Ebony Goddesses
Women of Black African descent (African-American, Black British, Caribbean, etc.). Most likely, the female equivalent to "Phenomenal Black Men."
List activity
1.7K views
• 2 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
100 people
- Producer
- Actress
- Writer
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- 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
- Soundtrack
After working as early as the 1910s as a band vocalist, Hattie McDaniel debuted as a maid in The Golden West (1932). Her maid-mammy characters became steadily more assertive, showing up first in Judge Priest (1934) and becoming pronounced in Alice Adams (1935). In this one, directed by George Stevens and aided and abetted by star Katharine Hepburn, she makes it clear she has little use for her employers' pretentious status seeking. By The Mad Miss Manton (1938) she actually tells off her socialite employer Barbara Stanwyck and her snooty friends. This path extends into the greatest role of her career, Mammy in Gone with the Wind (1939). Here she is, in a number of ways, superior to most of the white folk surrounding her. From that point her roles unfortunately descended, with her characters becoming more and more menial. She played on the "Amos and Andy" and Eddie Cantor radio shows in the 1930s and 1940s; the title in her own radio show "Beulah" (1947-51), and the same part on TV (Beulah (1950)). Her part in Gone with the Wind (1939) won her the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, the first African American actress to win an Academy Award, it was presented to her by Fay Bainter at a segregated ceremony, she had to sit at the back away from the rest of the cast.- Actress
- Producer
- 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.- 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.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Zoe Saldana was born on June 19, 1978 in Passaic, New Jersey, to Asalia Nazario and Aridio Saldaña. Her father was Dominican and her mother is Puerto Rican. She was raised in Queens, New York. When she was 10 years old, she and her family moved to the Dominican Republic, where they would live for the next seven years. While living there, Zoe discovered a keen interest in performance dance and began her training at the prestigious ECOS Espacio de Danza Dance Academy where she learned ballet as well as other dance forms. Not only did her training provide an excellent outlet for the enthusiastic and energetic youngster, it would also prove to be a fortunate precursor for the start of her professional acting career. At age 17, Zoe and her family moved back to the United States where her love for dance followed and an interest in theater performance became stronger.
She began performing with the Faces theater troupe which put on plays geared to provide positive messages for teens with themes dealing with issues such as substance abuse and sex. These performances not only gave her valuable experience but also a source of great pride knowing that she was making a difference in the lives of young people like herself. While performing with the Faces troupe and also the New York Youth Theater, Zoe was recruited for a talent agency and her dance training years before coupled with her acting experience greatly helped her land her first big screen role as Eva Rodriguez, the talented and headstrong ballet dancer in the film Center Stage (2000). Since her professional career began several years ago, Zoe's talent and determination have allowed her to be involved in blockbuster films and act with major actors, actresses and industry insiders at a pace that very few young professionals have experienced.
Zoe has not only held her own in major motion picture productions but gained the respect and praise from industry insiders such as Jerry Bruckheimer and Steven Spielberg and actors/actresses such as Tom Hanks, Bernie Mac, Keira Knightley, Ashton Kutcher, Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom. According to many of her co-stars, producers and directors, the sky is no limit for this young star who has incredible range, intense concentration, and a steely determination to be involved with projects that challenge her professionally with wide-ranging subject matters and characters. Just to ask practically anyone who she has worked for or with about her, glowing comments abound and earned friendships and respect are readily revealed. A star has been born, and growing every day.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Isabel Sanford was a Broadway actress for over thirty years before moving to Hollywood. She made numerous guest appearances on TV, including a stint as a supporting cast member on The Carol Burnett Show (1967). Until her passing, Isabel continued to act frequently, most recently in a series of commercials for Old Navy stores with The Jeffersons (1975) co-star, Sherman Hemsley. She made several commercials for Nick-at-Nite as well when the cable channel premiered The Jeffersons (1975).- 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
Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe, the star of Precious (2009), was born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother, Alice Tan Ridley, is a former special education teacher who gave up her career and became a street performer/singer, while her father, Ibnou Sidibe, is a cab driver. Her mother is African-American and her father is Senegalese. Her parents split when she was a youngster and Gabby grew up in Harlem. Though she was cast in school plays as a child, Sidibe had no interest in acting. She had witnessed her mother's financial struggles as a street singer and wanted the security that an education and a desk job would give her. After attending local colleges, Gabby pursued a degree in psychology at Mercy College. She was in the middle of preparing for an exam when a friend phoned her about an audition for the newest effort from Lee Daniels, Precious (2009).
Instead of attending class, she ended up being cast in the title role as Claireece "Precious" Jones, a taciturn, sixteen year-old who is pregnant for the second time after being raped by her father and is also on the receiving end of constant physical abuse by her mother. As grim as the subject matter is, Precious (2009) has become critical success and a source of inspiration for many. While her co-stars, Mo'Nique and Mariah Carey have both received a great deal of critical attention, it is Gabby who is the revelation as Precious, a character whose personality is quite different from her own. Anyone expecting a damaged young woman with no self-esteem is in for a shock after meeting the charming Sidibe. She hopes that her success in the film will motivate others to chase their dreams.
Precious (2009) has opened other doors for Sidibe. She has also completed shooting Yelling to the Sky (2011), a project from the Sundance Lab that also stars Zoë Kravitz and has other projects in the works.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Best known for the role of Florida Evans on the 1970s sitcoms Maude (1972) and Good Times (1974), African-American actress Esther Rolle proved to be as spirited and iron-willed off-camera as well. The gap-toothed actress with the gravelly voice was born in Pompano Beach, Florida, the 10th child of 18 born to Caribbean farming immigrants. Her first important work came with the Negro Ensemble Company and over the years would earn a solid careworn reputation in such theater plays as "The Blacks", "Blues for Mister Charlie", "The Amen Corner", "A Raisin in the Sun" and "A Member of the Wedding". Ironically, her father insisted she promise him that she would never become a servant or maid in real life. She didn't, and however Esther would have her biggest successes playing just those types of roles. She caught the attention of television producer Norman Lear while performing on stage who cast her in the Maude (1972) supporting role in 1972. Audiences loved her so much as the feisty domestic who stood her ground, and then some, against her volatile and liberal-minded employer Maude Findley (Bea Arthur), that Esther earned her own spin-off series with Good Times (1974). Compelled to fight racial stereotypes, she insisted before accepting the series that a strong father figure be central in the show (actor John Amos). And while she still played the role of a lower middle-class maid, the show's emphasis was to be on her home and family life, not her outside work. Still, Esther left the show for one season when she was unhappy about the negative role model perpetuated by Jimmie 'JJ' Walker's jive-talking character J.J., but later returned after the producers assured her that more responsibility would be taken. In other assignments, she won an Emmy Award for the television movie Summer of My German Soldier (1978) and gained further respect for her work in Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1979) and for her film work in Driving Miss Daisy (1989) and Rosewood (1997). Two of her sisters, Estelle Evans and Rosanna Carter, were also character actresses. Afflicted with diabetes, Esther's health failed in the 1990s and toward the end of her life she was on kidney dialysis. The actress, who was divorced and had no children, died nine days after her 78th birthday on November 17, 1998.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Producer
Whitney Elizabeth Houston was born into a musical family on 9 August 1963, in Newark, New Jersey, the daughter of gospel star Cissy Houston (née Emily Lee Drinkard) and John Russell Houston, Jr., and cousin of singing star Dionne Warwick.
She began singing in the choir at her church, The New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, as a young child and by the age of 15 was singing backing vocals professionally with her mother on Chaka Khan's 1978 hit, 'I'm Every Woman'. She went on to provide backing vocals for Lou Rawls, Jermaine Jackson and her own mother and worked briefly as a model, appearing on the cover of 'Seventeen' magazine in 1981.
She began working as a featured vocalist for the New York-based funk band Material and it was the quality of her vocal work with them that attracted the attention of the major record labels, including Arista with whom she signed in 1983 and where she stayed for the rest of her career.
Her debut album, 'Whitney Houston', was released in 1985 and became the biggest-selling album by a debut artist. Several hit singles, including 'Saving All My Love For You', 'How Will I Know', 'You Give Good Love', and 'The Greatest Love of All', were released from the album, setting her up for a Beatles-beating seven consecutive US number ones. The album itself sold 3 million copies in its first year in the US and went on to sell 25 million worldwide, winning her the first of her six Grammies.
The 1987 follow-up album, 'Whitney', which included the hits 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go' and 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody', built on her success but it was the 1992 film The Bodyguard (1992) that sealed her place as one of the best-selling artists of all time. While the movie itself and her performance in it were not highly praised, the soundtrack album and her cover of the Dolly Parton song 'I Will Always Love You' topped the singles and albums charts for months and sold 44 million copies around the world.
That same year she married ex-New Edition singer Bobby Brown with whom she had her only child, their daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown in March 1993. It was about this time that her much documented drug use began and by 1996 she was a daily user.
Her 1998 album, 'My Love Is Your Love' was well reviewed but the drug abuse began to affect her reputation and press reports at the time said that she was becoming difficult to work with, if she turned up at all. She was dropped from a performance at The 72nd Annual Academy Awards (2000) because she was "out of it" at rehearsals. Her weight fluctuated wildly - she was so thin at a 'Michael Jackson' tribute in 2001 that rumors circulated the next day that she had died - and her voice began to fail her. She was twice admitted to rehab and declared herself drug-free in 2010 but returned to rehab in May 2011.
Her 2009 comeback album 'I Look To You' was positively received and sold well, but promotional performances were still marred by her weakened voice. Her final acting performance was in Sparkle (2012) (a remake of the 1976 movie, Sparkle (1976)), released after her death.
She was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room on 11 February 2012.- 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.
