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12 Black Actors With Caribbean RootsTRANSCRIPT
12 Black Actors With
Caribbean Roots
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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: You may have seen her in the highly successful film version of
‘Think Like a Man,’ where she played Joanna Locasto, the lead character on the NBC drama series
‘Deception.’
She is Meagan Monique Good who was born in Panorama City, Los Angeles, California but who
roots stretch to Puerto Rico and Barbados, thanks to her dad, Leondis "Leon" Good. Mr. Good’s
mother was Puerto Rican his father was from Barbados.
Good began her career at the age of four, appearing in numerous commercials, television shows,
feature films, and music videos.
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In the early stages of her career, Good started out doing work as an extra on television
shows such as Doogie Howser, M.D. and Amen. When she was thirteen, Good was cast
in her first film, the 1995 hit Friday.
Good first began to gain recognition for her performance as troubled teen Cisely Batiste
in Kasi Lemmons' critically acclaimed 1997 film Eve's Bayou, which earned Good two
award nominations, including her first NAACP Image Award nomination. Good has also
made appearances in many music videos, by artists such as 50 Cent, Imajin, Isyss (of
which Good's sister La'Myia Good is a member), Lil' Johnny, Memphis Bleek, Tyrese,
and Will Smith. She has also started her own production company, Freedom Bridge
Entertainment, with Marlon Olivera, and fellow actors Tamara Bass and Ty Hodges.
Good is now heading for Babylon Fields.The Deception alum has been tapped to star in
NBC's regeneration drama pilot, which centers on the dead rising again in Babylon, N.Y.
Meagan Good’s Roots Stretch
To Barbados And Puerto Rico
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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: Bronx-
born, Cuba Gooding, Jr. is known globally
for his acting roles such as A Few Good Men
(1992), Lightning Jack (1994) and Outbreak
(1995) but did you know Acaademy Award-
winning actor Gooding, Jr. has roots to
Barbados?
That’s right. Gooding’s paternal grandfather
was Afro-Bajan. Cuba’s paternal
grandparents were Dudley MacDonald
Gooding and Addie Pearl Alston (the
daughter of Robert Alston and Mattie May
Edwards). Dudley was born in Barbados.
His father, Cuba Gooding, was the lead
vocalist for the R&B group The Main
Ingredient, which had a hit with the song
"Everybody Plays The Fool.” His mother,
Shirley, was a backup singer for The
Sweethearts. His father moved the family to
Los Angeles in 1972, only to leave them a
few years later.
In 1996, Cuba was cast as an arrogant but
loyal football player in the Tom Cruise-
Cameron Crowe film Jerry Maguire (1996).
The film became a huge box office smash
and earned Cuba an Academy Award for Best
Supporting Actor. His "Show Me The
Money" line in the movie became a
nationwide catchphrase. The role elevated
him to superstar status, as many of
Hollywood's top producers began to "show
him the money" to appear in their films. In
2002, he was given a star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame. In 2003 he won critical
support for his portrayal of a mentally
handicapped man in the heartwarming film
Radio (2003), another movie about football.
Gooding, Jr. this week narrated Red Tails,
Men of Honor on the Smithsonian Channel.
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Cuba Gooding, Jr.’s Heritage
Runs Back To Barbados
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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: She is
best known for starring alongside Annie
Potts in Any Day Now but did actress
Lorraine Toussaint can proudly boost of the
twin-island that’s given the world steel-pan
and soca music.
Toussaint was born in Trinidad on born
April 4, 1960 but moved to Brooklyn with
her mother at the age of 10.
She graduated from Manhattan's High
School of Performing Arts in 1978 and went
to attend the Juilliard School's drama
division as a member of Group 11 (1978–
1982).
She was a featured recurring guest-star in
the first few seasons of the legal drama Law
& Order as defense lawyer Shambala Green
and has also appeared on fims such as
Breaking In, Hudson Hawk, Dangerous
Minds and Soloist, TheThe Soloist.
In 1993, Toussaint appeared in Point Of No
Return, starring Bridget Fonda. From 2007
to 2010, Toussaint starred as Captain Kate
Perry in Saving Grace, which aired on TNT.
