie 2 was released, in addition to the Mandel Holland comedy The Other Brother, featuring Hall as Vicki. One year later, she starred in the action-drama Paid in Full, directed by Charles Stone III. She would later on start in other films such as;Malibu's Most Wanted, Scary Movie 3, The Honeymooners, and First Sunday.- Actress
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Regina King was born in Los Angeles, California, to Gloria, a special education teacher, and Thomas King, an electrician. She began her career in the television show 227 (1985), followed by a role in Boyz n the Hood (1991). She began to be recognized by a mainstream audience after her role as Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character's wife in Jerry Maguire (1996). She co-starred in Enemy of the State (1998) as Will Smith's character's wife.- Music Artist
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Rihanna was born Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988 in Bridgetown, St. Michael, Barbados to Monica Braithwaite, an accountant & Ronald Fenty, a warehouse supervisor. Her mother is Afro-Guyanese and her father is of Afro-Barbadian and British Isles ancestry. Rihanna lived the life of a normal island girl going to Combermere, a top sixth form school. Rihanna won numerous beauty pageants and performed Mariah Carey's single, Hero in a school talent show. Her life changed forever when one of her friends introduced her to Evan Rodgers, a producer from New York who was in Barbados for a vacation with his wife, who is a native. Rodgers arranged for her to go to New York to meet Jay-Z, CEO of Def Jam Records. He heard her sing and knew she was going to be incredibly successful. She was age 16 when she was signed to Def Jam. Since then, she's amassed phenomenal success.- Actress
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Robinne Lee (born July 16, 1974) is an American actress and author. She made her screen debut in the 1997 independent film Hav Plenty, and later has appeared in films National Security (2003), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), Hitch (2005), Seven Pounds (2008), Fifty Shades Darker (2017), and Fifty Shades Freed (2018).
Lee was born in Mount Vernon, New York on July 16. A graduate of Columbia Law School, Lee began her acting career as part of the ensemble cast of the romantic comedy Hav Plenty in 1997, which was shown at Toronto Film Festival. She spent the following years working in smaller films, and well as co-starred in television movies include The Runaway opposite Debbi Morgan. On television, Lee also guest-starred on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Numbers. She also appeared in R&B singer Usher's music video for his 2004 single "Confessions Part II".
In 2003, Lee has appeared in two movies. The first movie was action comedy National Security with Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn. Later that year, she co-starred with LL Cool J and Gabrielle Union in the romantic comedy Deliver Us From Eva. In 2005, Lee had role in box-office hit Hitch starring Will Smith. In 2008, she co-starred again with Smith in the drama film Seven Pounds playing his fiancee. As lead actress, she starred in the 2008 comedy-drama This Is Not a Test. In 2009, Lee co-starred alongside Don Cheadle in the comedy film Hotel for Dogs.
In 2007, Lee had the recurring role on the TBS sitcom Tyler Perry's House of Payne and shot an independent film called This Is Not a Test. From 2013 to 2014, she played Avery Daniels in the first season of the critically acclaimed BET drama series, Being Mary Jane.
Lee played Ros Bailey in Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018), the sequels to Fifty Shades of Grey.- Actress
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Rochelle Aytes was born in New York City. She attended LaGuardia High School and graduated with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts degree in Dance from SUNY Purchase College Conservatory for Dance in 1998. She is best-known for her role in White Chicks (2004) as Denise Porter; her role in Left 4 Dead 2 (2009) as a news producer; and more recently in the TV series The Forgotten (2009) as Detective Grace Russell, who teams up with a volunteer group, including a former Chicago police detective played by Christian Slater, to solve cases of missing or unidentified homicide victims. Rochelle also played Lisa Breaux in Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion (2006), in which she plays a woman who is caught in a relationship because of which which her fiancé (Blair Underwood) beats and threatens her.