- Producer
- Actress
- Director
Omarosa Manigault Newman was born on 5 February 1974 in Youngstown, Ohio, USA. She is a producer and actress, known for Tiger Run: The Untold Story (2024), HBCU Pro Day the Prime Effect and Foundling: The Untold Story. She has been married to John Allen Newman since 8 April 2017. She was previously married to Aaron H. Stallworth.- Actress
- Producer
Yaya DaCosta was born and raised in New York City along with her sister and two brothers. She got her first acting gig at the age of eleven when her junior high school drama teacher, Ann Willis Ratray, encouraged her to audition for educational films. She continued to perform in school shows throughout high school and college and in 2005, She was the runner-up in Cycle 3 of America's Next Top Model made her feature film debut in Take the Lead. In 2008, she made her Off-Broadway debut in "The First Breeze of Summer" at The Signature Theater, for which she garnered rave reviews and won the Vivian Robinson/AUDELCO Recognition Award for Excellence in Black Theater. She has portrayed a range of characters, from Danny Glover's frail teenage daughter in John Sayles' Honeydripper, to Mark Ruffalo's voluptuous lover in Lisa Cholodenko's The Kids Are All Right. She has been tagged one of Hollywood's new "it girls" by many, including Lynn Hirschberg who featured her on the cover of W Magazine in September, 2010.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Viola Davis is a critically revered actress of film, television, and theater and has won rave reviews for her multitude of substantial and intriguingly diverse roles. Audiences across the United States and internationally have admired her for her work- including her celebrated, Oscar-nominated performances in The Help (2011), Doubt (2008), and her Oscar winning performance in Fences (2016). In 2015, Davis won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for her work in ABC's How To Get Away With Murder, making her the first black woman in history to take home the award. In addition to acting, Viola currently produces alongside her husband and producing partner, Julius Tennon, through their JuVee Productions banner. Together they have produced award-garnering productions across theater, television, and film.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
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.- Roxie Roker was born on 28 August 1929 in Miami, Florida, USA. She was an actress, known for The Jeffersons (1975), ABC Afterschool Specials (1972) and Fantasy Island (1977). She was married to Sy Kravitz. She died on 2 December 1995 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Nichelle Nichols was one of 10 children born to parents Lishia and Samuel Nichols in Robbins, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. She was a singer and dancer before turning to acting and finding fame in her groundbreaking role of Lt. Nyota Uhura in the Star Trek (1966) series.
As long as she could remember, she wanted to do nothing but sing, dance, act and write despite no one else in her family following any of those tracks; although her father could tap dance. He not only became mayor of their town, Robbins, IL, but also a magistrate. On stage, Nichelle was twice nominated for the Sarah Siddons Award as Best Actress of the Year; while on film she danced with Sammy Davis, Jr. in Porgy and Bess, and opposite James Garner in Mister Budwing (1965). In a complete changearound soon after the Star Trek television series came to an end, she played a blousey madam, then co-starred with Lynn Redgrave n Antony and Cleopatra. She was been married twice and had a son, Kyle Johnson, from her first marriage to a tap dancer.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Thandiwe Newton was born in London. She is the daughter of Zimbabwean mother Nyasha, a health-care worker from the Shona tribe, and British father Nick Newton, who worked as a lab technician. She lived in Zambia until political unrest caused her family to move back to the UK, where she lived in Cornwall (in southwest Britain) until she was 11 and enrolled in London's Art Educational School to study modern dance until a back injury forced her to quit dancing. This led to her auditioning for films. Her first role was in John Duigan's Flirting (1991). She then moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue acting. When her British accent limited the amount of work she was getting, she returned to Britain, studied at Cambridge University, and earned a degree in anthropology. Between semesters she continued acting and became noticed in in- demand for future film roles.- 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.- Kimberly Scott was born on 11 December 1961 in Kingsville, Texas, USA. She is an actress, known for The Abyss (1989), Guess Who (2005) and Falling Down (1993).
- Make-Up Department
- Producer
- Actress
- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Ruby Dee was an American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist and civil rights activist. She is best known for originating the role of "Ruth Younger" in the stage and film versions of A Raisin in the Sun (1961).
She also starred in The Jackie Robinson Story (1950), Cat People (1982), Do the Right Thing (1989), and American Gangster (2007).
Her film debut was That Man of Mine (1946).
For her performance as Mahalee Lucas in American Gangster (2007), she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. As of 2019, she stands as the second oldest nominee for Best Supporting Actress, behind Gloria Stuart who was 87 when nominated for her role in Titanic for the 70th Academy Awards, 1998.
Dee died on June 11, 2014, at her home in New Rochelle, New York, from natural causes at the age of 91.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Teyonah Parris was born on 22 September 1987 in Hopkins, South Carolina, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Dear White People (2014), Chi-Raq (2015) and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018). She is married to James Parris.- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Vanessa Lynne Williams was born on March 18, 1963 in Tarrytown, Greenburgh, New York and raised in Millwood, New Castle, New York to Helen Williams & Milton Williams, both music teachers. Vanessa and her brother grew up in suburban New York in comfortable surroundings. Vanessa sang and danced in school productions and signed her high school yearbook with a promise to "see you on Broadway". After winning a performing scholarship to Syracuse University, she left school and tried to make it in New York show business. She began entering beauty contests in 1984, eventually winning Miss New York and then becoming the first African-American Miss America. During her reign, some nude girl-girl photos, taken while she was in New York, surfaced in Penthouse magazine. Although the photos were taken before her beauty contest victories, she was forced to resign her crown. Many predicted that her future in show business was over. She went on to land a recording contract and released several albums, including "The Comfort Zone" and "The Sweetest Days".
Vanessa made her film debut in 1986 in Under the Gun (1987) and appeared in the films The Pick-up Artist (1987), Another You (1991) and Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991). She starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in Eraser (1996), opposite Laurence Fishburne and Andy Garcia in Hoodlum (1997) and the box office hit, Soul Food (1997). She also starred in Dance with Me (1998), Light It Up (1999), Shaft (2000), opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Johnson Family Vacation (2004). She starred recently in the independent features, My Brother (2006) and And Then Came Love (2007) (aka "Somebody Like You"). On television, Vanessa starred in such movies and mini-series as Stompin' at the Savoy (1992), The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990), The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992), ABC's revival of Bye Bye Birdie (1995), Nothing Lasts Forever (1995), The Odyssey (1997), Don Quixote (2000) and Keep the Faith, Baby (2002), and she executive-produced and starred in Lifetime's The Courage to Love (2000) for Lifetime and the VH1 Original Movie, A Diva's Christmas Carol (2000).
Her albums "The Right Stuff", "The Comfort Zone and "The Sweetest Days" earned multiple Grammy nominations and have yielded the Academy Award-winning single "Colors of the Wind", from Disney's Pocahontas: The Musical Tradition Continues (1995). Her recordings also include two holiday albums, "Star Bright" and "Silver & Gold", "Vanessa Williams Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years" and "Everlasting Love", a romantic collection of love songs from the 1970's. In 1994, Vanessa took Broadway by storm when she replaced Chita Rivera in "Kiss of the Spider Woman", winning the hearts of critics and becoming a box-office sensation. She garnered rave reviews and was nominated for a Tony Award for the 2002 revival of "Into the Woods". She also headlined a limited special engagement of the classic, "Carmen Jones", at the Kennedy Center and starred in the Encore! Series staged concert production of "St. Louis Woman".
She stars in ABC's critically-acclaimed hit series, Ugly Betty (2006), for which she has won or been nominated for numerous individual and ensemble awards, including the Emmy, SAG Award, Golden Globe and NAACP Image Awards. Vanessa achieved a career pinnacle, with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her accomplishments as a performer. Her charitable endeavors are many and varied, embracing and supporting such organizations as Special Olympics and many others.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Vanessa Estelle Williams (Actress, Singer, Writer, Director) born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, is a talented force that came to Hollywood in the 90's with passion purpose and staying power. This highly sought-after creative artist wrapped "A Rich Christmas" a feature film for BET this past December 2020 and most recently completed the film "Christmas Family Reunion" with The Ninth House production company.
Vanessa stars in Sidra Smith's six-part miniseries "A Luv Tale" coming soon to the Essence Magazine digital platform. Off the coast of East Africa in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Vanessa jetted to luscious Mauritius to shoot the indie comedy feature "Singleholic" opposite Erica Ash, Rotimi, Stephen Bishop and Tyson Beckford. Coming soon Vanessa will reprise her role as Anna Marie in the Candyman sequel "Say My Name," directed by Nia DaCosta, written and produced by Jordan Peele.
Williams made her film debut playing as the gun toting head of security "Keisha" in the urban classic film "New Jack City." Other film credits include "Thriller" streaming now on Netflix, "Raising Izzie, Imagine That", "Like Mike," "Punks, Mother," "Candyman."
Williams earned an Emmy Nomination for her work in the Showtime original film "Our America." After six consecutive nominations in the category Vanessa won the 2003 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her brilliant portrayal of Maxine Chadway in the hit Showtime series "Soul Food." Her star turn in "Raising Izzie" earned GMCTV its highest world premiere television rating and received a 2013 NAACP Image Award nomination for best Television Movie or Mini-Series. Television credits include NBC's long running daytime soap "Days of Our Lives," Freeform network's "Famous in Love." "The Flash, Ward of the State, the Bay series, "Sugar Mommas," "Lincoln Heights," "Everybody Hates Chris," "Knight Riders," "Flirting with Forty," "Ice Spiders," "Cold Case," "Soul Food" TV series (5 seasons), "Our America," "The Steve Harvey Show," "Chicago Hope," "Murder One," "Living Single," "NYPD Blue," "Melrose Place," "The Cosby Show" and "Law & Order."
Vanessa debuted on Broadway in Lincoln Center Theatre's production of "Sarafina." In 2012 Ms. Williams garnered rave reviews for her role as Esther in the critically acclaimed production of Lynn Nottage's "Intimate Apparel" at the Pasadena Playhouse. Her other Broadway and theatre credits include "Mule Bone," "Death and the Kings Horseman" and regional productions of "The Vagina Monologues, Issues, Abyssinia" and a European tour of the musical "HAIR."
An excerpt from her book "Shine," published in the June 2004 Essence Magazine became the basis for her solo show "Feet On the Ceiling!" a coming-of-age story. "Feet On the Ceiling" premiered at the "National Black Theatre Festival" in 2011 and plays regular engagements in cities and colleges throughout the US and the Caribbean.
Serving as Vice Chair on the Executive Board of Directors of The Black Aids Institute, Williams is also Chair of BAI's Hollywood Task Force on Aids. Recruiting and directing her colleagues in a series of Celebrity PSAs on HIV Awareness / AIDS Prevention.
An internationally recognized star, Williams' global brand appeal is authentic, energetic, and thoroughly relatable. An artist and mother of two creatively talented boys, Omar and Haile Wiseman, Vanessa blends passion and youthful exuberance with timeless charm and soulfulness that deeply connects with people. She is a talent audiences love, trust and admire.- Claudia McNeil was born on 13 August 1917 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. She was an actress, known for A Raisin in the Sun (1961), Black Girl (1972) and The DuPont Show of the Month (1957). She was married to Herman McCoy and Henry Smith. She died on 25 November 1993 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA.
