Shondrella Avery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shondrella Avery
Avery in December 2007
Born	Shondrella Dupre Avery Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	California State University, Los Angeles
Occupation	Actress, model, comedian
Years active	1999–present
Spouse(s)	Ade Kester

Shondrella Dupre Avery is an American actress, model, and comedian. She is best known for playing LaFawnduh Lucas-Dynamite in the funny movie Napoleon Dynamite (2004). She has also acted in other popular movies like Domino (2005) and The Secret Life of Bees (2008).

Early Life and Education

Shondrella Avery was born in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in the South Central area as the oldest of ten children. Her experiences growing up in a large family inspired her to create a one-woman show called "Ain't I Enough," which was shown on the TV channel HBO.

For high school, she attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Later, she went to California State University, Los Angeles to study for a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Career Journey

Starting in Comedy

Avery began her career as a comedian. She was part of famous comedy groups that make up scenes on the spot, called improvisational comedy. These groups included The Groundlings in Los Angeles and The Second City in Chicago.

While working a regular office job, she and her family also set up places for new and experienced comedians to practice and perform around Los Angeles County. Her big break came in 2001 when she performed at a Fourth of July party with her friend Tony Rock, who is the brother of comedian Chris Rock. The audience loved their performance.

Television and Movie Roles

From 2002 to 2005, Avery had a role as Candy Taylor on the TV comedy show One on One. Her character was so popular that she became a main cast member on its spinoff show, Cuts. A spinoff is a new show that continues the story of a character from another series. During this time, she was also on the prank TV series Girls Behaving Badly for five seasons.

Her most famous movie role was in the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite, where she played the internet girlfriend "LaFawnduh Lucas-Dynamite". When she got this part, she was working for Hilton Hotels. After that, she appeared in movies like Domino and Déjà Vu with actor Denzel Washington. In 2012, she was in the movie End of Watch, which was filmed in her hometown of South Central Los Angeles.

Recent Projects

In June 2023, Avery and Jeff Jenkins Productions signed a special deal to work together on new shows. She is also creating new projects with singer Macy Gray and former basketball player John Salley.

Helping Others

Avery is married to Ade Kester. She is also known for her charity work and helping others. She spends time with kids at a center called "A Place Called Home" in South Central Los Angeles. She also helps teenagers in a writing program and speaks at schools.

Avery is a board member of the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California. This cause is very important to her because her mother has the disease, and two of her siblings passed away from it. She also works with a charity called Coach Art, which gives free arts and sports lessons to children with long-term illnesses.

Filmography

Film

Television