In 2006, She played Nicole Jamieson in the pilot episode of Tyler Perry's House of Payne (2006). In 2007 she guest-starred in the hit Fox series Bones (2005) as Felicia Saroyan, the sister of lab supervisor Cam. She also played Leigh Barnthouse in the Fox series Drive (2007). In 2009 she played Tara Kole in the CBS TV show NCIS (2003) and had a role in the independent film Trick 'r Treat (2007). In 2010 she played Eva in the hit TNT series Dark Blue (2009). In 2011 she had a recurring role in the ABC series Detroit 1-8-7 (2010) as prosecutor Alice Williams, until her character was murdered in the 1-11-2011 episode "Key to the City." She also plays the part of Amber James, the former girlfriend of Keith Watson, on ABC's Desperate Housewives (2004).
She is represented by Ryan Daly of Zero Gravity Management.- Actress
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Sanaa Lathan is an actor, director, producer, and activist, well-known for starring in such hit films as LOVE & BASKETBALL, THE BEST MAN and BEST MAN HOLIDAY, BROWN SUGAR, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR, and NAPPILY EVER AFTER.
She recently made her feature directorial debut for Paramount Pictures' ON THE COME UP, based on the New York Times best-selling novel of the same name. Premiering at the Toronto film festival to stellar reviews. Currently streaming on Paramount Plus.
Coming soon: MACRO Films' YOUNG WILD AND FREE which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
She is currently starring in the 3rd season of the Emmy Award-winning HBO series Succession. For which she was nominated for an Emmy award.
Lathan can be seen starring in REPLAY, an episode of the Jordan Peele's remake of The Twilight Zoneon CBS All Access. She also stars in Showtime's The Affair and Fox's Shots Fired created by Gina Prince- Bythewood, and Rashid Johnson's Native Son on HBO.
Lathan is the voice of 'Donna Tubbs' on Fox's animated series Family Guy and The Cleveland Show, as well as the voice of 'Catwoman' in the DC animated series Harley Quinn.
On stage, Lathan was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance on Broadway in A RAISIN IN THE SUN and starred as 'Maggie the Cat' opposite James Earl Jones in the Olivier award winning revival of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at the Novello Theatre in London's West end.
Lathan made her directorial debut with the short film LEAP for Maven Pictures, which she shot during lock down, about a Zoom therapist who suffers from OCD and panic disorder. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.
She also stars in Peacock's MAN: FINAL CHAPTERS limited series with the original cast for which she was nominated for an image award.
Later this year she will be starring in the Fox Searchlight film: SUPREMES AT EARL'S ALL YOU CAN EAT based on the book of the same name.
Her lengthy list of credits also includes Steven Soderbergh's CONTAGION, NOW YOU SEE ME 2, AMERICAN ASSASSIN and Focus feature's SOMETHING NEW.- Actress
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Serena Williams is one of the greatest female tennis players of all time. She earned her first Grand Slam singles title at the U.S. Open in 1999, and won a string of five Grand Slam singles title wins: the 2002 French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open titles and the 2003 Australian Open and her second Wimbledon title in 2003, all by defeating her older sister, Venus Williams in the finals. To date, she has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era, and the second-most of all time. Serena has appeared in guest roles on The Simpsons (1989) and My Wife and Kids (2000). She was born in Saginaw, Michigan in 1981, to Richard and Oracene Williams. The youngest of five girls, Serena grew up with Venus and older sisters Lyndrea, Isha & Yetunde. She and sister Venus were coached in tennis from an early age by their father, Richard.- Shannon Kane was born on 14 September 1986 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for Brooklyn's Finest (2009), The Collection (2012) and Blood and Bone (2009).
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Sharon Leal is a military brat. She was born in Tucson, Arizona. Sharon then moved with her parents to the Philippines, till she was 6 years old. She went to prayer-school there. Then, her parents packed up to move back to the US and settled in Fresno, California. Her mother, Angelita, who is Filipino, is a homemaker, and her father is African-American. She has a step-father, Elmer Manankil. Elmer and Angelita have a daughter, together. So, Sharon has a younger sister, Kristina Manankil.
