Andrea Lewis
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Andrea Desiree Lewis (born August 15, 1985) is a
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
actress and singer, known for her role as
Hazel Aden '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is the fourth entry of the '' Degrassi'' television franchise created by Schuyler and Kit ...
in the long-running TV series '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''.


Early life

One of two children, Lewis is the daughter of Caribbean-born parents. Her mother is from
Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...
and her father is from
St. Vincent Saint Vincent may refer to: People Saints * Vincent of Saragossa (died 304), a.k.a. Vincent the Deacon, deacon and martyr * Saint Vincenca, 3rd century Roman martyress, whose relics are in Blato, Croatia * Vincent, Orontius, and Victor (died 305 ...
.


Career

Lewis made her feature flim debut in 1998 as Cassandra in Maya Angelou's directorial debut ''
Down in the Delta ''Down in the Delta'' is a 1998 American-Canadian drama film, directed by Maya Angelou (in her only film directing effort) and starring Alfre Woodard, Al Freeman, Jr., Esther Rolle (in her final film released during her lifetime), Loretta Devin ...
''. The following year, she acted with
Naomi Judd Naomi Judd (born Diana Ellen Judd; January 11, 1946 – April 30, 2022) was an American country music singer and actress. In 1980, she and her daughter Wynonna (born Christina Claire) formed the duo known as The Judds, which became a successful ...
in the television Christmas special '' A Holiday Romance''. In 2001, Lewis appeared with
Diahann Carroll Diahann Carroll ( ; born Carol Diann Johnson; July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019) was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. Carroll was the recipient of numerous nominations and awards for her stage and screen performances, incl ...
in the
biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudrama films and histo ...
''The Natalie Cole Story''. The same year, she played Brigette in an episode of '' Soul Food: The Series'' on
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 ...
, returning in 2003 for one episode, playing Dana. She also began her role as Hazel Aden in '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''. She would stay as a regular on the show until her character's graduation in 2006. In 2003 and again in 2006, she was nominated in the category of Best Young Ensemble Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama) for her role in ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' at the Young Artist Awards. In 2002, Lewis played
Hilary Duff Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress, singer, author and businesswoman. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Hilary Duff, various accolades, including a World Music Awards, World Mus ...
's best friend, Carla Hall, in the
Disney Channel Original Movie Since its launch on April 18, 1983, American cable and satellite pay television channel Disney Channel airs and/or releases/distributes original first-run television films under the banner names of Disney Channel Premiere Films until October 1 ...
''
Cadet Kelly ''Cadet Kelly'' is a 2002 American military comedy film released as a Disney Channel Original Movie and starring Hilary Duff and Christy Carlson Romano. The film premiered with 7.8 million viewers. It is Duff's second starring film role, her f ...
''. Lewis released her debut album ''Float Away'', on September 20, 2005. The album was released in Canada only. She appeared in the
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
's musical film ''
Spectacular! ''Spectacular!'' is a 2009 musical comedy-drama film that aired on Nickelodeon and YTV. It stars Canadian singer Nolan Gerard Funk, Australian singer Tammin Sursok, Victoria Justice and Simon Curtis with Matthew Bennett, Andrea Lewis, Shan ...
,'' playing Robin, a member in a high school choir. Lewis appeared alongside
Nolan Gerard Funk Nolan Gerard Funk (born July 28, 1986) is a SAG award nominated Canadian actor and singer, known for portraying Hunter Clarington in the musical comedy-drama television series ''Glee'', Collin Jennings in the comedy-drama television series '' Aw ...
,
Tammin Sursok Tammin Sursok (born 19 August 1983) is an Australian and American actress. She is best known for her roles on television as Dani Sutherland on ''Home and Away'', Colleen Carlton on ''The Young and the Restless'', and Jenna Marshall on ''Prett ...
,
Victoria Justice Victoria Justice (born February 19, 1993) is an American actress and singer. She rose to fame on Nickelodeon, playing Lola Martinez on the comedy drama series '' Zoey 101'' (2005–2008) and Tori Vega on the sitcom '' Victorious'' (2010–20 ...
and Simon Curtis. The film's premiere broadcast was on February 16, 2009. Her second album, ''5-4-3-2-1,'' was released on October 10, 2010 for free on her blog. In 2011, Lewis played a minor role in the musical ''
Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * Hairspray (1988 film), ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** Hairspray (1988 soundtrack), ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundt ...
'' which travelled around Canada. She founded the entertainment company Jungle Wild Productions in 2012 with Brian Walker. The company's mission is to produce diverse and original television, film, and digital content showcasing women, people of colour, and people in
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
communities. In 2013, Lewis created her own YouTube channel where she could showcase her own work. Much of the work featured on the channel "focuses on the theme of self-love and finding inner strength." That year she created and starred in her own web series called ''Black Actress'', which can be seen on
