Kadeem Hardison (born July 24, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as

Dwayne Wayne Dwayne Wayne is a fictional character who appears in the American sitcom ''A Different World'', portrayed by actor Kadeem Hardison. He is known for his trademark flip up eyeglasses/shades and making unsuccessful advances on numerous women throug ...

on ''

A Different World ''A Different World'' is an American sitcom (and a spin-off of ''The Cosby Show'') television series that aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable ( Lisa Bonet) an ...

'', a spin-off of the long-running

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

sitcom ''

The Cosby Show ''The Cosby Show'' is an American television sitcom co-created by and starring Bill Cosby, which aired Thursday nights for eight seasons on NBC between September 20, 1984, until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on an upper middle-class African- ...

''. He starred in the

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...

series ''

K.C. Undercover ''K.C. Undercover'' is an American Television comedy, comedy television series created by Corinne Marshall that aired on Disney Channel from January 18, 2015 to February 2, 2018. The series stars Zendaya, Veronica Dunne, Kamil McFadden, Trinitee ...

'' as Craig Cooper, the title character's father and played Norman in

OWN Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different ...

's ''Love Is_''. He also appeared in the first season of the

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

comedy ''

Black Monday Black Monday refers to specific Mondays when undesirable or turbulent events have occurred. It has been used to designate massacres, military battles, and stock market crashes. Historic events *1209, Dublin – when a group of 500 recently arriv ...

'' and starred as Bowser in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

series ''

Teenage Bounty Hunters ''Teenage Bounty Hunters'' is an American teen comedy-drama streaming television series created by Kathleen Jordan for Netflix which was released on August 14, 2020. In October 2020, the series was canceled after one season. Blake McCormick and ...

''.

Early life

Hardison was born in

Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Bedford–Stuyvesant (), colloquially known as Bed–Stuy, is a neighborhood in the northern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Bedford–Stuyvesant is bordered by Flushing Avenue to the north (bordering Williamsburg), Classon Av ...

, New York, the only child of Donald McFadden, an antique and fine art collector, and

Bethann Hardison Bethann Hardison is an American fashion model and activist. Hardison is well known for being one of the first high profile black models after her appearance at the 1973 Battle of Versailles fashion show. She is also known for her activism on di ...

, a pioneering African-American runway model and advocate for diversity in the fashion industry.

Career

Hardison was a starring cast member on the sitcom ''

'' as Dwayne Wayne, and a regular cast member of ''

'' and the short-lived sitcoms '' Abby'' and ''

Between Brothers ''Between Brothers'' is an American television sitcom centered on four middle-class African American men in their late twenties, living in Chicago. It premiered on September 11, 1997 on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, with the second season airi ...

''. His career was managed predominantly by his mother, Bethann Hardison. He has also guest starred on several other sitcoms, including ''

Living Single ''Living Single'' is an American television sitcom created by Yvette Lee Bowser that aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 22, 1993, to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who shared personal and professi ...

'', '' Girlfriends'', '' Under One Roof'', ''

The Boondocks Boondocks are remote, usually brushy areas. Boondocks may also refer to: * The Boondocks (band), an Estonian rock band * ''The Boondocks'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Aaron McGruder ** ''The Boondocks'' (2005 TV series), the television ser ...

'' (as himself), ''

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

'', '' Parenthood'', and on ''

Everybody Hates Chris ''Everybody Hates Chris'' is an American television semi-autobiographical sitcom that is inspired by the memories of the teenage years of comedian Chris Rock. The show is set from 1982 to 1987, although Rock himself was actually a teenager from ...

'' as the judge. His films include ''Escapee'', ''

Rappin' ''Rappin is a 1985 film directed by Joel Silberg, written by Adam Friedman and Robert J. Litz, produced by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus and starring Mario Van Peebles. The film is a sequel to '' Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo'', and is also kno ...

'', ''

School Daze ''School Daze'' is a 1988 American musical comedy-drama film, written and directed by Spike Lee, and starring Laurence Fishburne (credited as Larry Fishburne), Giancarlo Esposito, and Tisha Campbell. Based in part on Spike Lee's experiences a ...

'', ''

Def by Temptation ''Def by Temptation'' is a 1990 American horror film that was written, produced, and directed by James Bond III; and stars Cynthia Bond, Kadeem Hardison, Samuel L. Jackson, and Bill Nunn. The film takes place in New York City in 1990. Plot Th ...

'', ''

Vampire in Brooklyn ''Vampire in Brooklyn'' is a 1995 American dark comedy horror film directed by Wes Craven. It stars Eddie Murphy, who produced and wrote with his brothers Vernon Lynch and Charles Q. Murphy. The film co-stars Angela Bassett, Allen Payne, Kadeem ...

'', '' 30 Years to Life'', ''

Made of Honor ''Made of Honor'' (''Made of Honour'' in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and Australia) is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Paul Weiland and written by Adam Sztykiel, Deborah Kaplan, and Harry Elfont. The film stars Patrick ...