How she got started with the desire for performing. At the age of two, Sharon sang into a microphone, and her parents taped her. This later led to acting, which she began doing in community theater productions as a teen. Sharon graduated from "Roosevelt High School of the Arts" in Fresno. In 1993, she won a vocal scholarship at the "Santa Cruz Jazz Festival", which enabled her to study with Seth Riggs (Michael Jackson's voice coach). Sharon has also performed in various rap and R&B music videos. She has sung in cabaret productions at B. Smith's, The Violet, and Steve McGraw's, all in New York City, and played teenager "Dahlia Creed" on the daytime soap opera, Guiding Light (1952), in the mid-90s. At New York Theatre Workshop: "Bright Lights, Big City". Regional credits include "Little Shop of Horrors"-Arizona Theatre Co., "Into the Woods"-Theatre Works CA and other shows like "Ain't Misbehavin", "West Side Story", "Me and My Girl" and "Nunsense", to name a few. Last performed on Broadway as "Mimi" in "Rent".- Actress
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Sherri Evonne Shepherd was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. When she was 11, her family moved to the suburb Hoffman Estates. Her father, Lawrence, was a food service manager at Sambos Restaurant and a church deacon, and her mother, LaVerne, cleaned homes.
Sherri started her stand-up career in 1990 while working in Beverly Hills as a legal secretary. In 1995, she took the big plunge, stepped out on faith, and quit her secretarial job. 12 days later she booked her first series as a regular on the WB's Cleghorne! (1995). It lasted only a season; and since unemployment didn't pay the bills but typing did, Sherri had to go back to the law firm for the next three years. She is best-known for her role as Ramona on ABC's Less Than Perfect (2002). Not leaving her stand-up roots, Sherri still performs regularly at the Comedy Store, the Laugh Factory and the Improv.- Actress
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Shondrella Avery was born in South Central Los Angeles, California, USA. Before her career in Hollywood, Shondrella was the youngest Senior Executive in Hospitality at HHC in BH, CA; while making a name for herself as a part-time model and a stand-up comic. She is a college graduate studying acting and went on to become an accomplished actress, producer, motivational speaker, and sickle cell disease advocate. Avery's, philanthropic SCD efforts elevated her to become a 2015 "Iconic Women," for Women's History Month appointed by Fendi and SCDA on behalf of her chapter www.scdfc.org. Avery is notably known for her character "LaFawnduh," in the indie cult classic Napoleon Dynamite (2004), End of Watch (2012), Deja Vu (2006), The Secret Lives of Bees (2008) and T.V. Shows Girls Behaving Badly (2003) and One on One & Cuts (2003-2006). Avery has used her voice to narrate children's books for cancer patients and has had a national commercial as the voice of a Giraffe for Lowes. Avery has an accomplished list of indie Produced features and in 2021 she Co-Executive Produced the True Story of Bob Zellner a KKK's Grandson turned Civil Rights Activist under the lead Executive Producer's Frank Barwah and Oscar Winner Spike Lee, Directed by Barry Alexander Brown.- Actress
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Solange was born on 24 June 1986 in Houston, Texas, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Johnson Family Vacation (2004), Bring It on: All or Nothing (2006) and Solange: Almeda (2019). She has been married to Alan Ferguson since 16 November 2014. She was previously married to Daniel Smith.- Actress
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Sophie Okonedo is a British actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Tatiana Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda (2004).
Okonedo was born within London in 1968. Her parents were Henry Okonedo (1939-2009) and Joan Allman. Her father was British Nigerian employed as a government worker. Her mother was a British Jew employed as a Pilates teacher. Sophie's maternal grandparents were Yiddish-speaking emigrants to the United Kingdom, one from Poland and the other from Russia.