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Tamberla Perry was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for They Cloned Tyrone (2023), APB (2017) and The Tam and Kevin Show (2022).- Actress
- Music Department
- Writer
Cree Summer Francks is a Canadian-American voice actress and singer from Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Canadian actor and singer Don Francks. She is most well-known for voicing Kida from Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Tiff Crust and Queen Vexus (when Eartha Kitt is unavailable) from My Life as a Teenage Robot, Cleo from Clifford the Big Red Dog, Numbuh 5 from Codename: Kids Next Door, Foxxy Love from Drawn Together, Susie Carmichael from Rugrats, Cynder from The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning, Elmyra Duff from Tiny Toon Adventures, Penny from Inspector Gadget and Dr. Penelope Young in Batman: Arkham Asylum.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Mabel King is best-known for the role of Mama on the 1970's sitcom What's Happening!, but she also appeared in the films The Jerk with Steve Martin and The Wiz with Michael Jackson. Before What's Happening!, she portrayed the Wicked Witch of the West in the Broadway version of The Wiz.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Producer
Best known as the the lead singer of the popular 1960s singing group The Supremes, Diana Ernestine Earle Ross was born on March 26, 1944, in Detroit, Michigan, the second of six children of African-American parents Ernestine Lillian (Moten), a schoolteacher, and Fred Earl Ross, who served in the army. After being raised in housing projects for most of the late 1940s and early 1950s, Diana started singing in the gospel choir of a Baptist church. With friends Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Barbara Martin, she formed a vocal group, The Primettes, at age 15. After Barbara had departed the group, the remaining three girls inked a deal with Motown Records and were renamed The Supremes. Ross wasn't picked to become the group's lead singer until Motown honcho Berry Gordy decided that the time was exactly right, and from then on he described the group as "Diana Ross and the Supremes." From 1965 to 1969 the group had a string of #1 records. In late 1969 Gordy announced that Ross would be leaving the group for a solo career. In the third week of 1970 she played her last concert with The Supremes and started working with the songwriting team of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Ross' first two songs by the team reached #1 on both the pop and R&B charts, justifying her move. Prior to starting a family of her own, she won the title role in the Billie Holiday biopic Lady Sings the Blues (1972), which was extremely successful at the box office, and had the distinction of being nominated for an Academy Award for her first film. The movie's soundtrack reached #1 on the U.S. charts. Despite fame and fortune, her next two big films,Mahogany (1975) and The Wiz (1978), didn't meet with the same success. However, she had a #1 hit single with "Mahogany" to make up for it. In February 1976, just before another #1 hit with "Love Hangover," she was stunned when her singing partner and friend, Florence Ballard, died after complications from a combination of alcohol abuse and long-term depression, which led to cardiac arrest. Ballard was only 32 years old and Ross was devastated by the loss.
After recovering from Ballard's death, Ross went on to focus on her singing career and continued having more #1 songs, including "Upside Down". The following year she performed the theme song from Endless Love (1981), which was composed by Lionel Richie. That same year she left Motown Records and signed contracts with various record companies across the globe, and formed her own production company. The following year she released "Silk Electric," on which she sang "Muscles," a song written and produced by Michael Jackson.
After she sang a tribute song dedicated to the late Marvin Gaye, Ross scored another #1 song in 1986 in the UK with "Chain Reaction," which brought back her days as the member of The Supremes , and was written and produced by The Bee Gees. Unlike the song she sang when Florence died, this song was about how she became accustomed to Marvin over the years. After an eight-year absence, in 1989 she came back to Motown. Ross had gained more fame through concert appearances over the years, and in April 1993 she became a best-selling author with her first and only children's book, "When You Dream," which featured a CD with four songs that were dedicated to the book. That same year she was declared by the Guinness Book of World Records to be the most successful female singer of all times. Two years later she was honored with the Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement on the Soul Train Awards. After receiving those honors, she came back to the studio in 1999 with "Every Day Is A New Day," and the song reached the UK Top 10. The following year, with Mary Wilson--the only other surviving original Supremes member--she planned to book a Supremes reunion tour, but this was eventually canceled.
She was arrested in 2002 in Tucson, Arizona, for driving under the influence and after pleading guilty was sentenced to two days in jail, 36 hours of counseling and one year probation. Today she is hard at work finishing her forthcoming book, "Upside Down: Wrong Turns, Right Turns and the Road Ahead."- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Tracee Joy Silberstein known professionally as Tracee Ellis Ross, is an American actress, singer, television host, producer and director. She is known for her lead roles in the television series Girlfriends (2000-2008) and Black-Ish (2014-2022). She owns Pattern Beauty, a hair-care line for curly hair.
She is the daughter of actress and Motown recording artist Diana Ross and Robert Ellis Silberstein. She began acting in independent films and variety series. She hosted the pop-culture magazine The Dish on Lifetime. From 2000 to 2008 she played the starring role of Joan Clayton in the UPN/CW comedy series Girlfriends, for which she received two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. She also has appeared in the films Hanging Up (2000), I-See-You.Com (2006), and Daddy's Little Girls (2007), before returning to television playing Dr. Carla Reed on the BET sitcom Reed Between the Lines (2011), for which she received her third NAACP Image Award.
Since 2014, Ross has played the starring role of Dr. Rainbow Johnson in the ABC comedy series Black-Ish . Her work on it has earned her three NAACP Image Awards and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Musical or Comedy. She has also received nominations for two Critics' Choice Television Awards and five Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. In 2019, she co-created a prequel spin-off of Black-Ish titled Mixed-Ish . In 2020, she starred in and recorded the soundtrack album for the musical film The High Note.- Actress
- Producer
Sydney Tamiia Poitier (born November 15, 1973) is a Bahamian-American television and film actress.
Born in Los Angeles, Poitier is the daughter of Bahamian actor Sir Sidney Poitier and Canadian actress Joanna Shimkus. Her mother is of Lithuanian Jewish and Irish descent. She has an older sister, Anika. She also has four older half-sisters, Beverly, Pamela, Sherri, and Gina, from her father's first marriage. Poitier's great-uncle has claimed that the Poitier ancestors on her grandfather's side had migrated from Haiti and were probably part of the runaway slaves who had established maroon communities throughout the Bahamas, including Cat Island. He mentions that the surname Poitier is a French name, and there were no white Poitiers from the Bahamas.
Poitier attended NYU's Tisch School of the Arts where she earned a bachelor's degree in acting. She also studied at Stella Adler Studio of Acting.
Poitier began her career of acting in the late 1990s. In 2001, she landed her first role on television in the NBC drama series First Years. The series was canceled after three episodes. In 2003, she starred in the UPN sitcom Abby. That series was also canceled during its first season. Later that same year, she had a recurring role in Joan of Arcadia, where she played Rebecca Askew, the love interest of Joan's older brother, Kevin (Jason Ritter). She was also a regular on the first season of Veronica Mars. However, she left the show after only appearing in four episodes because of budget cuts.
In 2007, Poitier starred in Death Proof, director Quentin Tarantino's segment of the movie Grindhouse, as radio DJ Jungle Julia. The next year, she had a co-starring role in the new Knight Rider series, as FBI Agent Carrie Rivai. In 2011, she guest-starred on two episodes of Private Practice.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose recently finished filming the lead role of the pilot episode Beast Mode (TBS / Macro), which is based on life of legendary boxing trainer Ann Wolfe. Anika is also serving as Co-Executive Producer.
In 2018, Anika starred in the title role of 'Carmen Jones' in John Doyle's production at the Classic Stage Company in NYC. She was also seen in the film Assassination Nation (dir. Sam Levinson) alongside Bill Skarsgard, Bella Thorne, Suki Waterhouse, Maud Apatow and Joel McHale, and the film Everything, Everything, based on the popular young adult novel by Nicola Yoon, opposite Amandla Stenberg.
Anika starred as the lead of the television series The Quad, which ran for two seasons on BET (2017-2018). Anika also starred in The History Channel's adaption of Roots as Kizzy (NAACP Image Award nom for Outstanding Actress).
Other television credits include the Starz series Power, CBS's The Good Wife, ABC's Private Practice, CBS's Elementary and FOX's The Simpsons; the A&E mini-series Stephen King's Bag of Bones opposite Pierce Brosnan; and starring in The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency for HBO opposite Jill Scott and directed by Anthony Minghella.
Anika's many film credits include: Dreamgirls, The Princess and The Frog (voice of Princess Tiana), A Day Late and a Dollar Short, Half of a Yellow Sun, Imperial Dreams, and For Colored Girls.
Anika has won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in Caroline, or Change and has also starred in Broadway productions such as A Raisin in the Sun (Tony Award nomination and Outer Critics Circle nomination), and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.
Additionally, Anika has received The Theater World Award, The Clarence Derwent Award, a Drama Desk nomination, the Los Angeles Critics' Circle Award, an Ovation Award, an Obie Award and four NAACP Image nominations, including the NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award for Theater.
Anika was the youngest performer to be honored as a Disney Legend when she received the honor in 2011.
March, 2019- Actress
- Soundtrack
Esther Scott was born on 13 April 1953 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Transformers (2007), Dreamgirls (2006) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002). She died on 14 February 2020 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Diane Amos was born on 13 March 1958 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. She is an actress, known for Sweet November (2001), Patch Adams (1998) and Blue Jasmine (2013). She has been married to Jim Medelin since 1991. They have one child.
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Golden Brooks was born on 1 December 1970 in Fresno, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Girlfriends (2000), The Darkest Minds (2018) and Beauty Shop (2005).- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Slender, attractive actress Margaret Avery, spellbinding in her role of Shug in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985), is certainly no "one-hit wonder". Although filmgoers may be able to trace her back only to that once-in-a-lifetime part, Margaret has been a talented player on the large and small screens for well over three decades.
Born on January 20, 1944, in Mangum, Oklahoma, the daughter of a Navy man, she was raised in San Diego, California, where she completed high school. Margaret demonstrated a certain passion for acting while in her teens but decided to pursue a more stable career in teaching. Graduating from San Francisco State University, she joined the Los Angeles public school system as a substitute teacher, but the "acting bug" continued to nibble away at her. She auditioned for commercials on the sly and managed to also segued into stage work and singing jobs. Her early 1970s L.A. plays included "Revolution", "Sistuhs", and 1973's "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?", the last for which she nabbed the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award. Her skills as an actress helped her to move into TV roles, appearing in such established 1970s and 1980s series as The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971), Kojak (1973), Sanford and Son (1972), Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974), The Rookies (1972), Baby... I'm Back! (1977), Murder, She Wrote (1984), Miami Vice (1984), Spenser: For Hire (1985), a recurring part in Harry O (1973), and a regular role in the short-lived series A.E.S. Hudson Street (1977).
Her film career ignited during the popular "blaxploitation" era. She somehow managed to avoid the pitfalls of many a black actress of that time, however, despite her sexy and revealing roles in her first two films, Cool Breeze (1972) starring Thalmus Rasulala and Lincoln Kilpatrick, and Hell Up in Harlem (1973), in which she found herself in the clutches of brawny former footballer Fred Williamson. Margaret carried on with Magnum Force (1973) (as a hooker) and the comedies Which Way Is Up? (1977) and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979), establishing herself as a solid, reliable actress.