'', ''

The 6th Man ''The 6th Man'', sometimes titled ''The Sixth Man'', is a 1997 American sports comedy film directed by Randall Miller, and starring Marlon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison. The film features real National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) schools ...

'', ''

Drive Drive or The Drive may refer to: Motoring * Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle * Road trip, a journey on roads Roadways Roadways called "drives" may include: * Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive" ...

'', ''

Renaissance Man A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...

'', ''

Panther Panther may refer to: Large cats *Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis'' **'' Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards. *** Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in So ...

'', '' The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life Is Not a Fairy Tale'', ''

Bratz Bratz is an American fashion doll and media franchise created by former Mattel employee Carter Bryant for MGA Entertainment which debuted in 2001. The four original 10-inch (25 cm) dolls were released on May 21, 2001 — Yasmin, Cloe, Jade ...

'', ''

Biker Boyz ''Biker Boyz'' is a 2003 American sports action drama film, directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood and written by Bythewood and Craig Fernandez, based on the 2000 ''New Times LA'' article of the same name by Michael Gougis. The film is about a group o ...

'', ''

Who's Your Daddy? Who's Your Daddy? is an alternate capitalization of "Who's your daddy?", a phrase expressing dominance, especially of a sexual nature. Who's Your Daddy? may also refer to: Music * "Who's Your Daddy?" (Daddy Yankee song) * "Who's Your Daddy? ...

'', '' The Crow: Stairway to Heaven'', ''

I'm Gonna Git You Sucka ''I'm Gonna Git You Sucka'' is a 1988 American blaxploitation parody film written, directed by, and starring Keenen Ivory Wayans in his directorial debut. Featured in the film are several noteworthy African-American actors who were part of the ...

'', ''

Blind Faith Blind Faith were an English supergroup featuring Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Ric Grech. They were eagerly anticipated by the music press following on the success of each of the member's former bands, including Clapton a ...

'', ''

White Men Can't Jump ''White Men Can't Jump'' is a 1992 American sports comedy film written and directed by Ron Shelton. It stars Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as streetball hustlers. The film was released in the United States on March 27, 1992, by 20th Century ...

'', and '' B.C. Butcher''. He appears as an actor in the 2013

PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...

exclusive video game '' Beyond: Two Souls'' as Cole Freeman.

Personal life

Hardison was married to American singer

Chanté Moore Chanté Torrane Moore (born February 17, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, and author. Rising to fame in the early 1990s, Moore established herself as an R&B singer. Her debut studio album '' Precious'' w ...

from 1997 until 2000; they have a daughter named Sophia (b. 1996). Hardison remains a close friend of actor Darryl Bell, who played his best friend Ron Johnson on ''A Different World''; he made an appearance alongside Bell on FOX's ''

Househusbands of Hollywood ''Househusbands of Hollywood '' was a Fox Reality Channel series that documented the lives of five househusbands and their wives and families. The Cast *Billy Ashley, a former major league baseball player who is married to a celebrity makeup art ...

''.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Cultural influence

Linda Rosenkrantz Linda Rosenkrantz (born May 26, 1934) is an American writer, known for her innovations in the realm of “nonfiction fiction,” most prominently in her novel ''Talk'', a New York Review Books classic. Life and career Linda Rosenkrantz was b ...

and Pamela Redmond Satran credit Hardison for making the name "Kadeem" familiar. *Hardison is the model for the title character Michael “The Cool” Young History in the inserts of the album '' The Cool'' by

Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, ''Lupe Fiasco's ...

. *Hardison was the subject of then-wife

's 1999 single "

Chanté's Got a Man "Chanté's Got a Man" is the first single from American singer Chanté Moore's third studio album, '' This Moment Is Mine'' (1999). Featuring an interpolation of the 1971 Osmonds number-one single "One Bad Apple", the song became Moore's first to ...

". *In a press conference following Game 4 of the 2012 NBA Finals,

Dwyane Wade Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. (; born January 17, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Wade spent the majority of his 16-year career playing for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and won three NBA champi ...

wore flip-up

sunglasses Sunglasses or sun glasses (informally called shades or sunnies; more names below) are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can s ...

and said he was, "paying a little homage to Dwayne Wayne tonight", referencing Hardison's popular character from ''A Different World''. *In Season 2, Episode 7 of ''

Psych ''Psych'' is an American detective comedy-drama television series created by Steve Franks for USA Network. The series stars James Roday as Shawn Spencer, a young crime consultant for the Santa Barbara Police Department whose "heightened observ ...

'' ("If You're So Smart, Then Why Are You Dead"), Gus references utilizing the "Kadeem Hardison method" to kiss a girl. *Hardison appears as the narrator on

Add-2 Andre D'Juan Daniels (born March 31, 1986), better known by his stage name Add-2, sometimes stylized as Add 2, is an American rapper who first gained popularity after the release of his second mixtape, A Tale of Two's City: Volume 2. In 2009, hi ...

's 2019 album, ''Jim Crow: The Musical''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hardison, Kadeem 1965 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors African-American male actors American male television actors Living people Male actors from New York City American male voice actors American male video game actors People from Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people