Henry Okonedo abandoned his family around 1973, when Sophie was 5. Joan raised her daughter as a single mother in the Chalkhill Estate, a large council estate within the Wembley Park district of the London Borough of Brent. The Chalkhill Estate consisted of "about 1900 houses and flats" and was located at a short distance from the Wembley Stadium. The Chalkhill Estate was often vandalized by football hooligans during during the 1970s and suffered from high crime rates from the 1970s to the 1990s. The Estate's buildings were eventually demolished in 2000.
Sophie was raised as a practicing Jew, and always had access to books despite her family's relative poverty. She chose to follow acting as a profession, and was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, one of the oldest and most prestigious drama schools in the United Kingdom.
Okonedo made her film debut at 23, in the coming-of-age film "Young Soul Rebels" (1991). The film was a historical fiction work, examining the youth culture of London in the late 1970s, and the interactions between different culture movements: the skinheads, the punks, and the soul-boys. Sophie Okonedo played Tracy, the girlfriend of the main character Chris (Valentine Nonyela).
In 1995, Okonedo gained the role of Moira Levitt in the first season of the prison drama "The Governor" (1995-1996). The series primarily concerned the lives of a prison's staff members. Also in 1995, Okonedo played the role of the Wachati Princess, Ace Ventura's love interest in the comedy film "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls". In the film, the virgin princess of an African tribe has been engaged to a heir from another tribe, but disagrees with the arranged marriage and attempts to seduce pet detective Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) instead. Ace has recently become a Buddhist monk and has taken an oath of celibacy, but feels tempted by the offer.
From 1996 to 1997, Okonedo played the main role of Kelly Booth in the medical drama series "Staying Alive". In 2000, Okonedo played a main role in the legal drama mini-series "In Defence". While originally planned to be a multi-season television series, the series was cut short due to poor ratings.
In 2000, Okonedo co-stared in the dramatic television film "Never Never". She was nominated for a "Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor - Female", for her role in the film. In 2002, Okonedo played the role of the prostitute Juliette in the social thriller film "Dirty Pretty Things", which depicted the lives of impoverished immigrants in London.
In 2003, Okonedo voiced the role of Alison Cheney in the flash-animated series "Scream of the Shalka", a spin-off of "Doctor Who". In the series, Alison is a barmaid at a Lancashire village who becomes the newest time-traveling companion of the Doctor (played by Richard E. Grant). Alison also befriends the Master (played by Derek Jacobi), an arch-enemy-turned-assistant of the Doctor who is permanently trapped within the time machine known as the Tardis.
In 2004, 36-year-old Okonedo had her breakthrough role as the co-star of the historical drama film "Hotel Rwanda", depicting the Rwandan genocide (1994). Okonedo played the historical figure Tatiana Rusesabagina (1958-), a professional nurse from the Tutsi ethnic group who helped over a 1000 individuals to escape the massacre. Okonedo won a Black Reel Award for Best Actress for her role. She was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, but the Award for that year was won by rival actress Cate Blanchett (1969-).
In 2005, Okonedo had the role of Sithandra in the science fiction film "Æon Flux". The film was set in the 25th century, within the fictional city-state of Bregna. The characters Æon Flux (played by Charlize Theron) and Sithandra are female assassins, tasked with assassinating Trevor Goodchild, the local head-of-state. But in the process, Æon finds out that the city-state's main rebel-organization is actually a tool for a coup d'état orchestrated by other politicians. And also discovers some dark secrets about the city's past. The film gained a worldwide box office total of 52 million dollars, smaller than its actual budget,
In 2006, Okonedo played the intelligence agent "Mrs. Jones" in the spy film "Stormbreaker", an adaptation of the "Alex Rider" novel series by Anthony Horowitz (1955-). In the film, Mrs. Jones (full name "Tulip Jones" in the novels) is an an agent of the Special Operations Division of MI6, and the de facto second-in-command of MI6. When subordinate agent Ian Rider gets assassinated by enemy agents, Mrs. Jones recruits Ian's nephew and surrogate son Alex Rider as a replacement agent. Blackmailing the boy by threatening to deport his housekeeper and primary caretaker Jack Starbright (played by Alicia Silverstone) if he refuses to serve the agency. The film gained about 24 million dollars at the international box office, receiving only a limited release in the United States.