Music was never far away from Margaret as attested by her roles in Louis Armstrong - Chicago Style (1976), starring Ben Vereen as "Satchmo", and Scott Joplin (1977), which showcased Billy Dee Williams. However, it was her riveting supporting turn as the drug-riddled, fly-by-night singer Shug Avery in The Color Purple (1985) that put her on the map. Stories have long circulated that Spielberg wanted a star singer in the role and that Margaret received the role only after both Patti LaBelle and Tina Turner were approached and turned it down. She had previously worked with Spielberg in her first TV movie Something Evil (1972). He remembered her from this and cast her. Earning an Academy Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actress", it was expected that her career would hit major cinematic heights. Unfortunately, Margaret didn't make another film for three years, when she played a jazz singer in the little-seen Blueberry Hill (1988) with Carrie Snodgress.
On TV she continued to grace episodes of Amen (1986), The Cosby Show (1984), Roc (1991), JAG (1995), MacGyver (1985), Bones (2005), enhanced such commendable made-for-TV movies as Heat Wave (1990) with Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones, and has been seen sporadically in films. She co-starred in The Return of Superfly (1990) -- a nod to her old blaxploitation days--Lightning in a Bottle (1993), White Man's Burden (1995) with John Travolta, the Mario Van Peebles feature Love Kills (1998)
Into the millennium, Margaret has been seen in Waitin' to Live (2006), directed by Travolta's brother, Joey Travolta; Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (2008) as well as Meet the Browns (2008) with Martin Lawrence and Angela Bassett, respectively; the crime drama Proud Mary (2018) and the family comedy Grand-Daddy Day Care (2019). She also appearing regularly alongside Gabrielle Union and Richard Roundtree on BET's Being Mary Jane (2013).
Divorced (74-80) from director Robert Gordon Hunt, Margaret has one daughter, Aisha.- Actress
- Script and Continuity Department
Donna Biscoe was born on 30 September 1955 in Fort Benning, Georgia, USA. She is an actress, known for The Fundamentals of Caring (2016), One Missed Call (2008) and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014).- Her career in the performing arts began at age 4 and persisted through her study at Spelman College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and in The Shakespearean Tradition at The Royal National Theatre and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. While at RADA, Jen was blessed to be tutored by Ian McKellen, Alan Rickman, Judi Dench, and Fiona Shaw as she prepared for what she still feels was the leading role of a lifetime: Titania/Hippolyta in A Midsummer Nights Dream at The Van Brugh Theatre in London and remounted here in the states for The Southern Shakespeare Festival in Florida. Other stage credits include: multiple roles for Jomandi, Horizon, Seven Stages the Alliance Theater, Theater in the Square, The Springer Opera House and Theatrical Outfit over the past 25 years. Her Television and Film work began as a featured extra in "Driving Miss Daisy" and led to a recurring co-star role, Dr Winona Day on "In the Heat of the Night" (14 episodes) along with recurring roles in the television series "I'll Fly Away" and "Savannah". Later, encouraged by then Director and friend, Carole Mitchell-Leon, she served as Assistant Director of "The New Jomandi Theater Co." and taught "On -Camera Acting" in the Jomandi Academy of Dramatic Arts (JADA). She and her partner teach "Acting for the Camera" workshops in Atlanta and Fort Valley, GA. Recent TV/Film credits include: The Vampire Diaries, Kill The Messenger, Drop Dead Diva, Survivors Remorse, Bound 2014 and is recurring as: Kelly's Mom, Linda, in "Born Again Virgins", Pat, in "Here We Go Again, Deacon Connie Sykes in Seasons 1 and 2 of the HARPO Studios Production, "Greenleaf". She will be seen in Tyler Perry's, "A Madea's Family Funeral" as Vianne; "Nappily Ever After" and as Judge Delores Mitchell in"Saints and Sinners". Jen is dedicated to: her craft as an Actor, her life as a Physician, striving for spiritual/physical fitness, and above all, she remains devoted to her Faith and Life Partner.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born in Pittsburgh, Marpessa Dawn moved to England as a teenager and started acting in small roles in television; upon moving to France, she danced and sang in nightclubs while at times working as a governess before getting her big break as "Eurydice" in "Black Orpheus". Married twice, she left five children and four grandchildren at her death, which occurred forty-one days after that of her co-star in "Black Orpheus", Breno Mello.- Actress
- Composer
- Music Department
Gloria Gaynor was born on 7 September 1943 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for The Martian (2015), Bitter Moon (1992) and The Replacements (2000). She was previously married to Linwood Simon.- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Thelma Houston was born on 7 May 1946 in Leland, Mississippi, USA. She is an actress, known for The Martian (2015), Summer of Sam (1999) and Can't Hardly Wait (1998).- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Vivica A. Fox was born in South Bend, Indiana, on July 30, 1964, and is the daughter of Everlyena, a pharmaceutical technician, and William Fox, a private school administrator. She is of Native American and African-American descent and is proud of her heritage. She is a graduate of Arlington High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, and, after graduating, moved to California to attend college. Vivica went to Golden West College and graduated with an Associate Art degree in Social Sciences. While in California, she started acting professionally, first on soap operas, such as Generations (1989), Days of Our Lives (1965) and The Young and the Restless (1973). In another early role, she played Patti LaBelle's fashion designer daughter, "Charisse Chamberlain", on the NBC-TV series, Out All Night (1992). Her first big break was in the film, Independence Day (1996), along with Will Smith, and also Set It Off (1996). She has earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of "Maxine" in the 1997 motion picture, Soul Food (1997), which netted her MTV Movie Award and NAACP Image Award nominations. In 2000, she was casted in the medical drama, City of Angels (2000), as "Dr. Lillian Price". She has had roles in many other movies ever since, such as: Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999), Two Can Play That Game (2001) and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003). In 2004, Fox was in an episode of Punk'd (2003), where her pregnant friend pretended to go into labor, but they became angry when a paramedic appeared to care more about taking pictures than delivering the baby. Vivica also took another television role, from 2004 to 2006, as she starred in the drama series, 1-800-Missing (2003), on the Lifetime Television Network. In 2007, she was a contender on Dancing with the Stars (2005) and stayed until she was voted off in the fourth week. In 1998, Vivica A. Fox married singer Christopher Harvest (aka Sixx-Nine), whom she later divorced in June 2002. She also dated rapper 50 Cent, however this was a brief relationship.- British actress Naomie Harris was born in London, England, the only child of television scriptwriter Lisselle Kayla. Her father is from Trinidad and her mother is from Jamaica. They separated before she was born, and Harris was raised by her mother and has no relationship with her father. She showed an interest in acting from an early age and attended the prestigious Anna Scher Theatre School. From here, Harris won roles in various projects, such as Simon and the Witch (1987) and The Tomorrow People (1992). She went on to study social and political sciences at Pembroke College, Cambridge University, an experience Harris did not enjoy.
After graduating from the University, Harris trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Acting success soon followed and her breakthrough film role came in Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later (2002). Other notable projects include Miami Vice (2006) and Small Island (2009) (for which she was named best female actor by the Royal Television Society). Harris also won fans for her role as voodoo witch Tia Dalma in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), and further international attention came her way when she played field agent Eve Moneypenny in the James Bond film Skyfall (2012).
Naomie was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the drama Moonlight (2016), which won the Best Picture Oscar that year.
Naomie Harris was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2017 New Years Honours for her services to drama. - Producer
- Actress
Iman was born on 25 July 1955 in Mogadishu, Somalia. She is a producer and actress, known for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), L.A. Story (1991) and No Way Out (1987). She was previously married to David Bowie, Spencer Haywood and Hassan ?.- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Naomi Campbell was born on 22 May 1970 in Streatham, London, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Zoolander 2 (2016), I Feel Pretty (2018) and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995).- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Grace Jones was born on May 19, 1948 in Spanish Town, St Catherine, Jamaica to Marjorie Jones (née Williams) and Reverend Robert W. Jones. When she was 12 she moved to Syracuse, New York, joining her family who had already moved there. She studied acting at Syracuse University and appeared in her first musical; halfway through college, she was approached by a drama professor who proposed that she work with him in a play he was putting on in Philadelphia, she accepted.
Jones later moved to New York City and signed on as a model with Wilhelmina Models, but when her looks weren't successfully received, she moved to Paris, France, where her androgynous, bold, dark-skinned appearance was so highly visible, she began to model for Yves Saint-Laurent, Claude Montana, Kenzo Takada, Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, Hans Feurer, and Azzedine Alaïa, and she appeared on the covers of "Elle", "Vogue", and "Der Stern."
Disillusioned with modeling, and since she always wanted to be an actress, she began her movie career playing small parts, her first being in the blaxploitation flick Gordon's War (1973) followed by an uncomfortable cameo in the unwatchable French sex comedy Let's Make a Dirty Movie (1976). It wasn't until the the '80s that Jones' on-screen career really soared, when she appeared in three supporting roles: Zula, the amazonian warrior in the American sword and sorcery/adventure film Conan the Destroyer (1984); May Day, the secondary antagonist in the 14th James Bond film A View to a Kill (1985); and Katrina, a bloodthirsty Egyptian vampire queen in the comedy horror Vamp (1986). Leaving audiences with only the resonance of unique and tantalizing movie performances, Jones hasn't acted in a feature film since the '90s.
In recent years, Jones's primary focus is sharing the vulnerability behind her larger-than-life persona. Jones and director Sophie Fiennes released the documentary Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami (2017). According to Fiennes, the documentary is not a retelling of what can easily be found in books and magazines, but an intimate portrait of Jones in recent years as she returns to Jamaica, the country of her birth and childhood, for a family reunion.- After landing in Hollywood, it didn't take long for Philadelphia native Elisa Perry (pronounced E-Lisa ) to land the plum role of Miss Wilson, the principal on the seminal comedy Everybody Hates Chris. The character actress has continued making star turns ever since; in the Emmy nominated show Godless on Netflix starring Jeff Daniels and the film Roman J. Israel, Esq, -along side Hollywood Oscar winner Denzel Washington, and most recently co-starring with Brad Pitt in the upcoming movie Ad Astra.
Elisa caught the acting bug after viewing idols Diahann Carroll in the Hollywood classic Paris Blues and Diana Sands in A Raisin In The Sun. The late Sandy Dennis was a huge inspiration to Elisa after she saw her work in films Splendor in The Grass and Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf.
