Happy Friday! This week’s Famous Friday will highlight actress Jasmine Guy. Guy was born on March 10, 1964 to a White mother and Black father in Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, where she attended a performing arts high school.
After high school, Jasmine moved to New York City as she was awarded a scholarship to become a part of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Guy went on to practice performing arts here for several years before debuting on Broadway. She starred in the original productions of Leader in the Pack and Beehive. Later she took roles in the reprise of The Wiz, Chicago and Grease.
After years on the stage and touring the world, Jasmine stepped into the world of television. She received a role in the Cosby Show spin-off, A Different World, winning six NAACP awards for the character. She has gone on to star in, and be a part of a plethora of shows. Some notable ones include Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire, Vampire Diaries, Harlem Nights, School Daze, and K.C. Undercover with Zendaya – a personal childhood favorite. Guy also released her own self-titled R&B cover in 1990, which reached thirty-eight on the R&B charts.
Along her illustrious career, Guy has used her platform as an actress to advocate for and promote African American Culture and History. She has been involved in several projects including the film, Unchained Memories: Slave Narratives. Additionally, Guy directed the world premier opera celebrating Martin Luther King Jr and his life’s work, entitled I Dream.
Madelyn Rempel
ProjectRACE Teens, President
Photo Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jasmine_Guy