Also in 2006, Okonedo played the role of Anna in the British comedy-drama film "Scenes of a Sexual Nature", an anthology film depicting seven loosely connected stories, all set in the nature reserve of Hampstead Heath within Greater London. Anna was depicted as a woman suffering from extreme mood swings, which convince her boyfriend to leave her alone in the nature reserve. The depressed Anna is approached by the weirdly-acting stranger Noel (played by Tom Hardy) who attempts to cheer her up and befriend her. Anna is at turns amused and annoyed by Noel, attempts to have sex with him, and then abruptly abandons him due to another sudden change in her mood. The film opened in niche cinemas.
Also in 2006, Okonedo played the role of Susie Carter in the mini-series "Tsunami: The Aftermath", which depicted the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. In the film, Susie is a young mother who is searching for her daughter Martha Carter (Jazmyn Maraso). Martha was swept away by the tsunami, and her whereabouts are unknown for most of the series. Okonedo won an "NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special" for this role, and was nominated for a Golden Globe.
Okonedo's next films were the comedy-drama "Martian Child" (2007), the drama film "The Secret Life of Bees" (2008), and the biographical film "Skin" (2008). The last two films allowed Okonedo to be nominated for several Black Reel Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Satellite Awards, and British Independent Film Award. Despite the critical acclaim for her acting roles, Okonedo never actually won these awards.
In 2010, 42-year-old Okonedo was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire, a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences. The Order was established in 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom (reigned 1910-1936) and counts among its members several actors.
In 2010, Okonedo returned to the Doctor Who franchise, playing another character in the most recent "Doctor Who" television series. She was cast as Elizabeth X (nicknaned "Liz Ten"), a Queen regnant of the United Kingdom in the 29th century. In the series, Elizabeth is immortal, but has limited access to her own memories due to a series of mind-wipes. She was depicted as still alive and reigning in an episode set in the 52nd century, at which point she was over 2300 years old.
Okonedo was limited to television roles for much of the early 2010s, but returned to theatrical films with the post-apocalyptic science fiction film "After Earth" (2013). The film is set in the 31st century, when the planet Earth has long been abandoned by humanity. Most humans live in the colony world Nova Prime, which is protected from alien threats by the Ranger Corps. Okonedo was cast in the role of Faia Raige, wife of the General Cypher Raige (Will Smith), the commanding officer of the Rangers. Early in the film, Faia convinces Cypher to take their son Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) with him in mission, as a bonding experience. Young Kitai's application to become a Ranger has already being rejected due to reckless behavior, Kitai suffers from survivor's guilt for playing a part in his sister's death, and his father sees him as a failure. Faia's request for a bonding experience results in father and son being left stranded on planet Earth, the only two humans alive on the planet. The film was poorly received by critics, but earned about 244 million dollars at the worldwide box office. Becoming the commercially most successful film in Okonedo's entire career at this point.
Okonedo's next film was the political drama "War Book" (2014). The film depicts British civil servants who participate in a war-game, concerning government reactions in a potential nuclear war. In 2016, Okonedo had a major role in the mini-series "The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses", depicting the historical Wars of the Roses (1455-1487), a series of English civil wars involving rival branches of the royal family. Okonedo was cast in the role of Queen consort Margaret of Anjou (1430-1482, terms as Queen 1445-1461, 1470-1471). The historical Margaret was the wife and consort of Henry VI of England (1421-1471, reigned 1422-1461, 1470-1471), the mother of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales (1453-1471), and the mother-in-law of Anne Neville (1456-1485). Due to Henry's health problems and Edward's underage status, Margaret served as the de facto head of the House of Lancaster and the Lancastrian military faction in early phases of the war. The defeat of her army at the Battle of Tewkesbury (1471) caused the deaths of both her husband and her son, and allowed the rival House of York to dominate the English throne until 1485.