The actress studied at the prestigious Lee Strasbrug Theatre and Film Institute in New York and later spent several years performing on stage as well as appearing in several independent films and television commercials. Elisa even lent her talents to the world of comedy for a time, performing stand up to US troops in Kuwait, Iraq, and Kosovo. But acting remains Elisa's true passion and the African soap opera, Her Majesty's Visit, was her first televised role. Elisa and her best friend Oscar winning actress Viola Davis have appeared in four projects together over the years including episodes of "How to Get Away With Murder.'' Next up a co-starring role opposite Brad Pitt in Ad Astra. - Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Loni Love was born on July 14, 1971 in Detroit, Michigan. After graduating from Cass Technical High School on 1989, she went to Prairie View A&M University in Houston, Texas for about 4 years & got her engineering degree. Though Loni Love is a stand-up comedian, Loni worked as an engineer for IBM and other companies for about 10 years. Then, she got into stand up comedy, and became an actress as well. When she was doing stand up comedy, she would be performing at many different comedy clubs all around the country. While she wasn't doing stand-up comedy, of course, she was acting, and played many roles in the "I Love the 90's" series and also played Rose the Lunch Lady on "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide".- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Retta was born in Newark, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Parks and Recreation (2009), Fracture (2007) and The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017).- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Tisha Michelle Campbell was born on October 13, 1968 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma & raised in Newark, New Jersey. Her first TV appearance was at the age of 8 on episode #006 of the PBS show, The Big Blue Marble (1974). The show featured stories on the life and culture of children from around the world. In her segment, Tisha was shown playing with her brother, going to school with her mother who was also her voice coach, and singing at a jazz concert in New York's Greenwich Village.- Actress
- Producer
- Music Department
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.- Producer
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Cheryl Gamble was born on 13 June 1974 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She is a producer and actress, known for Men in Black (1997), Stand (2010) and S.W.V.: Anything (1994). She is married to Mike Clemons. They have two children.- Producer
- Actress
- Writer
Tamara Johnson was born in 1974 in New York City, New York, USA. She is a producer and actress, known for SWV ft. Puff Daddy: Someone (1997), 8th Annual Black Music Honors (2023) and SWV Reunited (2014). She has been married to Eddie George since 20 June 2004. They have two children.- 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".- 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
- Producer
- Soundtrack
LeToya Nicole Luckett-Walker (née Luckett; born March 11, 1981) is a two-time Grammy Award-winning American R&B singer-songwriter and entrepreneur. She is an original member of the R&B group, Destiny's Child, and has since pursued a successful solo career, topped the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart and has been certified platinum by the RIAA.
Luckett was born in Houston, Texas and grew up singing in her local church, Brentwood Baptist Church. Her father, a singer, spread the word of his daughter's talent. Luckett had the opportunity to sing her first church solo at the age of five. "The lady just gave me the mic one Sunday and I sang", she recalls. Shortly thereafter, she joined the children's choir and began performing in plays at her elementary school, where she met Beyoncé.
In 1993, Luckett joined the group, Destiny's Child alongside Knowles, Kelly Rowland and LaTavia Roberson. Graduating from the Houston club scene, the group began opening for such acts as Dru Hill, SWV and Immature. Columbia Records signed Destiny's Child in 1997.
In 1998, Destiny's Child released their self-titled debut album, "Destiny's Child", which included the singles "No, No, No" featuring Wyclef Jean and "With Me". They were also featured on the "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" soundtrack with the song, "Get on the Bus", featuring Timbaland (aka Timbaland), which was released as a single in Europe. "Destiny's Child" toured as an opening act on TLC's "Fanmail Tour" and Christina Aguilera's debut tour.
In 1999, "Destiny's Child" released their sophomore album, "The Writing's on the Wall". It became one of the biggest selling albums released by a female group and was certified eight-times platinum in the U.S. The album included four hit singles, "Bills, Bills, Bills", "Bug a Boo", "Say My Name" and "Jumpin' Jumpin'".
During 2000, in the midst of the success of "The Writing's on the Wall", Luckett and fellow member LaTavia Roberson tried to make a break with their manager by writing a letter stating "they wanted an additional business manager since they felt they were losing communication with Mathew Knowles (Beyoncé' father)". The pair said at the time they were only looking to secure outside management, but they soon found themselves on the outs with the Knowles family. When the "Say My Name" music video debuted in February 2000, they were shocked to find themselves replaced by two new members, Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin.
After several months of media speculation, LeToya and LaTavia Roberson began auditioning young women for a new female R&B quartet. Naty Quinones and Tiffany Beaudoin made the cut. The group, "Anjel", recorded a 22-song demo in Atlanta. The production company which handled the group fell through and all the members of "Anjel" went their separate ways.
In 2003, Luckett decided to pursue a solo career and signed with Capitol Records. She immediately began working on her debut solo album and, in 2004, she released her first track, "You Got What I Need", a promo single available exclusively on vinyl.
Her self-titled debut album, "LeToya", was released on July 25, 2006.
On the issue dated August 12, 2006, Luckett's debut album, "LeToya", debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200. As of December 2006, the album had been certified platinum, having shipped over 1,000,000 copies.
Her official first single, "Torn", was a ballad produced by Teddy Bishop. The song has reached number two on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, number thirty-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, number one on BET's 106 & Park countdown, and also number one on Urban Mediabase. Her second single, "She Don't", premiered on BET's "Access Granted" in July 2006 and was a moderate success reaching number seventeen on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.- Actress
- Soundtrack
The urban R&B group Destiny's Child was formed by Beyonce Knowles (b. 4 September 1981, Houston, Texas, USA), LeToya Luckett (b. 11 March 1981, Houston, Texas, USA), LaTavia Roberson (b. 1 November 1981, Houston, Texas, USA) and Kelendria Rowland (b. 11 February 1981, Houston, Texas, USA). Knowles and Roberson first began singing together when they were only 10 years old. Rowland was brought in by Roberson in 1992, with Luckett completing the line-up the following year. The quartet adopted their biblically inspired name from a chapter in the Book Of Isaiah. Knowles' father became their manager and set about grooming the quartet for success. They gained a strong local following with their street cool image and impressive vocal harmonies, leading to opening slots for big name acts including Immature, SWV and Dru Hill. Signed to Columbia Records in 1997, their breakthrough came when the track "Killing Time" appeared on The Men In Black soundtrack. Their self-titled debut, released in 1998, featured collaborations with leading R&B/hip-hop producers Timbaland, R. Kelly, Wyclef Jean and Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott. The funky "No No No" reached both the US and UK Top 10, and was followed by further hits including "With Me" and "Get On The Bus", the latter taken from the Why Do Fools Fall In Love? soundtrack. The Writing's On The Wall was premiered by "Bills, Bills, Bills", a track which echoed the men-bashing sentiments of TLC's massive summer hit "No Scrubs', and even featured the same producer (Kevin She"kspere Briggs). The song provided the quartet with their first US chart-topper in July 1999, and also reached the UK Top 10. The album featured a greater creative input from the quartet, although they still relied on a heavyweight production crew including Rodney Jerkins, Missy Elliott, Chad Elliot, and Dwayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Tone! Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams joined the group in February 2000 to replace the booted Roberson and Luckett, which they didn't find out until they saw the video for their smash, "Say My Name". Despite ongoing personnel problems, with Franklin leaving or getting the boot, depending on who you ask, in August, the group enjoyed further transatlantic hits with "Jumpin', Jumpin'" and "Independent Women Part 1". The latter, taken from the soundtrack of Charlie's Angels, topped the US charts for an incredible eleven weeks. Luckett and Roberson have since formed their own trio, Angels with another singer named Nadia.- Music Department
- Actress
- Producer
Tionne Tenese Watkins was born on April 26, 1970 in Des Moines, Iowa. She is also known as "T-Boz" in the R&B/Hip-Hop group, TLC. Born to parents of both African American and Native American descent. As a child she was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia (1 in 12 people of African American descent have the disease). She is the founder of the group TLC and is usually the lead singer. She often shares lead vocals with Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas who also sings lead on some songs performed by the group.
Since childhood, she has been in and out of the hospital, due to her sickle cell disease. At the age of nine, her family moved to Atlanta, Georgia. Tionne's mother and father (divorced when she was 3) were also musicians/singers and sang in a group together. Tionne knew from early childhood that she wanted to one day become a performer too. As a teenager she was a hair model, and eventually became a manicurist and shampoo girl at a popular Atlanta hair salon. In her free time she pursued her passion "dancing" at the local legendary skating rink Jellybeans. It was through a stylist/friend at this salon that she met Perri "Pebbles" Reid and was discovered in 1991 along with Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes and Crystal Jones. The trio's original name was 2nd Nature (Crystal's group), but was renamed TLC by Reid. Crystal Jones was quickly replaced however by Rozonda 'Chilli' Thomas and the group began recording almost immediately.
The first album "Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip" was released in February of 1992 and by 1996 the album was certified quadruple-platinum. It was during the first album's tour with MC Hammer that Tionne's sickle cell condition was revealed (she'd kept it secret). The rigorous tour schedule had taken a physical toll and she was hospitalized for 2 weeks. Her bandmates stayed by her side until her release and decided to lessen the tour schedule to allow Tionne enough days of rest. In 1996, she eventually went public with her disease.
CrazySexyCool was released in 1994 and had two "Billboard Hot 100" number one singles. Tionne gained a higher profile as her distinctive voice fueled many of the album's smooth and seductive tracks. The album was certified Diamond (first girl group in history to receive this) and earned them 2 Grammy's. Despite their incredible global success as the number 1 girl group at the time, the members of TLC were forced to file for bankruptcy due to poor contracts signed at the start of their careers. Eventually the group signed a new contract with LaFace/Arista and went back into the studio.
FanMail was released in 1999 after a long hiatus that included several dramas affecting the group individually and as whole. Amazingly, the group continued their upward trajectory of success reaching new heights. FanMail debuted as the #1 album and went 6x Platinum, receiving 8 Grammy nominations and winning 3.
Tionne married rapper Mack 10 in August 2000, and share a daughter together, Chase Anela Rolison, born on October 20, 2000.
3D was released in 2002 but the production was interrupted by the death of group member Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes. Lopes' death traumatized her groupmates, also close friends, who were compelled by contract to complete the album in spite of her death. One of Tionne's longest hospital stays was for four months in 2002. Lopes had visited her before her fateful trip to Honduras. Despite some internal strife the strength of the group was their sorority, chemistry and their insistence on keeping the group intact even if solo efforts were pursued separately.
In June 2004, T-Boz filed for divorce and requested a restraining order against Mack 10.
In 2005, Watkins and a partner opened a children's boutique called Chase's Closet (named after her daughter). They closed down in 2008 however while Tionne was still recovering/rehabilitating from her brain tumor surgery. Chase's Closet was an A-list boutique and is still named one of the best children's stores today.
In 2006 she was diagnosed with a potentially deadly brain tumor which also affected her sight, balance, hearing and facial movement. Due to anticipated life-threatening complications related to her sickle cell disease Tionne struggled to find a surgeon willing to perform surgery. Motivated by her need to live for her daughter she finally found a surgeon willing to take the risk. The surgery was successful, save a 3% loss of hearing in her right ear and paralysis on the right side of her face. Tionne spent 3+ years rehabilitating post the surgery.
Tionne was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People of the World" by People Magazine twice, in 1995 and 2000.
