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Tisha Michelle Campbell (born October 13, 1968) is an American actress and singer. She made her screen debut appearing in the 1986 rock musical comedy film '' Little Shop of Horrors'', and later starred on the short-lived
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
musical comedy drama ''
Rags to Riches Rags to riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame, fortune and celebrity—sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype in literature and popula ...
'' (1987–1988). Campbell has appeared in films including ''
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 ...
'' (1988), '' Rooftops'' (1989), ''
Another 48 Hrs. ''Another 48 Hrs.'' is a 1990 American buddy cop film directed by Walter Hill (director), Walter Hill and starring Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte, Brion James, Andrew Divoff, and Ed O'Ross. It is the sequel to the 1982 film ''48 Hrs.'' Nolte reprises h ...
'' (1990), ''
Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning b ...
'' (1992), and '' Sprung'' (1997). She received
Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female The Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female was an award presented annually by Film Independent. It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an absolutely outstanding performance in a supporting role while working in an indepe ...
nomination for her performance in the 1990 comedy film ''
House Party A house party is a type of party where people gather at the residence of the party's host. Organization A house party might be organized several months or just a few hours in advance. News of a party may be spread by personal invitations, ...
'', and later starred in its two sequels ''
House Party 2 ''House Party 2'' is a 1991 American comedy film and the sequel to the 1990 film ''House Party'' released by New Line Cinema. The film returns most of the cast of the first film such as Kid 'n Play and Full Force, along with new cast members suc ...
'' (1991) and ''
House Party 3 ''House Party 3'' is a 1994 American comedy film, starring Kid 'n Play, Bernie Mac, and TLC. It is the third installment of the ''House Party'' film series. This was intended to be the last film in the franchise, ending it as a trilogy, but a stan ...
'' (1994). On television, Campbell starred as Gina Waters-Payne in the
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
comedy series ''
Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...
'' from 1992 to 1997, and as Janet "Jay" Marie Johnson-Kyle in the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
comedy series ''
My Wife and Kids ''My Wife and Kids'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28, 2001, to May 17, 2005. The series was produced by Touchstone Television. It starred Damon Wayans as Michael Kyle, the patriarch of an African-American family. Wayans and ve ...
'' (2001–2005), for which she received
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. It was known as the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series until 2000. Currently, Tracee Ellis Ross holds the record for most wi ...
. She later had regular roles on ''
Rita Rocks ''Rita Rocks'' is a Lifetime original sitcom that ran from 20 October 2008 to 7 December 2009. It was the network's first original comedy in over a decade. The series debuted alongside re-runs of '' Reba'' as part of a new comedy hour for Tuesday ...
'' (Lifetime, 2008–2009), '' The Protector'' (Lifetime, 2011), and ''
Dr. Ken ''Dr. Ken'' is an American multi-camera sitcom that aired on ABC from October 2, 2015, to March 31, 2017. The series was created, written, and co-executive produced by its lead actor, Ken Jeong, who based the concept on his experience as a physici ...
'' (ABC, 2015–2017).


Early life

Campbell was born in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...
, and raised in
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Newark Arts High School Newark Arts High School is a four-year magnet public high school, serving students in Ninth through twelfth grades in Newark, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Newark Public Schools. The school is located in t ...
and also East Orange, New Jersey, where she attended Washington Academy of Music. Her mother, Mona (née Raye) Shockley (now known as Mona Washington), was a nurse, talent manager, gospel singer, and vocal coach. Her father, Clifton Campbell, was a factory worker and singer, and as a chess master, works with underprivileged children. Her parents encouraged her love for music. Campbell has an older brother, three younger brothers, and a younger sister. During a 2014 appearance on the daytime talk show ''The Daily Helpline'', Campbell said that she was raped at age three by a male family friend who was baby-sitting her at the time.