She has also appeared on the several other
television series, such as Crossing Jordan,
Frasier, The Closer, Ugly Betty, Friday
Night Lights, NCIS, Grey's Anatomy, and
Scandal. In 2012 Toussaint was nominated
on Independent Spirit Award for Best
Supporting Female for performance of
Middle of Nowhere.
In 2013 she had recurring roles on season 3
of Dana Delany's Body of Proof as Angela
Martin, new police chief., and on ABC
Family's The Fosters, as Sherri Saum's
mother. Toussaint also was cast for second
season of Netflix original series Orange Is
the New Black. Toussaint is also now in the
mix as former drug runner Vee.
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Lorraine Toussaint – A Trini To The Bone
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Featuring Top Caribbean, Caribbean Americans & Central & South Americans
In The U.S. Diaspora who have made it BIG in all sectors
sports, health, politics, entertainment, finance, IT et al.
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News Americas, NEW YORK: He is an
actor, known for The Fresh Prince of Bel-
Air (1990).
Joseph Marcell was born on August 18,
1948 in St. Lucia. He grew up in London, in
Peckham and Bermondsey. His parents
came from St Lucia to the UK to give their
children a better future, and were not
impressed when he decided to give up his
engineering studies to be an actor.
Marcell was best known for his role as
Geoffrey the English butler on the NBC
sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
He has also starred in A Beautiful Life
(2004) and Empire Road (1978).
He currently resides in Southall, Ealing in
London.
Marcell recently told the Salibury Journal
he is happiest on the stage or in his garden,
and is a little taken aback at the reaction he
still gets to a role he played 20 years ago in
the show that proved a platform into
superstardom for Will Smith, currently the
most bankable movie star in the world.
He says he still keeps in touch with his co-
stars, although their last reunion was sadly
at the memorial service for James Avery,
the actor who played Uncle Phil and who
died in December, according to the
Salisbury Journal.
St. Lucia’s Joseph Marcell
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: Anna Maria
Horsford is perhaps best known for her roles as
Thelma Frye on the NBC sitcom Amen, as Dee
Baxter on the WB sitcom The Wayans Bros., and
as Craig Jones' mother Betty in the comedy films
Friday and Friday After Next.
Horsford was born in Harlem, New York, the
daughter of Lillian and Victor A. Horsford, an
investment real estate broker. Her parents are
from Antigua and the Dominican Republic.
She attended Manhattan's School of Performing
Arts, where she studied and perfected her acting
abilities.
Though she is known today for her work in front
of the cameras, her first major role in television
was as a producer for the PBS show, Soul!,
hosted by Ellis Haizlip, which aired between
1967 and 1973.
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Horsford made guest appearances on such
sitcoms as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,
Sparks, Moesha, The Bernie Mac Show,
The Shield, Girlfriends, and Everybody
Hates Chris.
She had a prominent role on the sitcom The
Wayans Bros. as "Dee Baxter" and also
appeared on the drama Judging Amy. More
recently, she was seen in the first season of
Grey's Anatomy.
Horsford returned to the big screen in the
2013 film A Madea Christmas, from Tyler
Perry, playing Madea's relative.
She recently hosted the 25th Anniversary of
the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta
Georgia. The program saluted Pam Grier,
Carmen DeLavendar, Woodie King, Cat
Coore of third world and Faith Reigold.
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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: Romany
Malco has been nominated for several awards,
including an NAACP Image Award, MTV Movie
Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award.
Malco portrayed Conrad Shepard on the
Showtime series Weeds. He most recently played
George St. Cloud on the ABC primetime one-
hour drama No Ordinary Family.
Malco was born in Brooklyn, New York but his
family is from Trinidad, with extended relatives
in Venezuela.
As a teen, he moved to Texas and attended Ross
S Sterling High School. After graduation, he
formed the rap group R.M.G., and upon
relocating to Los Angeles, the crew signed a deal
with Virgin Records. The group's name was
changed to College Boyz and "Victim of the
Ghetto” off their album Radio Fusion Radio
went to #2 on the rap charts.
Malco was working as a music producer on The
Pest when John Leguizamo, impressed by his
dynamic personality, encouraged Romany to
pursue acting. He went on to perform in roles as
Jay in Judd Apatow’s 2005 film The 40 Year Old
Virgin and as Conrad Shepard in the Showtime
television series Weeds. He played supporting
roles in films such as Blades of Glory, The Love
Guru, and Baby Mama.
