Jasmine Guy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jasmine Guy
Guy in 2010
Born	Jasmine Chanel Guy (1962-03-10) March 10, 1962 (age 63) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Actress singer dancer director
Years active	1982–present
Known for	Whitley Gilbert-Wayne – A Different World Roxy Harvey – Dead Like Me Sawyer - Cats Don't Dance
Spouse(s)	Terrence Duckett ​ ​ (m. 1998; div. 2008)​
Children	1
Awards	NAACP Image Award – (1989, 1991–1993) Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (A Different World) Primetime Emmy Award – (2023) Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series (Chronicles of Jessica Wu)
Musical career
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres	R&B pop new jack swing country
Labels	Warner Bros.

Jasmine Chanel Guy (born on March 10, 1962) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and director. She is well-known for playing Dina in the 1988 movie School Daze. She also starred as Whitley Gilbert-Wayne in the TV show A Different World, which was a spin-off of The Cosby Show. This popular show ran from 1987 to 1993.

Guy won four NAACP Image Awards in a row from 1990 to 1993. These awards were for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in A Different World. She also played Roxy Harvey in Dead Like Me and Sheila "Grams" Bennett in The Vampire Diaries. More recently, she appeared as Gemma on Grey's Anatomy.

Early Life and Education

Jasmine Guy was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, in a neighborhood called Collier Heights. She went to Northside Performing Arts High School, where she studied the arts.

Her mother, Jaye, was a high school teacher. Her father, William Vincent Guy, was a pastor at a famous church in Atlanta. He also taught philosophy and religion at a college. When she was 17, Jasmine moved to New York City. There, she studied dance at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center.

Acting Career Highlights

Television Roles

Jasmine Guy started her TV career in 1982. She had a small role as a dancer in seven episodes of the TV series Fame. The famous choreographer Debbie Allen directed these episodes.

Guy is most famous for her role as Whitley Gilbert in the TV sitcom A Different World. This show was a spin-off from The Cosby Show. It aired on NBC from 1987 to 1993. Guy not only acted in every episode but also wrote three episodes and directed one. She became the main star after the original star, Lisa Bonet, left the show. She won six NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for this role.

After A Different World, Guy appeared in many other TV shows. In 1991, she was in an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Kayla. In 1993, she played the mother of Halle Berry's character in the TV mini-series Alex Haley's Queen. This series was based on a book by Alex Haley. From 1995 to 1997, she had a recurring role as Kathleen, a fallen angel, in Touched by an Angel.

In 2002, Guy lent her voice to the animated series Cyberchase. She played Ava, the queen of a place called Symmetria. In 2003, she was in an HBO documentary called Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narrative. This documentary featured readings from interviews with former slaves.

Guy starred in the series Dead Like Me from 2003 to 2004. She played Roxy Harvey, a meter maid who becomes a grim reaper. She was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for this role in 2005. She later appeared in the movie sequel, Dead Like Me: Life After Death, released in 2009. From 2009 to 2017, Guy had a recurring role in The Vampire Diaries. She played Sheila "Grams" Bennett, the grandmother of Bonnie. In late 2017, she was in the Lifetime Christmas movie Secret Santa. Recently, she appeared in the Amazon Prime series Harlem.

Film Appearances

Jasmine Guy made her film debut in 1988 in Spike Lee's musical film School Daze. She played Dina, a member of a sorority. The next year, she appeared in Harlem Nights with Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor. In 1997, she provided the voice of Sawyer in the animated movie Cats Don't Dance.

In 2011, she appeared in the film October Baby. In 2015, she was in Big Stone Gap with Ashley Judd and Whoopi Goldberg. She also starred in the short film My Nephew Emmett. This film won a Student Academy Award and was nominated for an Academy Award in 2018.

Stage Performances

In 1987, Guy starred in the musical Beehive off-Broadway. She has performed in many Broadway shows and national tours. These include roles in The Wiz, Leader of the Pack, Grease, and Chicago.

In 2009, Guy returned to the stage in Atlanta. She starred in the play Blues for an Alabama Sky. In 2010, she directed the musical I Dream in Atlanta. She also joined the Kenny Leon's True Colors Theatre Company as their Producing Director. She continues to work with the company both on and off stage.

Music Career

While starring in A Different World, Jasmine Guy released her first album in 1990. It was called Jasmine Guy. The album had three hit singles: "Try Me", "Another Like My Lover", and "Just Want to Hold You". "Just Want to Hold You" even made it into the top 40 singles chart in the US.

Personal Life

Jasmine Guy was good friends with rapper Tupac Shakur. They met in 1993 when he appeared on A Different World. Guy later wrote a book about Tupac's mother, called Afeni Shakur: Evolution of a Revolutionary.

Guy married Terrence Duckett in August 1998. They had one daughter together. They divorced in 2008. After her divorce, Guy and her daughter moved to Atlanta, her childhood hometown.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music Videos

Discography

Albums

• Jasmine Guy (1990)

Singles

• "Try Me" (1990)
• "Another Like My Lover" (1991)
• "Just Want to Hold You" (1991)
• "Don't Want Money" (1991)

See also

In Spanish: Jasmine Guy para niños