Natalie Ann Desselle-Reid (July 12, 1967 – December 7, 2020) was an American actress who performed in several films, including ''

B.A.P.S. ''B.A.P.S'' (an acronym for '' Black American Princesses'') is a 1997 American female buddy comedy film directed by Robert Townsend and starring Halle Berry, Natalie Desselle, and Martin Landau. The film was written by Troy Byer and was her f ...

'', ''

Def Jam's How to Be a Player ''Def Jam's How to Be a Player'' is a 1997 sex comedy film, starring Bill Bellamy, Natalie Desselle and Bernie Mac. The film was directed by Lionel C. Martin, and written by Mark Brown and Demetria Johnson. The '' How to Be a Player Soundtrack'' ...

'', '' Set It Off'' and ''

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

'', and the television series '' Built to Last'', ''

For Your Love "For Your Love" is a rock song written by Graham Gouldman and recorded by English group the Yardbirds. Released in March 1965, it was their first top ten hit in both the UK and the US. The song was a departure from the group's blues roots ...

'', and ''

Eve Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...

.''

Biography

Early life

Desselle-Reid was one of four children born to Thelma Lee (née Sherman; 1945–1999) and Paul Desselle Jr. in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

. Deselle-Reid attended

Peabody Magnet High School Peabody Magnet High School is a State school, public magnet school, magnet High school (North America), high school located in the South Alexandria subdivision of Alexandria, Louisiana, United States, the seat of Rapides Parish and the largest ci ...

, graduating in 1985. Deselle-Reid later attended

Grambling State University Grambling State University (GSU, Grambling, or Grambling State) is a public historically black university in Grambling, Louisiana. Grambling State is home of the Eddie G. Robinson Museum and is listed on the Louisiana African American Herita ...

Career

At Grambling, Desselle-Reid developed a deep interest in the theatre, and appeared in several productions during her time there. She began her acting career in 1996 when she was in the movie ''Set it Off''. In 1997, she played evil step-sister Minerva in the Disney made-for-television movie ''

''. Desselle-Reid starred in many films, including '' Madea's Big Happy Family,'' and guest starred in ''

Family Matters ''Family Matters'' is an American television sitcom that debuted on ABC on September 22, 1989, and ended on May 9, 1997. However it moved to CBS, where it was shown from September 19, 1997, to July 17, 1998. A spin-off of '' Perfect Strangers, ...

.'' She was Janie Egins on ''Eve'' for three seasons. She is best known for her role as Mickey in ''

'' and appeared in the 2017 series ''Ya Killin' Me''.

Personal life

Desselle-Reid married Leonard Reid in 2003; they had three children.

Death

Desselle-Reid died due to colon cancer on December 7, 2020, at the age of 53. Numerous celebrities in the entertainment industry paid tribute to Deselle-Reid including

Holly Robinson Peete Holly Elizabeth Robinson Peete (born September 18, 1964) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Judy Hoffs on the Fox police drama ''21 Jump Street'', Vanessa Russell on the ABC sitcom '' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper'', and ...

, Issa Rae,

Shannon Kane Shannon Elizabeth Kane (born September 14, 1985) is an American actress best known for portraying her roles as Traci Madsen on the Nick at Nite series '' Hollywood Heights'' (2012) and Natalia Fowler on the ABC daytime soap opera ''All My Child ...

and Shad "Bow Wow" Moss. Deselle-Reid's ''B.A.P.S'' co-star Halle Berry posted a tribute via Instagram saying "Natalie represented actual black women, not what black women are perceived to be. For that she was often underrated, passed over – deprived of the platform she truly deserved. But her light continues to shine through the people who grew up watching her, the people who knew her best and those of us who loved her. I'll love you forever my sweet friend."

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* 1967 births 2020 deaths Actresses from Louisiana African-American actresses American film actresses American television actresses Deaths from cancer in the United States Deaths from colorectal cancer Grambling State University alumni Peabody Magnet High School alumni People from Alexandria, Louisiana Actresses from Los Angeles Place of death missing 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American people {{US-screen-actor-1960s-stub