Bernnadette Stanis, also billed as Bern Nadette Stanis (born Bernadette Stanislaus, December 22, 1953),TV in the USA, "Good Times" (1974-1979)
/ref> is an American actress and author. Stanis is best known for her role as Thelma Evans, the only daughter of Florida and James Evans Sr. on the CBS sitcom ''

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was television's first African ...

'' which originally ran from 1974 to 1979. Stanis is the author of four books: ''Situations 101: Relationships, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly''; ''For Men Only''; ''Situations 101: Finances''; and ''The Last Night''.

Early life

One of five children, Stanis was born and raised in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York City. Her paternal grandparents were from Carriacou in the

Grenadine Islands The Grenadines is a chain of small islands that lie on a line between the larger islands of Saint Vincent and Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. Nine are inhabited and open to the public (or ten, if the offshore island of Young Island is counted): ...

. She attended

Erasmus Hall High School Erasmus Hall High School was a four-year public high school located at 899–925 Flatbush Avenue between Church and Snyder Avenues in the Flatbush neighborhood of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It was founded in 1786 as Erasmus Hall Aca ...

and later attended the Juilliard School. As a teen, Stanis entered Miss Black America pageants, and went on to become Miss Brooklyn, a title with which she became first runner-up in the Miss New York state pageant.

Career

Stanis played the role of Thelma Ann Evans on the CBS sitcom ''Good Times'' from February 1974 to August 1979. After the series ended, she made appearances on television shows including '' The Cosby Show'' and '' What's Happening Now!!''. She and former co-star Jimmie Walker lent their voices to a radio spot for AT&T, and Stanis went on to do a Nationwide Insurance commercial. Stanis has been featured in promotions for the TV One network, and in a "Thelma" promotion that aired September 19, 2009, alongside actress

Anna Maria Horsford Anna Maria Horsford is an American actress, known for her performances in television comedies. Horsford is best known for her roles as Thelma Frye on the NBC sitcom ''Amen'' (1986–91), and as Dee Baxter on the WB sitcom ''The Wayans Bros.'' (1 ...

in the "Battle of the Thelmas" that aired their weddings from their respective TV series. (Horsford portrayed "Thelma Frye" in the TV series '' Amen''.) During the "Way Black Then" promotions in February 2010 in honor of Black History Month, she and Walker appeared on the program ''Color TV'' to share their memories and thoughts on ''Good Times''. She later appeared on the TV One show ''Life After''. In July 2016, Stanis appeared on an episode of Centric's ''Being'', discussing her life and career.

Personal life

Stanis has been married four times. Her first marriage was to high-school sweetheart Thomas Fauntleroy from June 1974 until 1978, then to Brooklyn nightclub owner Darnell Johnson in January 1979. Stanis' third marriage was to mechanical engineer Terrence Redd. Stanis gave birth to their daughter Dior Ravel circa April 1982. The couple later divorced. Her fourth husband is Kevin Fontana; an article in 2012 said they had been married 31 years, Additional on December 23, 2016. but other sources (cited above) state that Stanis was married to Redd circa 1981. Stanis also has a second child, daughter Brittany Rose. Stanis currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her children.

Filmography

Television

Film

Music video

Bibliography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stanis, Bernnadette 1953 births African-American actresses American television actresses Juilliard School alumni People from Brownsville, Brooklyn 20th-century African-American people 20th-century American actresses Living people Erasmus Hall High School alumni 20th-century African-American women 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women