Monica Calhoun (born July 29, 1971) is an American film and television

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

. Calhoun is best known for her roles in the films ''

Bagdad Cafe ''Bagdad Cafe'' (sometimes ''Bagdad Café'', titled ''Out of Rosenheim'' in Germany) is a 1987 English-language West German film directed by Percy Adlon. It is a comedy-drama set in a remote truck stop and motel in the Mojave Desert in the U.S. s ...

'', ''

The Players Club ''The Players Club'' is a 1998 American comedy drama thriller film written and directed by Ice Cube in his feature film directorial debut. In addition to Ice Cube, the film stars Bernie Mac, Monica Calhoun, Jamie Foxx, John Amos, A. J. Joh ...

'', '' The Salon'', '' The Best Man'', and its sequel '' The Best Man Holiday''. Calhoun has been nominated for an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

and one

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

Biography

Early life and education

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Calhoun is the daughter of Lorine Calhoun. She moved to

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

in the late 1970s, and began acting while in sixth grade. Calhoun attended the

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA, ) is a visual and performing arts high school located on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA) in Los Angeles, California, United States. History The school was ...

Career

Calhoun made her acting debut in the 1985 TV film '' Children of the Night'' as Wanda. She portrayed Phyllis, the daughter of

CCH Pounder Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder (born December 25, 1952) is a Guyanese-American actress. She has received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her roles in '' The X-Files'', '' ER'', '' The Shield'', and '' The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agen ...

's character, in ''

'' (1987). Calhoun was the only actor in ''Bagdad Cafe'' to return for the

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...

, albeit the character's name was changed to Debbie. The televised adaptation lasted two seasons before being cancelled. She portrayed

Rebbie Jackson Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson-Brown (; born May 29, 1950) is an American singer, actress, and the eldest child of the Jackson family of musicians. She first performed on stage with her siblings during shows in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the MGM ...

in the 1992 biopic miniseries '' The Jacksons: An American Dream''. In 1993, she had a minor role in '' Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit'' and acted in the Disney Channel film '' The Ernest Green Story'' alongside

Morris Chestnut Morris Lamont Chestnut (born January 1, 1969) is an American actor. He first came to prominence for his role as Ricky in the 1991 film '' Boyz n the Hood''. He has appeared in feature films and on television series, including the starring role of ...

. Calhoun received an

nomination for her performance in the ''

CBS Schoolbreak Special ''CBS Schoolbreak Special'' is an American anthology series for teenagers that aired on CBS from December 1978 to January 1996. The series began under the title ''CBS Afternoon Playhouse'', and was changed during the 1984–85 season. The concept ...

'' "Different Worlds: A Story of Interracial Love" (1993). Calhoun co-starred with actor

Flex Alexander Mark Alexander Knox (born April 15, 1970), better known as Flex Alexander or Flex, is an American actor, comedian and dancer. He has had a lot of guest-starring roles on many television sitcoms before portraying single father Flex Washington on ...

in the short-lived series, ''

Where I Live ''Where I Live'' is an American sitcom that premiered on March 5, 1993, as part of ABC's '' TGIF'' lineup. The series was created and executive produced by Michael Jacobs and Ehrich Van Lowe. Its final episode aired on November 20, 1993. Synop ...

'', and appeared in ''Pacific Station''. Calhoun guest starred in several sitcoms including '' The Wayans Bros.'', ''

A Different World ''A Different World'' is an American sitcom (and a spin-off of ''The Cosby Show'') television series that aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) and ...

'' and ''

The Jamie Foxx Show ''The Jamie Foxx Show'' is an American sitcom that aired on The WB from August 28, 1996, to January 14, 2001. The series stars Jamie Foxx, Garcelle Beauvais, Christopher B. Duncan, Ellia English, and Garrett Morris. Although the show was not a ...

'', the latter as

Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film ''Ray'', for which he won the A ...

's sister. She appeared as Linda, one of the daughters of Donald Thornton in television film ''The Ditchdigger's Daughters'' (1997). Calhoun played the role of Ebony, a

stripper A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at a bachelor party or other private event. Mo ...

, in

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be p ...

's directorial debut ''

'' (1998). She appeared in the lead role, Reese Delaware, in ''Intimate Betrayal'' (1999). In ''

Love & Basketball ''Love & Basketball'' is a 2000 American romantic sports drama film written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood in her feature film directorial debut. The film is produced by Spike Lee and Sam Kit and stars Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps. It ...

'' (2000), she portrayed Kerry, a girlfriend of the basketball playing protagonist. In 2002, Calhoun appeared in '' Trois 2: Pandora's Box'' as psychologist Dr. Mia DuBois and portrayed Wet in '' Civil Brand''. Calhoun played Rachel in the

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that i ...

'' Gang of Roses'' (2003). Calhoun portrayed Mia, the wife of Morris Chestnut's character, in '' The Best Man'' (1999). She received an

nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture in 2000 for her performance. She returned in its sequel '' The Best Man Holiday'' (2013). In the latter, Mia is terminally ill and dies at the end of the film. She played the role of Brenda in 2007's '' The Salon'' starring Vivica Fox. In 2009, Robert Townsend directed Calhoun in ''Diary of a Single Mom, Season I, II and III'' (2008–10). Calhoun appeared as Patricia Tresvant, Ralph's mother in ''

The New Edition Story ''The New Edition Story'' is an American biographical three-part miniseries about the R&B group New Edition, from their rise to fame as a boy band from the Orchard Park Projects of Roxbury, Massachusetts, to becoming a successful adult act. It ...

'' miniseries which aired on the BET network in January 2017.

Personal

Calhoun gave birth to a son in 2000. Her son is also blind.

Filmography

Film and TV Movies

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Calhoun, Monica 1971 births American film actresses American television actresses Living people American child actresses 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Los Angeles 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Pennsylvania African-American actresses Actresses from Philadelphia Los Angeles County High School for the Arts alumni 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women