Chenese Tharis Lewis, born November 14, 1979, in

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

, is an American

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

, host,

plus-size model A plus-size model is an individual size 12 and above who is engaged primarily in Model (person), modeling plus-size clothing. Plus-size clothing worn by plus-size models is typically catering for and marketed to either big, tall or overweight men ...

, and a positive body image and self-esteem advocate. Dubbed “One Of The Original Plus-Size Influencers” by

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...

, she made history by being the first crowned Miss Plus America in 2003 and created the first podcast for the plus size industry, The Chenese Lewis Show, in 2008. Lewis, also an actress, appeared on the first season of the hit

BET Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...

series, '' Hell Date''.

Biography

She is the only child of Willie D. Lewis and Tharis Lewis. Chenese attended McKinley Senior High School and

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

Career

Lewis's career began in pageantry in 2002 when she stumbled upon a plus size beauty pageant on the Internet and entered as Miss Louisiana Plus America. Without any prior pageant experience or formal training she walked away with the national title of Miss Plus America. She moved to Los Angeles in 2004 to pursue a career in entertainment. She is best known for her role on the

television series '' Hell Date''. She appeared on four episodes, one where she was the lead as “The Gorgeous Queen Diva Supreme” where she played an overly confident dater. She has also made several television appearances as herself on shows such ''The Insider'' and '' The Cho Show'' and as an expert commentator on

Dr. Phil Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950), also known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality and author who is best known for hosting the talk show '' Dr. Phil''. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, though he ceased ...

. Lewis has modeled for Torrid, served as a spokesperson for

Ashley Stewart Ashley Stewart is an American plus size women's clothing company and lifestyle brand, which was founded in 1991. The name Ashley Stewart was inspired by Laura Ashley and Martha Stewart, considered by the company's founders to be icons of upscal ...

, appeared in the movie

Phat Girlz ''Phat Girlz'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Nnegest Likké and starring Mo'Nique, as well as Kendra C. Johnson, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Godfrey, and Joyful Drake. Plot Jazmin Biltmore is a smart-mouthed, plus-si ...

as a Thick Madame Magazine Model, and appeared on the December 2007 cover of PLUS Model Magazine which coined her "A leader in the curvy revolution!”. In December 2012 she appeared on the cover of the UK anniversary issue of VICE Magazine. Chenese is currently the face of Aida Cosmetics’ “Confidence and Glamour” campaign. Lewis is a former President of Hollywood NOW

National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...

and also served as the Love Your Body Committee Chairperson for the local chapter. She created and produced a local event for Hollywood NOW to celebrate Love Your Body Day. Her 2010 Love Your Body Campaign, where she posed nude with America's Next Top Model, Whitney Thompson, garnered international media attention and magnified her role as a leading positive body image advocate.

Recognition

In 2014 Lewis was named by Ebony.com as one of the top "6 Plus Fashion Power Players On The Rise”. In 2015 Bustle.com listed Lewis as one of the "7 Plus Size Fashion Pioneers Who Were Ahead Of Their Time".

Filmography

References

External links

Official Website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, Chenese Plus-size models McKinley Senior High School alumni American actresses Female models from Louisiana Living people 1979 births 21st-century American women