Career


Acting

Campbell's first television appearance was at the age of six, in an episode in 1974 of the PBS show ''
The Big Blue Marble ''Big Blue Marble'' is a half-hour children's television program that was aired from 1974 to 1983 in syndication including on PBS television stations. Overview Distinctive content included stories about children around the world and a pen-pal ...
''. As a child, she won many
talent show A talent show is an event in which participants perform the arts of singing, dancing, lip-syncing, acting, martial arts, playing an instrument, poetry, comedy or other activities to showcase skills. Many talent shows are performances rather ...
s, going on to appear in such children's programs as ''Kids Are People Too'', ''
Unicorn Tales ''Unicorn Tales'' is a series of eight musical theatre, musical short films for young audiences created and directed by Nick De Noia in association with NBC that aired sporadically as television specials as well as 16 mm educational films. E ...
'' (played lead Daisy Bunsen in episode, ''The Magnificent Major''), and ''
Captain Kangaroo ''Captain Kangaroo'' is an American children's television series that aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for 29 years, from 1955 to 1984, making it the longest-running nationally broadcast children's television program ...
''. At age 17, she performed in the musical feature film, '' Little Shop of Horrors'' as Chiffon, one of
The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...
-like
girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...
Greek Chorus, along with future ''
Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...
'' co-star & best friend,
Tichina Arnold Tichina Rolanda Arnold (; born June 28, 1969) is an American actress and singer. She began her career as a child actor, appearing in supporting roles in '' Little Shop of Horrors'' (1986) and ''How I Got into College'' (1989) before being cast as ...
. After graduating from the Arts High School in Newark, she moved to
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...
, where she became a star on the short lived NBC musical comedy-drama series, ''
Rags to Riches Rags to riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame, fortune and celebrity—sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype in literature and popula ...
'' (1987–88). She later starred in the musical comedy drama film ''
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 ...
'', directed by
Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...
, as Jane Toussaint. In 1989, Campbell costarred in the crime film '' Rooftops'', and the following year starred alongside
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
in the action comedy ''
Another 48 Hrs. ''Another 48 Hrs.'' is a 1990 American buddy cop film directed by Walter Hill (director), Walter Hill and starring Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte, Brion James, Andrew Divoff, and Ed O'Ross. It is the sequel to the 1982 film ''48 Hrs.'' Nolte reprises h ...
''. She later appeared in an supporting role in the 1992 romantic comedy ''
Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool, typically constructed with aerofoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight. A returning boomerang is designed to return to the thrower, while a non-returning b ...
'', also starring Murphy. Her most notable film credit is 1990 comedy ''
House Party A house party is a type of party where people gather at the residence of the party's host. Organization A house party might be organized several months or just a few hours in advance. News of a party may be spread by personal invitations, ...
'' for which she received
Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female The Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female was an award presented annually by Film Independent. It is given in honor of an actress who has delivered an absolutely outstanding performance in a supporting role while working in an indepe ...
nomination. She later co starred in its two sequels; ''
House Party 2 ''House Party 2'' is a 1991 American comedy film and the sequel to the 1990 film ''House Party'' released by New Line Cinema. The film returns most of the cast of the first film such as Kid 'n Play and Full Force, along with new cast members suc ...
'' (1991), and ''
House Party 3 ''House Party 3'' is a 1994 American comedy film, starring Kid 'n Play, Bernie Mac, and TLC. It is the third installment of the ''House Party'' film series. This was intended to be the last film in the franchise, ending it as a trilogy, but a stan ...
'' (1994). In 1997, she received her star billed role in the
Trimark Pictures Trimark Pictures was an American production company that specialized in the production and distribution of television and home video motion pictures. The company was formed in 1984 by Mark Amin as Vidmark Entertainment with Vidmark Inc. (later T ...