She is one of the spokespeople for Sickle Cell Disease Association of America.- Music Department
- Actress
- Composer
Controversial, flamboyant, and spontaneous are probably the best words to describe Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. Born in Philadelphia, and raised throughout the world as the daughter of a U.S. Army serviceman, Lisa Lopes became one of the most important trendsetters in the 1990s music scene. After relocating to Atlanta during her young adult years, Lopes became heavily involved in that city's thriving music industry that produced many top name acts such as Cameo, Jermaine Dupri, Xscape, and Kelly Price. However, it was Lopes and her two bandmates, Tionne "T-Boz Watkins" and Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas who put Atlanta on the map. Originally starting as a trio called 'Second Nature', Watkins and Lopes were soon joined by Thomas to form 'TLC', the best-selling girl group of all time. TLC, which stood for the first initial of each member's nickname, were discovered at an Atlanta club by singer Pebbles, who immediately signed them to her label.
After breaking into the scene, TLC went on to great success under Arista's new LaFace label, which was managed by superstar producers, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and L.A. Reid, Pebble's former husband. After snatching them away from Pebbles, TLC became one of the 1990s greatest success stories due to their creative style and flamboyance. Utilizing condoms on their colorful, baggy clothes, TLC scored three major hits on their 1992 debut album, "Ooooooooh on the TLC Tip". With success at hand, Lopes ventured off into the world of stardom, and doing so brought her major headlines. In 1995, Lopes made national and international headlines after she set the home of her boyfriend, Andre Rison, ablaze after a major fight. Lopes, who was sentenced to 5 years probation and therapy at a halfway house, never was able to shake that incident from her personality, and along with Lil' Kim, became one of hip hop music's bad girls. Along with her TLC bandmates, Lopes filed for bankruptcy that same year claiming that poor royalties and an outstanding debt that was owed to Pebbles after she sued the group for breach of contract caused them to take this action.
With the release of their sophomore album, "Crazy Sexy Cool," Lopes and her TLC bandmates underwent a change from their childlike antics to a sense of maturity that represented their metamorphosis as major recording stars. That album, which became sold 11 million copies became one of that decade's biggest selling albums, netted the group two Grammy Awards, and produced three hit singles.
After promoting that album was over, Lopes decided to venture into a variety of projects that showcased her excellent ability to spot talent. She became the mentor and producer of the R&B trio Blaque, whose members saw TLC-like success with several hit singles and starring roles in the film "Bring it On". Along with Blaque, Lopes worked with other major artists who sought her talents in producing. Working with singers such as Montell Jordan, Melanie "Sporty Spice" Chisolm, and NSYNC, Lopes became one of the music industry's highly sought stars due to her unique vocals and amazing style.
However, Lopes who sought a fresh new start in life after a difficult childhood, began to involve herself in holistic and spiritual practices that brought her a sense of peace and tranquility. It was during a trip to Honduras, that Lopes saw a world different from what she saw in the United States, and began to get herself involved in several projects that benefited many victims of Hurricane Mitch, which struck Central America in 1997. Building a healing hut and a child center, Lopes connected with a world that was innocent and new to her. Her sense of pride and duty were reflected by the numerous trips she took to Honduras since her encounter with an African healing doctor in the mid 1990s.
After the release and promotion of TLC's 1999 album, "Fanmail", Lopes started to shun away from her bandmates in order to develop an identity independent from that of her bandmates. Often disputing with them in public, Lopes worked hard on a solo debut album, "Supernova" which was released internationally but never released in the United States due to poor radio play. That album, produced the top 20 hit, "The Block Party" which was a big hit in the United Kingdom and Japan.
In her continuation for a change, Lopes signed a deal to release an album under the alias N.I.N.A. (Not Into Name Alternatives) with controversial producer Suge Knight. That project never came about. On Thursday, April 25 while returning from the village where she called home for the past few years, Lopes was the only fatality in a car crash that occurred when her car swerved off the road near the town of Roma, Honduras. Lopes, who was to celebrate her 31st birthday the next month, died instantly while four of the seven others who were riding in the sports utility vehicle she was driving were rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. Lopes, who adopted a young girl several years ago, left her motherless and left a legion of grieving, distraught fans crying for another life taken so quickly.- Music Department
- Actress
- Producer
Rozonda Ocelean Thomas was born February 27, 1971 in Columbus, Georgia, to Ava Thomas and Abdul Ali. She has one son with producer Dallas Austin - they named him Tron. She is a very close friend of fellow member Tionne 'T-boz' Watkins' of TLC. The death of fellow band member Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes was a heavy loss. She has released three albums with T-Boz after Left Eye's death.- Actress
- Director
- Soundtrack
Mary Wilson, co-founder of The Supremes, helped garner an unequaled record of number 1 hits by a female group. Recording for Motown, Mary guided The Supremes into rock 'n roll history, turning her group into one of the three icons of the 1960's, alongside Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Mary never stopped developing new projects and toured the world entertaining her fans. She excelled in theatrical endeavors, such as the year-long Canadian tour of "Beehive", a play centered on a female musical group. Other theatrical experiences included her off-Broadway debut in "Grandma Sylvia's Funeral" in New York City, and "Mother Hubbard". Mary did a great deal of charity work, raising millions for AIDS through the People with AIDS Coalition of Tucson (PACT). She also raised funds for homeless people, cancer research and victims of child abuse, and was a Cultural Ambassador for the United States. Mary performed continually with orchestras, symphonies, and her own touring band. She wrote three books: "Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme" (1986), "Supreme Faith: Someday We'll be Together" (1990) and "Supreme Glamour" (2019). "Dreamgirl" remains the best-selling rock and roll autobiography ever published. She released several albums and in 2021 Motown released a compilation of her work as a solo performer.- Actress
- Producer
Sophisticated and hard-working, with undeniable talent, veteran actress KJ Smith's honest portrayals of strong female characters are the true personification of black excellence, leaving her mark on Hollywood as one of its hottest stars.
This year, Smith can be seen starring in the leading role of Andi Barnes on Tyler Perry's highest-rated series for BET Networks Sistas. Currently airing its fifth season, the dramedy centers around four single Black women from different walks of life who bond over their one common thread: "Why am I single?" Smith shines in her breakthrough role as Andi, a high-powered attorney who must navigate her complicated love life in a fast-paced, high-stakes industry with the help and advice of her close-knit girlfriends. Sistas continuously leads Wednesday night network ratings, ranking #1 amongst cable network shows in their hour, with new episodes airing weekly through 2022-2023. Smith's portrayal of Barnes has also garnered multiple award nominations, including the two-time consecutive Best Actress in a TV Series wins for the Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards (HAPA) in 2021 and 2022.
Smith can also be seen starring in the major recurring role of Palomar in season two of the top-rated Power prequel series, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, on STARZ. From creator and showrunner Sascha Penn, Power Book III: Raising Kanan takes viewers back to the '90s and the early years of the now-deceased Kanan Stark, portrayed in Courtney Kemp's original series by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. Palomar is one of Famous' (Antonio Ortiz) new neighbors and a young mom frequently mistaken for her daughter, Corinne's older sister. Any responsible parent wouldn't let their daughter within a mile of Kanan, Famous, and their friends, but Palomar is seemingly not that parent.
Additional television credits for Smith in top-rated network and cable television include the CW's fan-favorite drama series, Dynasty, Issa Rae's Giants, CBS' NCIS: Los Angeles, ABC's Black-ish, Freeform's The Fosters, Fox's Lethal Weapon, Netflix's Fuller House, three-season recurring roles on Bounce TV's Family Time and BET's The Family Business, Netflix's Family Reunion and #BlackAF, CBS' All Rise, and ABC's legal drama The Fix, where Smith starred as the quick-witted paralegal, Charlie.
In her most challenging role in film, Smith recently starred in the lead role in The Available Wife (2020) as Nicole Wright, a beautiful and successful music CEO whose life is on the verge of crumbling when money, affairs, power, and deception collide.
Other credits include Netflix's Fatal Affair (2020), Lionsgate's A Madea Family Funeral (2019) opposite world-renowned director, screenwriter and actor Tyler Perry, and Baker's Man and Throwback Holiday.
Offscreen, KJ is fashion fearless. Her divinely feminine and classic red carpet glamour tops fashion's best-dressed lists for bold and eye-catching celebrity styles. With a commitment to preserving the legacy of Black excellence through HBCU education and community, Smith partners for impact tours and commencement addresses with historically black colleges and universities nationwide. And through her advocacy for mental health, Smith uses her platform to share life experiences and her journey to mental wellness and volunteers with the Youth Emerging Stronger foundation to spark positive change.
Smith currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, with her fiance' and former co-star, Skyh Black, and their beloved toy poodle, Billionaire Black.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Nzinga was born in Maryland. She grew up in Asia, Africa, and Indiana with her family. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from UCLA's prestigious school of Film and Television. Nzinga and her co-host were the first humans to host a show on Cartoon Network.- The phrase, "Not just a pretty face" is definitely
applicable to this Interlochen Arts Academy
student. Although Ina Romeo is a Detroit
Native, she makes Los Angeles, CA
her home. Many say after meeting this breath- taking 60 (yes 60) year old "Comedian/Actress
/Model/Host" in person, she is the epitome
of funny, intelligence, humbleness and grace.
With her sensual eyes, the face of a goddess
and body of a 20 year old model, its hard to
believe this entertainment veteran of 33+ years
only started getting national notoriety as a
comedian. Romeo says, "I have been acting
since I was 9 years old. One of my first gigs
was for an internationally popular television
show Quincey M. E. (I played Claudia/a
speaking role)." She continues, "Although I
have achieved a nice level of success in the
entertainment industry with such roles in
television and movies shows: Caroline in the
City, Judging Amy, Hill Street Blues, The
Wayans Brothers TV Show, Escape from LA,
Outbreak and more, it was through acting that
I discovered my first love comedy." Romeo
goes on to say, "Through Stand Up Comedy, I
was able to express myself in ways I never
imagine via television and movies. I am able to
feel my audience/feel their souls. I am able to
target individual crowds and venues. I am able
to share the inner most part of me and have the
audience in tears and begging for more. What's
next for me? The world! After that, maybe a
comedy album netting me a Grammy. With
God as my head, the possibilities are endless." - Actress
- Writer
Gina St. John was born in Natchez, Mississippi, USA. She is known for Prom Night (2008), Baby Daddy (2012) and xXx: State of the Union (2005).- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Chaz Monet was born on 27 October 1990. She is an actress and writer, known for Any Day Now (1998), Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999) and Cold Case (2003).- Nadine Ellis was born in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Hairspray (2007), Live Free or Die Hard (2007) and Tropic Thunder (2008).