He appeared in 2011's A Little Bit Of Heaven
and the Gulliver's Travels adaptation. In the fall
of 2010, Malco appeared as a member of the
ABC primetime one-hour drama No Ordinary
Family.
Malco was recently tapped to star in the semi-
autobiographical comedy based on Kevin Hart's
life and stand-up act, lifting the cast contingency
on the pilot, according to The Hollywood
Reporter.
Romany Malco – A Trini-American
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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: Stacey
Lauretta Dash became known for starring in
the 1995 feature film Clueless and the
television spinoff of the same name.
She was born in the Bronx to a Bajan father
and a Mexican and Native American
mother. Her brother is Darien Dash, the
CEO of DME Interactive Holdings, and her
first cousin is Damon Dash, the former
CEO and co-founder of Roc-A-Fella
Records.
She has also appeared in films such as
Moving, Mo' Money, Renaissance Man and
View from the Top while her television
work has included appearances in series
such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,
Single Ladies and the reality television
show Celebrity Circus. She has also
appeared in music videos for Carl Thomas'
"Emotional" and Kanye West's "All Falls
Down.“ Dash made her first TV appearance
in Farrell for the People starring Valerie
Harper and a yet-unknown Ed O'Neill in
1982, which did not make it past its pilot
episode. Her first notable appearance was as
'Michelle' in the 1985 The Cosby Show
episode "Denise's Friend" alongside Lisa
Bonet, and in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Dash's first substantial television role was
in the 1988 television series TV 101, which
also featured Matt LeBlanc and Sam
Robards. The series was canceled after 13
episodes.
Dash is now in VH1’ “Single Ladies,” a
new comedic drama series that asks the
question: What do women really want in a
relationship? She plays Val one of three best
friends with different philosophies on sex
and relationships.
BIM Heritage = Stacey Dash
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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: Actress
Roxanne Beckford made her big film debut
with a role in Father of the Bride Part II
(1995).
She was born in Kingston Jamaica in 1969
before moving to the U.S. after her parents
divorced in 1976.
Beckford also appeared in Something's Gotta
Give (2003) and Bewitched (2005).
Her television credits include appearances in
Dexter, The New Adventures of Old
Christine, Hannah Montana, Bewitched, and
The Bernie Mac show, among many others.
Her husband is Bob Hoge who is also an
actor. Beckford and Hoge married in 2001.
They have four children, two of whom are
girl twins April Christene and Georgia Alice
who were on episode 1 of TLC's Bringing
Home Baby in 2005 their two older children
named Cameron and Lila.
Meet Jamaica’s Roxanne Beckford
Investcaribbeannow.com
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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: Jacqueline Yvonne
"Jackée" Harry, best known for her roles as Sandra
Clark, the sexy neighbor on the TV series 227, and as
Lisa Landry, on the sitcom, ‘Sister, Sister,’ was born to a
Trinidadian mother in Winston-Salem, North Carolina,
and raised in Harlem, New York.
She is noted for being the first African American to win
an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in
a Comedy Series.
Harry began studying acting at the Herpolscheimer
School of the Performing Arts on the Lower East Side in
New York City. She was an American History teacher at
Brooklyn Technical High School before beginning a
career on the New York stage.
She made her Broadway debut in A Broadway Musical,
playing a chorine. Throughout the 1980s she starred in
numerous productions both on and off Broadway, and in
national touring productions. In 1994, Harry made her
return to the theater by starring as Billie Holiday in the
play Lady Day at Emersons Bar and Grill.
Following that stage production, she fulfilled the role of
"madam who runs a bordello" in the Broadway musical
The Boys from Syracuse, a play based on William
Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors. In the mid-2000s,
she appeared in stage productions of The Sunshine
Boys, Damn Yankees, and A Christmas Carol. She also
toured nationally in JD Lawrence's The Clean Up
Woman.
In 1983, she made her acting debut in Another World as
Lily Mason, a role she continued until 1986. In 2003,
she was a surprise guest on the Another World Reunion
that SOAPnet coordinated and aired. In 1985, Harry
began a co-starring role opposite Marla Gibbs as the
apartment building vamp, "Sandra Clark," on the NBC
sitcom 227. Her mother, Flossie, celebrated her getting
the part but died before the show aired.
