Renn Woods facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Renn Woods
Woods in Los Angeles, 2014
Born	(1958-01-01) January 1, 1958 (age 67) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, vocalist, songwriter
Years active	1976–present

Renn Woods (born Ren Woods on January 1, 1958) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She is famous for her acting roles in movies, on television, and on stage.

Many people know her for playing Fanta in the TV miniseries Roots. She also sang the famous song "Aquarius" in the movie Hair (1979). From 1987 to 1989, she played Edie in the TV show Beauty and the Beast.

Woods grew up in Portland, Oregon, where she started a musical group called Three Little Souls when she was ten. The group later changed its name to Sunday's Child and traveled the world. As an adult, Woods became a successful actress, appearing in famous projects like Roots and Hair.

Early Life and Name

Renn Woods was born in Chicago, Illinois, and was one of six children. She grew up in Portland, Oregon, where her mother, a nurse, raised her. Woods has said her mother was a "politically conscious and very unusual woman." In Portland, Woods and her siblings went to private Catholic schools.

When she was eight years old, Woods started a singing group with two friends. They called themselves the Three Little Souls.

You might notice her first name is spelled with two "n"s. She was born "Ren," but she added the extra "n" to her name. This was to avoid being confused with a company that had the website name Renwoods.

Music and Singing Career

Renn started singing when she was only six years old. By the time she was 10, her group, later called Sunday's Child, was performing on TV shows with famous stars like Jack Benny, Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby. The group even toured the world and performed with Bob Hope on his last tour in Vietnam.

In 1979, Woods released her first solo album, Out of the Woods. It was produced by Al McKay from the band Earth, Wind & Fire. She released a second album, Azz Izz, in 1982. This album was a success and included the song "I Don't Wanna Stop," which was written by the music legend Prince. In 2015, she released a jazz album called Crazy.

Acting Career

Stage and Screen Success

Woods became famous across the country in 1976 when she played Dorothy in the first national tour of the musical "The Wiz". The next year, she played Fanta in the TV series Roots (1977). She won a People's Choice Award for this role.

In 1979, she sang the opening song, "Aquarius," in the movie musical Hair. She also had a role in the comedy movie The Jerk with Steve Martin.

Television and Film Roles

Woods appeared in many popular American TV shows. These include What's Happening!!, Lou Grant, The Jeffersons, and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. She had a main role as Edie in the series Beauty and the Beast.

In 1984, she was in the science-fiction comedy movie The Brother from Another Planet. A reviewer said that she and the other actors in her scenes gave good performances.

In 2016, she appeared in a TV documentary about the movie The Jerk. The documentary explored why the comedy is still considered a classic.

One-Woman Show

In the 1990s, Woods created a musical show about her own life called A Diva Like Me. She later expanded it into a bigger show with more performers. She also appeared as the character The Moon in a Los Angeles production of the musical Caroline, or Change.

Filmography

Film

Television