- Actress
- Writer
- Additional Crew
E.P. McKnight is known for Cradle Swapping (2017).- Born in Brooklyn, NY, to a writer/accountant father, Stan Victor, and case worker mother, Barbara Victor (both from southern Nigeria), she is the middle child of three girls. Growing up between Brooklyn and Long Island, she started dancing and playing piano at 6. She was entered into a pageant by an aunt at age 13 and won Miss New York Junior Teen. Though discovered by an agent at a fashion show commitment, and pushed towards a career in modeling, she was drawn to acting. Her academic achievements led her to the Ivy League, and she was enrolled in the undergrad program of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied entrepreneurial management and marketing. While in college, she performed plays with friends in parks around Philadelphia, and studied acting privately. After school, she returned to New York City where she studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, and quickly began working both on Broadway and on various television shows, including NYC classics Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU.
- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Lupita Amondi Nyong'o was born March 1, 1983 in Mexico City, Mexico, to Kenyan parents, Dorothy Ogada Buyu and Peter Anyang' Nyong'o. Her father, a senator, was then a visiting lecturer in political science. She was raised in Kenya. At age 16, her parents sent her back to Mexico for seven months to learn Spanish. She read film studies at Hampshire College, Massachusetts and, after working as a production assistant on several films, graduated from the Yale School of Drama's acting program. In 2013, she impressed cinema audiences in her film debut, as brutalized slave Patsey in acclaimed director Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave (2013). She was also the lead in MTV's award-winning drama series, Shuga (2009), appeared in the thriller Non-Stop (2014) and had roles in the big-budget films Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) and The Jungle Book (2016).
Lupita's stage credits include playing "Perdita" in "The Winter's Tale", (Yale Repertory Theater), "Sonya" in "Uncle Vanya", "Katherine" in "The Taming of the Shrew", as well as being in the original production of Michael Mitnick's "Elijah".
Lupita played the female lead, Nakia, in the 2018 superhero film Black Panther (2018).- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Danai Gurira was born in Grinnell, Iowa, to Josephine and Roger Gurira, who were from Zimbabwe. Her father was then teaching Chemistry at Grinnell College. When she was five, the family moved back to Zimbabwe, residing in the capital Harare. Gurira later returned to the United States, and studied social psychology at Macalester College, receiving an MFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She is the co-author of the play, "In the Continuum", with Nikkole Salter.- 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).- Andrea Isom is known for Annabelle & Bear (2010), Crime Watch Daily (2015) and WJBK: Fox 2 Detroit News (1948).
- Clarice Taylor was born on 20 September 1917 in Buckingham County, Virginia, USA. She was an actress, known for Play Misty for Me (1971), The Cosby Show (1984) and Smoke (1995). She was married to Maxwell Glanville. She died on 30 May 2011 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA.
- Additional Crew
- Actress
- Producer
Bevy Smith is TV's go-to, gal-about-town for on-air commentary that's smart, engaging and always maintains an authoritative point of view. Her insider knowledge of pop culture, entertainment and fashion has made her a sought-after speaker and a valuable talent choice for outlets such as VH1, E! Entertainment, Bravo, HLN, "CBS The Early Show (1999)", Access Hollywood (1996), Oxygen, BET, Food Network and TV ONE. In 2013, Bevy was named as the co-host for the Bravo Network's Fashion Queens (2013), a fun and no-holds-barred look at fashion, seen through the prism of pop culture.
A "social media socialite" who has thrived on both the publishing and editorial mastheads of magazines like "Paper", "Essence", "Vibe", "Rolling Stone", "Interview", "Uptown", "Ebony", "Latina" and "Glamour", Bevy chats with tens of thousands of followers on Twitter every day who tune in to hear what Bevy has on her mind and participate in her lively conversation.
While Bevy has set her sights on Malibu Beach, she currently lives and loves in her beloved hometown of Harlem, New York.- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Francine Jamison-Tanchuck is known for The Color Purple (2023), Emancipation (2022) and One Night in Miami... (2020).- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Tawny Newsome is know for playing Angela Ali in Netflix's Space Force, Ensign Beckett Mariner in Star Trek: Lower Decks, Gabby in IFC's Brockmire, and Chelsea Leight-Leigh in Pluto's Bajillion Dollar Properties. You may have also caught her in fun comedies like NBC's Superstore, IFC's Sherman's Showcase, and NBC's Perfect Harmony. She also hosts the Official Star Trek Podcast, Star Trek: The Pod Directive along with Paul F. Tompkins.
Before LA, she had mainly been writing and performing her work on the Second City Mainstage in Chicago, or touring around with her bands (Four Lost Souls, Jon Langford). As a longtime collaborator of Langford's, for years they've made quirky, outsider country music with a shifting lineup of performers. Recently they had the pleasure of recording an album in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, with some of the original Muscle Shoals Sound session players.
Her most recent project is a completely DIY rock record, made with fellow singer and longtime friend, Chicago indie darling Bethany Thomas. 'Material Flats' is a debut-for-the-two-of-them, 8 track, garage, punk, pop (with some alt-country splashes) fully independent album. She and Bethany co-wrote all of the tracks in June of 2020, whilst sheltering in place together in Tawny's home and studio in the Mojave desert. Tawny even engineered the record herself. It's a windy, weird, desert-punk album with a sweet side and an undercurrent of anxiety. Out everywhere October 9th 2020.- Producer
- Director
- Actress
Nina Parker was born on 22 October 1979 in Sacramento, California, USA. She is a producer and director, known for Being Mary Jane (2013), Sleeping with the Enemy and Grown-ish (2018).- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Marquita starred in her first television series, NBC's popular teen sitcom, USA High (1997). After completing just under 100 episodes, NBC added Marquita to the cast of Malibu, CA (1998), then in its final season.
Marquita went on to several guest star appearances on some of televisions most popular shows such as:The Shield (2002), Becker (1998),Spin City (1996), and"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (1990)_, to name a few. She portrayed the Recurring role of Attorney Iris McNeill on ABC's successful daytime drama, General Hospital (1972).
Marquita crossed over to film in the lead role in,Lost in Plainview (2005), an independent, award-winning feature film, written and directed by Eric Chambers. In recent times, Marquita has started to create original content. Her first project being, "Work In Progress" a female-driven, comedic, web series she created, produced. wrote and starred in.
Marquita is blessed to be happily married with two beautiful children in Los Angeles, California.- 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
- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Jackie Welch is a professional life coach and president of Visions Manifest Coaching Services. She began coaching in 2000 and brought to her coaching her passion for creativity - inviting it, practicing it, and applying it to all aspects of life. In fact, creativity lives at the heart of her coaching philosophy. Jackie believes that as creative beings, we all have the ability to be our own best resource for finding the fulfillment and joy that life has to offer. She received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Duke University and is a graduate of Coach U (The Coach Training Program), a program accredited by the International Coach Federation. She is also a graduate of Coach Academy of Texas and is a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming Coach. A long-time member of the International Coach Federation, Jackie serves as Board President of Tennessee Coaches Alliance for 2010. Her love of coaching is grounded in experiencing her clients' learning and discovery of greater passion, enthusiasm, and possibility in their lives. She helps creative professionals, and professionals who want to be more creative, do what they love and love what they do. Her professional life has its roots in the performing arts. As a child, she studied violin and piano and was exposed to theater, dance and the fine arts. After college, she took to the theatrical stage. There she found a creative home performing in children's theater, musicals, classical theater, comedy and improve. Opportunities soon came along to take her acting skills from the stage to the screen via television and film. Her creative work grew to include writing, directing, and teaching, amounting to well over twenty years "in the biz". Jackie continues to draw on her performing skills and experience to help others tap their natural creative abilities in all aspects of their day-to-day. In addition to her individual and group coaching services, she offers keynote presentations and workshops, including improve workshops for non-actors. Her workshops have been described as fun, creatively liberating, and confidence boosting by participants seeking to fan their creative spark. Her client list has included professionals in the arts which are writers, filmmakers, poets, musicians, composers, actors, directors, producers, designers as well as marketing executives, entrepreneurs, counselors, teachers, realtors, homemakers, attorneys, Vanderbilt University's Owen School of Management, and the Nashville Business Journal.- Writer
- Actress
- Producer
Amber Ruffin is a writer, executive producer, and host of the Emmy and WGA Award-nominated series The Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock. She is also an Emmy and WGA Award-nominated writer and performer for NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers." Ruffin was the first African American female to write for a late-night network talk show in the U.S. She wrote and performed on Comedy Central's "Detroiters" and was a regular narrator on the cabler's "Drunk History." Ruffin was previously a performer at Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, the iO Theater, and the Second City in Chicago. In addition, she was a writer/performer for the 2018 and 2019 Golden Globe Awards and has written for the series "A Black Lady Sketch Show." Ruffin is a New York Times bestselling author, along with her sister Lacey Lamar, of "You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories of Racism," published by Grand Central Publishing. She is also co-writing the Broadway musical "Some Like it Hot," which will begin performances in 2022. In 2021, Ruffin was named to the 2021 TIME100 Next List, TIME's list of the next 100 most influential people in the world.- Helen Martin was born on 23 July 1909 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996), Death Wish (1974) and Bulworth (1998). She died on 25 March 2000 in Monterey, California, USA.
- Soundtrack
Jazz and R&B singer Randy Crawford was born as Veronica Crawford on February 18, 1952 in Macon, Georgia and grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. Randy first began singing both at church and in school. She started performing at nightclubs in Europe and America at age fifteen (her father acted as her chaperon). Among the notable artists Crawford has worked with throughout the years are Bootsy Collins, Cannonball Adderley, Ray Charles, George Benson, Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau, and Johnny Bristol. Randy released her first single "If You Say the Word" at age twenty. In 1979 Crawford sang the fiery lead vocals on the stirring "Street Life" for the group the Crusaders; this song not only peaked at #17 on the US R&B charts and #5 on the UK pop charts, but also has been featured on the soundtracks to the movies "Sharky's Machine" and "Jackie Brown." Randy was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the 1980 Tokyo International Music Festival. She had substantial Top 20 UK pop radio hits with "One Day I'll Fly Away," "You Might Need Somebody," and an especially moving and inspired rendition of "Rainy Night in Georgia." Her 1981 album "Secret Combination" stayed on the Billboard album charts for sixty weeks. Crawford scored another smash success in 1986 with "Almaz," which went all the way to #4 on the UK pop radio charts. In 1989 Randy recorded a hit cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" with Eric Clapton and David Sanborn. She still continues to tour and perform in concert all over the world. More recently, Randy Crawford collaborated with pianist and composer Joe Sample on the 2006 album "Feeling Good."- Actress
- Producer
Carmen Hayward was born in Los Angeles to Ann Frazier, a licensed vocational nurse and Joseph Hayward, a plasterer from Louisiana. Her parents broke up, and at five she moved with her mother and younger sister to Louisville, Ky., her mother's hometown, where she enjoyed the support of a huge extended family. There she learned to sing in front of an audience. A career move for Ann took her with her girls to Washington, D.C. where Carmen started junior high school. Later, as an A student at Roosevelt High school she was President of the Thespians Club exploring theater. Returning to LA, she reunited with her father, graduated from Dorsey High School, and enrolled in LA City College becoming a theater major. She received a scholarship to U.S. International University's School of Performing and Visual Arts, performing in musical theatre production; and, then transferred to UCLA majoring in theater where she performed in main stage musical productions. With an AA, a BA degree, and classes at Inner City Cultural Center in hand, she started to work as a singer and actress in movies, television, public service announcements, and on stage. She starred in Tide's "Old Fashioned Woman" commercial; and toured nationally in a featured Singer/Dancer duo for Burt Bacharach and Anthony Newley.