Issa Rae Jo-Issa Rae Diop (born January 12, 1985), known professionally as Issa Rae, is an American actress, writer, and producer. She achieved recognition as the co-creator, co-writer, and star of the HBO comedy series '' Insecure'' (2016–2021), for ...
's
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
channel. ''Black Actress'' includes candid confessionals by actresses such as
Amber Riley Amber Patrice Riley (born February 15, 1986) sometimes known mononymously as Riley (stylized in all caps), is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of Mercedes Jones on the Fox comedy-drama series ''Glee'' (2009 ...
, Garcell Beauvais,
Jenifer Lewis Jenifer Jeanette Lewis (born January 25, 1957) is an American actress. She began her career appearing in Broadway musicals and worked as a back-up singer for Bette Midler before appearing in films ''Beaches'' (1988) and '' Sister Act'' (1992). L ...
, and
Naturi Naughton Naturi Cora Maria Naughton-Lewis (born May 20, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Naughton is best known as one-third of the R&B group 3LW and for her acting roles in the films '' Fame'' and '' Notorious'', playing rapper Lil ...
, who share their experiences in the acting profession. In 2016, she created and starred in the web series ''Beyond Complicated'', which can be found on Lewis' YouTube Channel. Lewis reunited with the ''Degrassi'' cast in 2018 for former co-star and on-screen romance
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
's music video for his single "
I'm Upset "I'm Upset" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake from his fifth studio album ''Scorpion'' (2018). It was released by Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records as the third single from the album on May 26, 2018. The song was written by Drake al ...
." She released her short documentary, ''Black Men'', on her YouTube channel in 2019. The short included interviews of Black men and boys, including stars Shamier Anderson,
Allen Maldonado Allen Maldonado (born May 20, 1983) is an American actor and filmmaker best known for his roles as Curtis in the ABC comedy '' Black-ish'', Bobby in the TBS series '' The Last O.G.'', Rooster in the Starz drama series '' Heels'', and Alan Decker ...
, and
Sinorice Moss Sinorice Travonce Moss (born December 28, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He was selected by the New York Giants in the se ...
, investigating how "hyper-masculinity, societal oppression, and sterotypes influence how Black men relate to each other and to themselves." Lewis served as the creator and executive producer of the three-part docuseries ''The Black Beauty Effect''. The series examined "the Black women who serve as catalysts for social change within the beauty industry." It featured beauty influencers and industry insiders such as
Whitney White Whitney White (born December 23, 1985), known as Naptural85 on YouTube, is an American vlogger, blogger, natural hair enthusiast, and entrepreneur. She started sharing her story from her first video “Natural Hair Journey”, which showed her h ...
, Mikki Taylor, Cara Sabin, and
Amber Riley Amber Patrice Riley (born February 15, 1986) sometimes known mononymously as Riley (stylized in all caps), is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her portrayal of Mercedes Jones on the Fox comedy-drama series ''Glee'' (2009 ...
.
Jackie Aina Jacquelyn Lonje Olayiwola Oyeshola Bolayemi Aina (born August 4, 1987) is an American beauty YouTuber. She was born to an African-American mother and a Nigerian father of Yoruba descent. She is a YouTuber and social influencer known for advo ...
, Kahlana Barfield Brown, and C.J. Faison served as executive producers as well. The series premiered in 2022. In 2023, she starred in the
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and
Andscape ''Andscape'', formerly ''The Undefeated'', is a sports and pop culture website owned and operated by ESPN. Launched May 17, 2016, the site describes itself as "the premier platform for exploring the intersections of race, sports and culture." ...
produced movie ''Three Ways''. That year, Lewis also starred in the
Hallmark A hallmark is an official Mark (sign), mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term ''Wikti ...
mystery film ''A Nashville Legacy'' as Naima.


Personal life

Lewis and her best friend, Shannon T. Boodram, started their own blog, ''Those Girls Are Wild'', which includes comedic skits performed by the two. On October 28, 2021, via Instagram, Lewis announced her marriage to music executive and producer
Felix Howard Felix Howard (born 14 January 1973) is a British songwriter, record producer, A&R and publisher. A former model as a child, Howard was photographed by Jamie Morgan and styled by Ray Petri for the cover of ''The Face'' magazine. During the 1 ...
. They live between London and California.


Discography


Albums


Singles


Filmography


Film


Television

2024 How To Die Alone Season 1 Episode 8 https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0506916/


Music videos


Web series


On Stage


Filmmaking credits


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Andrea 1985 births Living people 21st-century Black Canadian women singers 21st-century Canadian women singers 21st-century Canadian actresses Actresses from Ontario Black Canadian actresses Canadian child actresses Canadian expatriate actresses in the United States Canadian film actresses Canadian musical theatre actresses Canadian people of Jamaican descent Canadian people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines descent Canadian stage actresses Canadian television actresses Canadian women pop singers People from Pickering, Ontario