Karen Malina White facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karen Malina White
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White in 2006
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| Born |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Education | Howard University (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Known for | Kaneesha Carter – Lean on Me Charmaine Brown – The Cosby Show, A Different World |
Karen Malina White is an American actress who has starred in many movies and TV shows. She is well-known for playing Kaneesha Carter in the 1989 movie Lean on Me. She also played Charmaine Brown in The Cosby Show and its spin-off A Different World. Karen Malina White was also the voice of Dijonay Jones in the animated show The Proud Family and its newer version, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.
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About Karen Malina White
Early Life and Education
Karen Malina White grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She went to the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. After high school, she studied at Howard University. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the university. During her last year there, she was named "Miss Howard University." This is also when she got her very first acting job.
Acting Career Highlights
Karen Malina White's acting career began in 1989 with the movie Lean on Me. She acted alongside Morgan Freeman in this film. She felt this was her first big role. For her work in the movie, she was nominated for a Young Artist Award in 1990.
During the 1990s, Karen appeared in many TV shows. She played Charmaine Brown in the last two seasons of The Cosby Show (1990–1992). She then continued the role in A Different World (1992–1993). She also appeared as Jewel, Jazz's wife, in two episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Later, she was a regular on the show Malcolm & Eddie, playing Nicolette Vandross.
Karen Malina White has also had many guest roles in other popular TV shows. These include Animal Kingdom, Better Things, Snowfall, and Veep. She also appeared in 9-1-1, The Middle, and Young Sheldon.
Voice Acting and The Proud Family
From 2001 to 2005, Karen Malina White lent her voice to the character Dijonay Jones. This was for the animated Disney Channel series The Proud Family. She shared that the show's creator, Bruce W. Smith, designed Dijonay while Karen was reading lines for the show. In 2022, she returned to voice Dijonay Jones in the new series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. For this role, she was nominated for an Annie Award.
Recent Roles and Projects
In 2022, Karen Malina White played Shirley Hughes in the series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. This role was special because it allowed her to use American Sign Language. She has been learning sign language since she was 15 years old. Karen mentioned that this role helped her express strong feelings during a challenging time. The series became one of Netflix's most-watched shows.
Karen Malina White has also been involved in theater. She played Camae in Katori Hall's play The Mountaintop. In 2010, she acted in The Ballad of Emmett Till. She even reprised this role in an online reading in 2020.
In 2023, Karen appeared in a commercial for FanDuel. She was in the commercial with former American football player Rob Gronkowski. She also shares her knowledge by being a guest speaker in acting classes. She teaches students about the business side of acting.
Personal Life
Karen Malina White has not married and does not have children. She was in a relationship with her fellow actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner for seven and a half years.
Images for kids
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Karen Malina White in 2006
