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Karen Malina White

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Karen Malina White
White in 2006
Born
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationHoward University (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active1980–present
Known forKaneesha Carter – Lean on Me
Charmaine Brown – The Cosby Show, A Different World
Websitekarenmalinawhite.com

Karen Malina White is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Kaneesha Carter in the 1989 drama film Lean on Me, Charmaine Brown during the two final seasons on The Cosby Show (1990–1992) and its spin-off A Different World (1992–1993), Nicolette Vandross on Malcolm & Eddie (1996–2000),[1] and as the voice of Dijonay Jones on the Disney Channel animated comedy The Proud Family (2001–2005) and its 2022 Disney+ reboot The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

Biography

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Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, White studied at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. After graduating high school, White continued her studies at Howard University, where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree.[2][3] During her senior year, White won the title of "Miss Howard University" and landed her first role as an actress.[citation needed]

Career

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In 1989, White starred in Lean on Me alongside actor Morgan Freeman which White considers her first major role.[4] She was nominated for the 1990 Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for her performance in the film. During the 1990s, White made many guest appearances in various television shows. White portrayed Charmaine Brown during Seasons 7 and 8 of The Cosby Show (1990–1992), and Season 6 of A Different World (1992–1993). White also guest starred as Jewel, Jazz's wife in two episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. White portrayed series regular Nicolette Vandross on Malcom & Eddie. White appeared in recurring guest star roles on Animal Kingdom, Bruh, Better Things, Lodge 49, Kidding, Snowfall, Veep, and I Didn't Do It. White appeared as a guest star in 9-1-1, The Middle, Mike & Molly, Herman's Head, Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, Roc, My So-Called Life, Chicago Hope, Living Single, The Shield, Southland, How to Get Away With Murder, and Young Sheldon.[5]

White has had several theater roles, most notably playing the role of Camae in Katori Hall's The Mountaintop and Arlene/Lacy in Eight Nights. In 2010, White played a role in The Ballad of Emmett Till - a role which she reprised in an online reading of the play in 2020.[6]

From 2001 to 2005, she performed the voice of Dijonay Jones on the animated Disney Channel series The Proud Family. White says that series creator Bruce W. Smith designed the character as White was reading lines for an initial presentation of the show.[7] In 2022, she reprised her role as Dijonay Jones in the revival series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder for which she was nominated for an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in a Television Production.[8][9]

White played the role of Shirley Hughes on Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, a role which allowed her to utilize American Sign Language which she has been learning since she was 15.[10] White says that the role provided her an outlet for anger, anxiety, and fear from the COVID-19 pandemic and the social unrest from the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmed Arbery.[11] Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Show became Netflix's second most-watched series of all time.[12]

White was a guest speaker in the online acting class Mastering the Business of Acting, a program that teaches acting students the business-side of the acting industry.[13]

In 2023, White appeared in a FanDuel commercial alongside former American football player Rob Gronkowski.[14]

Personal life

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White has never married and has no children, although she was in a relationship with her co-star Malcolm Jamal Warner for seven and a half years. He said,"I'm not married. People probably started saying that because we were in a relationship for seven and a half years."[15]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1989 Lean On Me Kaneesha Carter
1995 Statistically Speaking - Short
1996 Once Upon a Time...When We Were Colored Mary
2004 Fronterz -
2005 The Proud Family Movie Dijonay Jones (voice) TV movie
2006 The Ties That Bind Madison Short
2007 I Gotta Be Better Than Keanu Acting Teacher
2011 Aurora Borealis Head Nurse Short
Kissed by the Devil June Henderson Short
Cheaper to Keep Her Koren Video
2012 Who's Watching the Kids Susan
A Bitter Pill Nurse Kathy Short
Love Overboard Tina Video
Where Do We Go from Here Florence Theresa Ford Short
2013 Jump In: The Movie Camryn Davis
2014 Freeloader Aretha Short
2016 Caged Karen Stevens Short
Silent Cry Aloud Dina
Mule Nurse Vasquez Short
2017 Conflict of Interest Gabriele's Mother
a.m. Sunday Julia Short
2019 Unspeakable Indiscretions Paulette
2021 Love, for Real Marie TV movie
'Tis the Season to be Merry Sonia Hendricks TV movie