' comedy film '' Sprung''. She later had the leading role in the independent drama film ''The Last Place on Earth'' (2002), and appeared in
Kevin Smith Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film ''Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co ...
's sex comedy film ''
Zack and Miri Make a Porno ''Zack and Miri Make a Porno'' (also known simply as ''Zack and Miri'') is a 2008 American sex comedy film written, directed and edited by Kevin Smith and starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. It was released on October 31, 2008. Plot Zack B ...
'' (2008) playing the acerbic wife of Craig Robinson's character. In 1992, Campbell was cast as Regina "Gina" Waters-Payne in the
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
comedy series ''
Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...
''. She left the show in April 1997, after settling the lawsuit against Martin Lawrence of sexual harassment. The following year, she starred opposite
Diahann Carroll Diahann Carroll (; born Carol Diann Johnson; July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019) was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. She rose to prominence in some of the earliest major studio films to feature black casts, including ''Car ...
in the
Hallmark Hall of Fame ''Hallmark Hall of Fame'', originally called ''Hallmark Television Playhouse'', is an anthology program on American television, sponsored by Hallmark Cards, a Kansas City-based greeting card company. The longest-running prime-time series in t ...
film ''The Sweetest Gift'' (1998). Campbell returned to television in 2001, starring opposite
Damon Wayans Damon Kyle Wayans Sr. (; born September 4, 1960) is an American actor, comedian, producer, and writer. Wayans performed as a comedian and actor throughout the 1980s, including a year long stint on the sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live.' ...
in the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
comedy series ''
My Wife and Kids ''My Wife and Kids'' is an American sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28, 2001, to May 17, 2005. The series was produced by Touchstone Television. It starred Damon Wayans as Michael Kyle, the patriarch of an African-American family. Wayans and ve ...
''. The series ran for five seasons, until 2005. In 2003, she won
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. It was known as the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series until 2000. Currently, Tracee Ellis Ross holds the record for most wi ...
for her role. After ''My Wife and Kids'', Campbell was a regular in the Lifetime comedy series ''
Rita Rocks ''Rita Rocks'' is a Lifetime original sitcom that ran from 20 October 2008 to 7 December 2009. It was the network's first original comedy in over a decade. The series debuted alongside re-runs of '' Reba'' as part of a new comedy hour for Tuesday ...
'' (2008–09). In 2011, she starred opposite
Ally Walker Allene Damian "Ally" Walker (born August 25, 1961) is an American actress. She made her television debut in the NBC daytime soap opera '' Santa Barbara'' (1988) before landing the leading roles on the short-lived dramas '' True Blue'' (1989–199 ...
in the Lifetime police drama '' The Protector''. The series was canceled after a single season. In September 2015, she was cast in the ABC sitcom ''
Dr. Ken ''Dr. Ken'' is an American multi-camera sitcom that aired on ABC from October 2, 2015, to March 31, 2017. The series was created, written, and co-executive produced by its lead actor, Ken Jeong, who based the concept on his experience as a physici ...
'', starring
Ken Jeong Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong (, ; born July 13, 1969) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, producer, writer and licensed physician. He rose to prominence for playing Leslie Chow in ''The Hangover'' film series (2009–2013) and Ben Chang in the ...
. The series was cancelled after two seasons in 2017. In the beginning of 2018, she played Olympic gymnast
Simone Biles Simone Arianne Biles (; born March 14, 1997) is an American artistic gymnast. Her seven Olympic medals tied with Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals won by an American gymnast. Having won 25 World Championship medals, she is the most de ...
' mother in the Lifetime movie ''The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar''. Later in 2018, Campbell starred on the ABC drama pilot ''The Holmes Sisters'' about the lives of five African-American sisters, all officers in the
NYPD The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
. It was produced by
Regina King Regina Rene King (born January 15, 1971) is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2019, ''Time'' magazine named her one ...
and Robin Roberts.