Taking occasional breaks from performing, Carmen Hayward studied television/film production, and broadcasting at UCLA extension and USC which led to work in : Advertising, Publicity and Promotion for ABC Television, and ABC Motion Pictures; Development at Taft Entertainment Television; as well as special events for the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department and the Constitutional Rights Foundation. She also served as a producer for N-Vision Media Productions, developing a techno-thriller feature film, "Silent Deception." In recent years, Carmen began producing digital theatrical productions. As Artistic Director of the Drama Guild at FAME Church Los Angeles, she partnered with Ethiopian-Canadian novelist, Ainalem Tebeje, to create a Reader's Theatre production entitled, "My Love Story, in Broken English" and performed as the "Narrator." She also wrote and directed "Civil Unrest Monologues," a multi-media stage production, performing the role of "Jackie Broxton."
Carmen is married to Jeff Stetson, a television writer/producer and playwright. They have one son, Anwar Stetson, a sports journalist.- Additional Crew
- Actress
Leslie Segar was born in New York City, New York, USA. She is known for Who's the Man? (1993), 3 A.M. (2001) and Mary J. Blige: Real Love (1992).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Jonelle Allen was born on 8 July 1948 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993), The Wide World of Mystery (1973) and Forever and a Day (2020). She was previously married to Richard Grimmon, John Sharpe and Raymond Sanders.- Actress
Sherilyn Allen is a Toronto born actress known for her work in Supernatural (2018), iZombie (2018), Girlfriends Guide To Divorce (2016), and Coroner (2019-).
She first gained national notoriety during her time competing in the Miss Universe Canada competition and went on to star in a series of notable modeling campaigns and commercials. She later moved to Vancouver, British Columbia to pursue her dream of acting and made her debut on the show Girlfriends Guide To Divorce as the sexy seductress.
Sherilyn splits her time between Toronto, Los Angeles and Vancouver.- Valeri Ross is an American actor best known for Glory Road, Losing Isiah and Prom Night in film, on TV as McGillis in "ER" and Francis in "American Dreams" and Rita in "The Bold and the Beautiful". Her guest star work includes House M.D., Law & Order, "State of the Union" opposite Tracy Ullman, The Office, and the older and younger Truly Sinclair in "Cold Case". She is from East Tennessee and makes her home in Los Angeles County with Bart her husband of 33 years. In 2016, she portrays Eunice Simpson (OJ Simpson's mother) in American Crime Story.
- Producer
- Actress
Rev. Dr. Iyanla (pronounced E-Yan-La) Vanzant's story reads like an epic adventure filled with near misses, struggle, strength, courage and triumph! From her life's experiences she has uncovered her life's purpose, discovered the power that lies within and recovered her authentic self Iyanla Vanzant has emerged as a living testament to the value in life's valleys and the power of acting on faith. The best part is, she teaches what she has learned.
Born in Brooklyn, New York in the back of a taxi cab to an alcoholic mother, Iyanla was a child of an extra martial affair. When Iyanla was two-years-old her mother succumbed to breast cancer. This left Iyanla and her older brother to be raised by father, who left his children in the care of a series a relatives, including an uncle who raped her at the tender age of nine. Although Iyanla knew her father, he was often not present physically and emotionally unavailable. By age 16, she was a teenage mother. By age 21 she had three children and a physically abusive husband. 9 years, two suicide attempts and many beatings later, Iyanla and her three children made their early morning escape into an unknown future; a future where she would raise her three children alone. Being a single mother, she sustained her family for several years on public assistance. Iyanla was inspired by a sign on the bus to change her life by attending Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, New York. Three years later she graduated Summa Cum Laude and entered the City University of New York Law School at Queens College. Her brilliant oratory skills caught the attention of the Philadelphia Public Defender's office who offered her a job without a formal interview. Three years into her practice, Iyanla knew she had made the wrong choice for her life and left her position.
Like everyone else, Iyanla readily admits that she too has had long periods of confusion. Unlike many, however, she uses her difficult times to usher her into a new state of being. After leaving her prominent position as an attorney, Iyanla eventually found herself unemployed, sleeping on a sofa in a friend's basement with her pregnant 16 year-old daughter. A friend invited her to teach a class for women who were being trained to transition from welfare to work. Understanding their predicament very well, Iyanla took her new job seriously. She produced a workbook for the class. In 1988, that workbook became her first published work, Tapping The Power Within: A Path To Self Empowerment For Black Women. The 20th. Anniversary edition of this book was published in 2008. (Smiley Books/Hay House). Her second work, Acts of Faith: Daily Meditations For People of Color, crossed the racial divide to become a favorite companion for Tipper Gore, wife of then Vice President Al Gore. 13 publications and 5 New York Times Best Sellers were not a part of Iyanla's plans. Then again, the best laid plan tend to go awry.
Iyanla has received numerous awards and accolades for the power and impact of her work. She received She is hailed as one of Halle Berry's five "Sheros" (Glamour Magazine 2006); one of the country's most influential African Americans (Ebony Magazine 2004); among the country's most 100 Influential Women (Women's Day Magazine 2003); one of the "most dynamic speakers in the United States" (Emerge Magazine 2000). She is a woman of passion, clear vision and purpose.
Dr. Vanzant travels globally delivering her teachings and message of hope to thousands. A much sought after guest for prime time radio shows, her voice is a staple on The Tom Joyner Morning Show (Radio One); The Tavis Smiley Show (NPR); The Michael Baisden Show (ABC); and Tell Me More with Michel Martin (NPR). She has appeared as a host Life Coach on the NBC Daytime Drama, Starting Over (2004-2006); Iyanla, her own daytime talk show (2001-2002) produced by Barbara Walters and Billy Getty. She was also a recurring guest on Oprah (1998-1999) as part of the Change Your Life Faculty.
As Founder and Director of Inner Visions Institute of Spiritual Development, Iyanla shares her knowledge of Universal Principle and Law, Eastern and Western spiritual/religious traditions/teachings, and the truth of Unconditional Love to motivate others to create a better life, a better community and a better world! She spends most of her time now training Life Coaches and Ministers and conducting a series of community forums through Inner Visions.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
A small town girl from Eden, North Carolina, Tabitha Brown is a Wife, Mom, Actress and Vegan food Influencer. Tabitha is known for her loving demeanor, and her honest, viral, and comedic food reviews! She has been featured on Ellen, GMA, Sara & Keke, Buzzfeed, Tasty, Now This Food, and Goodful just to name a few. In 2020, she gained immense internet popularity with her online video content which often incorporates veganism, humor and motivational speaking by spreading love and kindness. She has been deemed as Americas Mom! As an actress Tabitha is known for her comedic timing on Will&Grace and love and peace in her own show on Ellen's Digital Network " All Love with Tabitha Brown" just to name a few.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Born in Brooklyn, New York, but raised in Philadelphia, Adenrele Ojo is a self-described theater brat. She is the daughter of the late John E. Allen Jr., Founder of Freedom Theatre, in Philadelphia (the oldest African-American theater in Pennsylvania). As a very young child, she found many late nights falling asleep on theatre chairs as her dad directed and mother performed. First first trained as a dancer starting around the age of 5, shortly after that she also began her studies in the area of drama. Although, Adenrele continued to do theatre, she eventually made her on-screen debut in the film My Little Girl (1986) starring such names as James Earl Jones, Mary Stuart Masterson, Erika Alexander and Jennifer Lopez. Adenrele went on to further her dancing as part of the Philadelphia Dance Company ('Philadanco') training company. She later received her Bachelor of the Arts in Theater from Hunter College in New York and continued to hone her skills under the auspices of the wonderful Maggie Flanigan at the William Esper Studios. She is one of the founding company members and was also the General Manager of Tupu Kweli Theatre Company in NY, which is under the artistic direction of Curtiss Cook.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
LaCora Stephens was born on July 28th. She was raised in the sunshine state of Florida. She is the host of The YES! Show and has been in several commercials and the noted short film: The Donut Shop. LaCora has a foundation in theatre.- Arlondriah Lenyéa is an actress best known for playing N'neka Garland on abc's GENERAL HOSPITAL. Arlondriah made history with her film debut embodying Zarina- as the title character- when the short film won the Emerge Filmmaking Lab's Grand Jury Prize in its inaugural year of 2019. ZARINA was awarded 6x in film festivals nationwide!
A multifaceted artist, Arlondriah is also an internationally published print, runway, and underwater model gaining traction in 2017, from a photo captured by world renowned underwater photographer Cheryl Walsh; as the first black, underwater mermaid model, rocking her signature natural curly Afro! Arlondriah elevated her flourishing underwater modeling career when she appeared in a very popular, 6-page spread publication on the cover of the 2019 international summer issue of PLAYBOY MAGAZINE. Hailing originally from New Orleans, the Compton-raised professional dancer has trained extensively in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern, Horton, African, Hip Hop & House, Aerial Silks, Vogue, Heels, and Pole. - Actress
- Director
- Writer
- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Born in New York City and raised in the Bronx and later (during high school) Atlanta, Christine Horn knew from a young age that she was destined for a creative career. Inspired by her early visits to Broadway shows she started to perform professionally at the age of 16 and made her theatrical debut in the feature film Stomp the Yard with Columbus Short in 2007. She is an alumna of one of the top performing arts high schools in the country, Tri Cities in Atlanta. By the age of 19 she was able to procure her first agent.
After fulfilling her dream of being in a Broadway play, The Lion King, she decided to make the move to Los Angeles in 2011. Her challenging experience of mining the craziness of the entertainment industry inspired her to start her now thriving business, Hollywood Bound Actors. Christine is the coach that she wishes that she had had and takes tremendous pride in being able to help guide young actors towards navigating the business side of the entertainment business. She has earned the moniker of being 'the booking magnet' for the sagacious advice that she dispenses as she passes the baton to new and rising creatives by giving back to the acting community.
The award-winning actress, author, singer and career coach has amassed a solid list of credits including roles in the feature film The Fallout (Warner Bros) and in the critically acclaimed TV series Snowfall (FX). She has had guest appearances on TV series such as Grey's Anatomy, NCIS: LA, Blackish, The Lincoln Lawyer and Shameless, amongst many others. She adds a juicy role in the upcoming season of the Starz drama BMF which will premiere in January, 2023.
Christine is of Jamaica and Bermudian ancestry and resides in Los Angeles.