The former 227 star and her adopted son Frank appears
on Oprah Where Are They Now tonight, Friday, Feb.
21st at 9 p.m. on OWN.
Read more at
Trini Roots Run Deep For "Jackée" Harry
Of Sister Sister
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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: Dawnn
Lewis is best known for her roles on
sitcoms such as "A Different World" and
"Hangin' with Mr. Cooper.“
She was born to Guyanese parents, Carl and
Joyce Lewis.
Lewis has also appeared as Dr. Knapp on
Days of our Lives and on other numerous
TV series (including Futurama and
LaBarbara) and portrayed Deloris Van
Cartier in Peter Schneider's Sister Act the
Musical, which opened at the Pasadena
Playhouse on October 24, 2006 and was in
Melba Early in the film adaptation of
Dreamgirls.
She also voiced Granny Grim on The Grim
Adventures of Billy and Mandy, voiced the
female Shokan (Sheeva) in Mortal Kombat:
Defenders of the Realm, and co-starred as
Gail DeBarge in the Disney Channel
Original Movie Let It Shine.
But her musical career has also taken off.
She co-wrote the theme song to "A
Different World."
In 2006, Lewis released her debut CD,
entitled Worth Waiting For.
Lewis recently attended the 13th Annual
Movies for Grownups Awards Gala.
Lewis is part of Don B. Welch’s stage play
production of “The Divorce” that was
released on Feb. 4 on DVD. Lewis plays a
successful TV anchorwoman celebrating
her recent divorce by throwing herself a
divorce party with her closest sorority
girlfriends.
"A Different World’s” Dawnn
Lewis Is Guyanese-American
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Tia Dashon Mowry-Hardrict portrayed medical
student Melanie Barnett Davis on the CW/BET
comedy-drama series The Game from 2006 until
2012, she portrayed medical student Melanie Barnett
Davis on the CW/BET comedy-drama series The
Game. She is also notable for starring in the
television movie Twitches and its sequel Twitches
Too. In 2013, Mowry became the main subject of the
Nickelodeon's Nick at Nite show Instant Mom.
Tia and Tamera recently cancelled participating in
the reality television show business. The 35-year-old
twin actresses had starred in the Style Network
television series for before the network was
dismantled last year. While some of the network's
shows were moved to other channels, the Mowry
twins recently revealed that the series about their
sisterhood, families and careers would not return for
a fourth season.
While Mowry-Housely will return to "The Real" talk
show as a co-host on the panel of five women,
Mowry-Hardrict is producing and acting in the
Nickelodeon show, "Instant Mom."
Tia & Tamara Mowry Trace Their
Roots To The Bahamas
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: Tia
Mowry and her identical twin sister Tamera
Mowry first gained for their teen roles on
the ABC/WB sitcom ‘Sister, Sister.’
The two were born to Darlene Renee
Mowry (née Flowers), who was born in the
Bahamas. She managed her children's
careers even when they were in the group
Voices.
Tamera Darvette Mowry-Housley starred
in the Disney Channel Original Movie
Twitches and its sequel, Twitches Too. She
has also made a break into dramatic
television, and is also known for her role as
Dr. Kayla Thornton on the medical drama
Strong Medicine. Beginning August 2011,
the Style Network began airing Tia &
Tamera.
She is one of the hosts of The Real talk
show along with Tamar Braxton, Jeannie
Mai, Adrienne Bailon, and Loni Love,
which premiered on July 15, 2013.
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News Americas, NEW YORK, NY: He is an actor and producer, known for Raiders of the Lost Ark
(1981), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) and Layer Cake (2004).
George Harris was born on October 20, 1949 in Grenada, West Indies and has worked with the likes of
Lord Olivier, who was an early mentor, Harold Pinter and film directors Ridley Scott and Steven
Spielberg.
He played Britain's first-ever black TV detective in the ITV series Wolcott in 1981.
His notable roles include Kingsley Shacklebolt in the Harry Potter film series, Captain Simon Katanga
in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Clive King in popular medical drama Casualty, where he was one of the
original cast members.
He also played real-life Somali warlord Osman Ali Atto in the 2001 film Black Hawk Down.
In 2013, he played the Abbot of the Black Friars in a BBC radio adaptation of Neil Gaiman's London
fantasy Neverwhere.
Grenada’s Own George Harris
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