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1989 A Man Called Hawk Lisa Episode: "The Divided Child" & "Beautiful Are the Stars"
1990–92 The Cosby Show Charmaine Brown Recurring Cast: Season 7-8
1992–93 A Different World Charmaine Brown Guest: Season 5, Main Cast: Season 6
1993 Herman's Head Rene Episode: "There's a Fly Girl In My Soup"
1993–97 Hangin' with Mr. Cooper Florence Recurring Cast: Season 2 & 5, Guest: Season 4
1993–94 Roc Michelle Recurring Cast: Season 3
Getting By Yolanda Recurring Cast: Season 2
1994 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Jewel Robertson Episode: "The Ol' Ball and Chain" & "Mother's Day"
1994–95 My So-Called Life Abyssinia Churchill Episode: "Self-Esteem" & "Betrayal"
1995 Me and the Boys Janet Recurring Cast
Chicago Hope Jennifer Koosman Episode: "Hello Goodbye"
The Parent 'Hood Nina Episode: "Track Dreams"
Too Something - Episode: "Meter Feeders"
1996 The Home Court Leslie Episode: "Laborer of Love"
Living Single Shayla Episode: "Woman to Woman"
Dave's World Natalie Episode: "Do You Want To Know A Secret?"
1996–2000 Malcolm & Eddie Nicolette Vandross Main Cast
2000 Seven Days Tracy Donovan Episode: "Mr Donovan's Neighborhood"
2001 Strong Medicine Constance 'Connie' MacRane Episode: "Relief"
2001–05 The Proud Family Dijonay Jones (voice) Main Cast
2002 Jeremiah Rickie Episode: "City of Roses"
2003 The Shield Dez' Girlfriend Episode: "Barnstormers"
2004 Boston Public Sonia Williamson Episode: "Chapter Seventy-Eight"
2005 The Bernie Mac Show Denise Episode: "The Big Payback"
2007 Random! Cartoons Mindy 500 (voice) Episode: "Hero Heights"
2012 Suits Doris Miller Episode: "The Choice"
2013 Golden Boy Lydia Lent Episode: "Vicious Cycle"
Southland Irene Episode: "Heroes"
2014 The Mentalist Elsie Graham Episode: "Black Helicopters"
How to Get Away with Murder Carla Episode: "Let's Go Scooping"
2015 I Didn't Do It Betty LeBow Recurring Cast: Season 2
2016 Mike & Molly Paula Episode: "The Adoption Option"
Veep Kimberly Episode: "C**tgate"
Shameless Sylvie Prum Episode: "Home Sweet Homeless Shelter"
The Middle Mrs. Roberts Episode: "Look Who's Not Talking"
2016–18 Animal Kingdom Dina Guest Cast: Season 1-3
2017 Snowfall Doris Perkins Episode: "Make Them Birds Fly"
2018 Kidding Latrice Episode: "Philliam"
Raven's Home Loretta Episode: "Keepin' It Real"
2019 Lodge 49 Trish Recurring Cast: Season 2
2019–20 Better Things Debra Guest Cast: Season 3-4
2020 Cherish the Day Samantha Episode: "Genesis"
Mom Natalie Recurring Cast: Season 7
2021 9-1-1 Avery Webber Episode: "First Responders"
The Zip Code Plays: Los Angeles LaShae Fair Episode: "91331: Pacoima – Gold & Shine"
2022 Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story Shirley Hughes Recurring Cast
Chibiverse Dijonay Jones (voice) Episode: "The Great Chibi Mix-Up!"
2022–present The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Dijonay Jones (voice) Main Cast
2022–24 Bruh Hilda Recurring Cast: Season 3, Guest: Season 4
2023 The Kick of Destiny Agent Episode: "Agent"
Young Sheldon Officer Larson Episode: "A Stolen Truck and Going on the Lam"

References

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  1. ^ The A to Z of African-American Television – White, Karen Malina – By Kathleen Fearn-Banks
  2. ^ Hbcu Experience – the Book: A Collection of Essays Celebrating the Black ... edited by Tia C. M. Tyree
  3. ^ Frisby, Mister Mann. "When this starlet's back home, she goes for chicken cheesesteak." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Philadelphia Daily News, May 7, 1998, p. 13 (subscription required).
  4. ^ "Actress Karen Malina White discusses decades of television excellence". WJTV. March 9, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  5. ^ "See Charmaine From "The Cosby Show" & "A Different World" Now at 57". Yahoo Life. October 2022. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  6. ^ Barrett, Shari. "Review: THE BALLAD OF EMMETT TILL at Fountain Theatre". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  7. ^ "Actress Karen Malina White discusses decades of television excellence". WJTV. March 9, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  8. ^ "Actress Karen Malina White Reprises Her Role in "The Proud Family"". Chicago Defender. February 21, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  9. ^ "50th Annual Annie Awards". annieawards.org. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  10. ^ Silva, Gabriela (October 31, 2022). "'Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story': Actor Karen Malina White Breaks Down Portraying Shirley Hughes and 'Her Determination to Get Justice'". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  11. ^ Abraham, Jeanine T. (March 9, 2022). "Karen Malina White on Three Diverse Projects: 'The Proud Family', 'Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story', and 'Bruh'". Black Girl Nerds. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  12. ^ "'Dahmer' Becomes Netflix's Second Most-Watched Series Ever". Complex. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  13. ^ "Mastering the Business of Acting - Your New Online Acting Class". www.masteringthebusinessofacting.com. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  14. ^ Auralcrave (January 15, 2023). "Gronk & Karen Malina White in the FanDuel commercial". Auralcrave. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  15. ^ "Flashback Fridays: Malcolm Jamal Warner - Essence.com". April 13, 2009. Archived from the original on April 13, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
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