In 2018, Okonedo returned to voice acting. She voiced Kanga the kangaroo of the Hundred Acre Wood in the fantasy film "Christopher Robin", a sequel to the Winnie-the-Pooh novels of Alan Alexander Milne (1882-1956). The film depicts an adult Christopher Robin as a World War II veteran and aging businessman. He thinks that his childhood friends from the Hundred Acre Wood were imaginary, until said friends come searching for him. He has aged, but they have not. The film earned about 198 million dollars at the worldwide box office, becoming the highest-grossing film in Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise.
In 2019, Okonedo played the seer Lady Hatton in the superhero film "Hellboy", the first superhero film of her career. The film earned about 40 million dollars at the worldwide box office, lower than its own budget. The film was criticized for its excessive gore, including an opening scene where King Arthur mutilates the corpse of his enemy Nimue.
Also in 2019, Okonedo was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2010, and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019., for her services in drama. She is living with her only daughter Aoife Okonedo Martin in Muswell Hill, a suburban district of north London. Aoife is employed as a Personal Trainer. At 51, Okonedo continues to work regularly in her chosen field.- Actress
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Tamela J. Mann was born on 9 June 1966 in Limestone County, Texas, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Madea Goes to Jail (2009), Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005) and Meet the Browns (2008). She has been married to David Mann since 9 June 1988. They have four children.- Actress
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Tamera Darvette Mowry was born on July 6, 1978, two minutes before her twin sister, Tia Mowry, in Gelnhausen, Hesse, Germany, to Darlene Mowry and Tim Mowry, who was serving in the U.S. Army at the time of her birth and later became a custody officer/jailer with the City of Glendale Police Department, when the family moved to California. Her mother worked as a security guard and managed Tamera and Tia's acting careers. When the girls were 16, they discovered tremendous success with their hit TV series, Sister, Sister (1994), about twins who are separated at birth who learn of each other and come back together in their teen years which became a huge hit. After "Sister, Sister" ended in 1999, she was in many movies and shows such as Seventeen Again (2000), The Hot Chick (2002), Twitches (2005) and Double Wedding (2010). On May 15, 2011, she married her boyfriend of six years, Adam Housley, in Napa Valley, and the couple has two children.- Actress
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- Executive
Tangi Miller was born and raised in Miami, Florida. The oldest of six children, Tangi acted in stage productions while in high school. After graduating, she attended Alabama State University, majoring in marketing. After her graduation, she realized she spent all of her free time acting, so she decided to pursue that talent. She was determined to study acting, and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of California, Irvine and studied at the Royal National Theater in London as well as the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. After appearing on the HBO Comedy Arli$$ (1996), and on the CBS drama Michael Hayes (1997), Tangi went to stardom after becoming a cast member of the WB hit show, Felicity (1998), playing smart and stylish Elena Tyler. Recently, she was named as one of TV GUIDE'S Sexiest Faces. Tangi will next be seen alongside Mekhi Phifer, in the independent film, The Other Brother (2002). The actress, who has a passion for African/Caribbean dancing, is on the move to stardom.- Actress
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Taraji Penda Henson is an American actress and singer. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in Baby Boy (2001). She played a prostitute in Hustle & Flow (2005), for which she received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture nomination; and a single mother of a disabled child in David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), for which she received Academy Award, SAG Award and Critics Choice Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. In 2010, she appeared in the action comedy Date Night, and co-starred in the remake of The Karate Kid.- Actress
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Tasha Smith is a multifaceted actress and director whose work brings style and intensity to the projects she works on, whether in front of or behind the camera. From her roles as "Carol" on Fox's hit drama Empire, "Brenda" in Netflix's Running Out Of Time, to her critically-acclaimed portrayal of the drug-addicted "Ronnie Boyce" in HBO's Emmy Award winning mini-series The Corner, Tasha embodies her characters and gives them life. Tasha's memorable portrayal of "Angela" in Why Did I Get Married? and its sequel Why Did I Get Married, Too? sparked the creation of the spin-off series For Better Or Worse on OWN, for which she earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for "Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series." Other feature credits include Lionsgate films Addicted and Daddy's Little Girls (opposite Idris Elba), Sony's Jumping The Broom, and Universal's romantic comedy Couples Retreat, among others.