Music

In 1993, Campbell released her debut album, '' Tisha'', which was a moderate success, selling 40,000 copies. Two singles received minor airplay on the R&B stations: "Push", which was co written and produced by Campbell's' friend,
Vanilla Ice Robert Matthew Van Winkle (born October 31, 1967), known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host. Born in South Dallas, and raised in Texas and South Florida, Ice released his debut album, ''Hooked'', ...
, and "Love Me Down". Campbell contributed vocals for the soundtrack of the 1997 film, '' Sprung'', in which she starred, singing a cover version of "Don't Ask My Neighbor" with her ''Martin'' costar
Tichina Arnold Tichina Rolanda Arnold (; born June 28, 1969) is an American actress and singer. She began her career as a child actor, appearing in supporting roles in '' Little Shop of Horrors'' (1986) and ''How I Got into College'' (1989) before being cast as ...
. She appeared in several music videos in the 1990s and 2000s, including two for
Will Smith Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his Will Smith filmography, acting career starring as Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), a ...
("
Will 2K "Will 2K" is the second single taken from American rapper Will Smith's second studio album, ''Willennium'' (1999). The single was released on November 8, 1999. Sampling instruments and lyrics from the chorus of the Clash's "Rock the Casbah," as ...
" and "
Wild Wild West ''Wild Wild West'' is a 1999 American steampunk Western film co-produced and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock alongside Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, from a story penned by brothers Jim and John ...
") and one for
Toni Braxton Toni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. She has sold over 70 million records worldwide and is one of the best-selling female artists in history. ...
("You're Makin' Me High"). In 2012, Campbell starred in
Mindless Behavior Mindless Behavior was an American boy band who were best known for the singles " My Girl" and "Mrs. Right", produced by Walter Millsap. The band was put together in Los Angeles in 2008, by Keisha Gamble, Vincent Herbert and Walter Millsap. The ban ...
's music video for "Hello". On September 21, 2015, she released the single, "Steel Here". On February 24, 2016, Campbell released the single, "Lazy Bitch", as well as an accompanying video, where she featured her friend,
Tasha Smith Tasha Smith (born February 28, 1971) is an American actress, director and producer. She began her career in a starring role on the NBC comedy series ''Boston Common'' (1996–97), and she later appeared in numerous movies and television series. ...
. On February 2, 2018, Campbell released the single, "I Don't Wanna Be Alone Tonight". On October 6, 2019, Campbell released the single, "22 Summers," with an accompanying video.


Philanthropy

In 2011, Campbell co-founded Colored My Mind, a non-profit foundation dedicated to raising awareness of childhood
autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
in communities of color. She was inspired to start the organization by her son Xen, who was diagnosed with autism when he was 18 months old.


Personal life

On August 17, 1996, Campbell married actor
Duane Martin Duane Martin (born August 11, 1965) is an American actor. Early life and education Martin was born in Brooklyn, New York, and he graduated from New York University. He played NCAA Division III basketball at NYU and was signed as an undrafte ...
. The couple have two sons, Xen Martin (born August 8, 2001) and Ezekiel Czar Martin (born September 8, 2009). In February 2018, Campbell filed for divorce after 21 years of marriage. They finalized their divorce in December 2020. In November 1996, Campbell left the Fox series ''Martin'' during its final season, citing "intolerable" working conditions. In January 1997, Campbell filed a lawsuit against co-star
Martin Lawrence Martin Fitzgerald LawrenceStated in interview on ''Inside the Actors Studio'' (born April 16, 1965) is an American comedian and actor. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor. He got his start playin ...
on the counts of
sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment involving the use of explicit or implicit sexual overtones, including the unwelcome and inappropriate promises of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. Sexual harassment includes a range of actions fro ...
and abuse both on and off set. By April 1997, Campbell had settled the lawsuit, and returned to appear in the last two episodes of the series. Campbell and Lawrence have both said that they have reconciled. In an
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
post on January 17, 2020, Lawrence wrote, "Regardless of the past or any misrepresentation of it In the press, I have nothin' but love for Tisha then and now. We are good and always will be! #teammartymar #yougogirl." Campbell responded in the post's comment section, "YOU GO BOY My fam fo life!"


Discography

;Studio albums * '' Tisha'' (1993)


Filmography


Film and TV Movies


Television


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, Tisha 1968 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses African-American actresses American child actresses American film actresses Capitol Records artists American television actresses 20th-century African-American women singers Actresses from Newark, New Jersey Actresses from Oklahoma City Musicians from Newark, New Jersey Musicians from Oklahoma City Newark Arts High School alumni Singers from New York (state) Singers from Oklahoma African-American child actresses American contemporary R&B singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers 21st-century African-American women singers