Most recently, Tasha has directed episodes of 9-1-1 for Fox, Black Lightning for The CW, the Untitled Tracy Oliver project for Amazon, Star on Fox, P-Valley on Starz, Tales on BET, as well as her directorial debut feature film for TV1 titled When Love Kills, which was nominated for a NAACP Award.
Tasha Smith's infectious optimism and enthusiasm command attention in her professional and private lives. She takes time to share her inspirational life story through motivational speaking and mentoring emerging actors through the Tasha Smith Actors Workshop (TSAW).- Actress
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Tatyana Marisol Ali was born on January 24, 1979, in North Bellmore, New York, to Sonia, a nurse from Panama, and Sheriff Ali, a retired police officer from Trinidad. At the age of four, she started singing and got a taste of fame when she begged her mother to take her to an audition for Sesame Street (1969).
She went on to perform in many productions in her native New York, including the Broadway show "Fences"--with James Earl Jones and, later, Billy Dee Williams--and the off-Broadway show "Orfeo del Campo". When she was seven, she appeared on Star Search (1983) and won twice, receiving a four-star rating when she appeared for a second time. At age 11, Tatyana moved from New York to Los Angeles to establish her career and, not long afterwards, got her breakthrough role:Will Smith's cousin, "Ashley Banks," from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990).
While filming "The Fresh Prince," she also had exciting side projects, including guest roles in television shows such as The Cosby Show (1984), The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989) (aka "The Mickey Mouse Club"), Kyno's Storytime (1992), Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990) and Foster's Field Trip (1994).
The public saw her grow on "Fresh Prince" from an adorable little girl to a stunning young woman, and she sang in several episodes of the show, most notably her rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and an original song, "Make Up Your Mind." Smith was so impressed with her singing that he asked if she would consider doing it professionally. Tatyana began preparing for her singing career during the last year of the show as she began training her vocal cords, recording demos and publicly performing on television and in various informal live concerts. Her performances on "The Fresh Prince" actually helped her build a fan base that anxiously waited for her first album launch. On August 25, she released her album "Kiss the Sky" (MJJ Music/Work/SME) and her single "Daydreamin'." The single was certified gold within weeks of its release, and it quickly rose on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles, where it reached #6 and stayed there for two weeks. She also contributed to major movies such as Crocodile Dundee II (1988) and Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987). Since then, she has had significant roles in two films, Fall Into Darkness (1996) and Fakin' Da Funk (1997). She has also guest-starred in several sitcoms, including In the House (1995), and had a cameo role in the film Kiss the Girls (1997). She also went to Harvard and graduated with a degree in Anthropology in June 2002. She is now working on a new album and starring in more movies.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Teala Banieca Dunn was born on December 8, 1996 in New Jersey, USA. She is actress, and YouTube content creator with over three million subscribers where she does videos about beauty and style tips, travel videos, and talks directly to her subscribers. Teala was a series regular on the TBS series Are We There Yet?, and had recurring roles on on Dog With A Blog, Enlisted, The Thundermans, as well appearing on the Robin Williams sitcom, The Crazy Ones.- Teka Brandon is known for Single in ATL 2 (2012) and For Better or Worse (2011).