Tasha Smith
| Tasha Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 28, 1971 Camden, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, model, comedian |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Spouse(s) | Rory "Keith" Douglas (m. 2010; annulled 2015)[1] |
Tasha Smith (born February 28, 1971)[2] is an American actress, comedian and model. She has appeared in numerous movies and television shows, most notably as Angela Williams in the Tyler Perry films Why Did I Get Married? (2007), Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010), and on the television series based on movies, For Better or Worse (2011–present).
Career
Smith made her screen debut with small role in the 1994 film Twin Sitters.[3] From 1996 to 1997, she starred in the NBC sitcom, Boston Common. Later in 1997, she was cast alongside Tom Arnold in another short-lived sitcom, The Tom Show on The WB.[3] In 2000, she was supporting role in the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries, The Corner in which she played a drug addict.[3] In the 2000s, Smith had guest starring roles on The Parkers, Without a Trace, Nip/Tuck and Girlfriends. She has made number of supporting performances in films such as Playas Ball (2003), The Whole Ten Yards (2004) and ATL (2006).
Smith has played roles in multiple Tyler Perry projects. In 2007, she appeared as the main antagonist in the romantic comedy-drama film, Daddy's Little Girls. She played the role of Angela Williams in the Why Did I Get Married? (2007) and its sequel Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010). This role she later played in the comedy series based on films, Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse.
Smith co-starred opposite Ice Cube and Keke Palmer in the 2008 family comedy-drama film, The Longshots. She had supporting role in Couples Retreat (2009), and co-starred alongside Salli Richardson in Pastor Brown (2010). In 2011, she appeared in the comedy film Jumping the Broom, and in 2014 played psychotherapist in the erotic thriller, Addicted.[4] In 2014, she also was cast as recurring in the Fox drama series Empire as Carol Hardaway, Cookie Lyon's younger sister.[5] In 2015, Smith made her directorial debut with Boxed In, that premiered during the 19th Annual American Black Film Festival.[6]
Personal life
Smith was born in Camden, New Jersey, and was raised by a single mother.[2] She has an identical twin sister named Sidra Smith, who currently lives in Harlem.[2]
Smith is a Christian.[7][8] In an interview with EURweb.com, Smith discussed her conversion from atheism to Christianity: "When I was 25 I had an encounter with God because my father had gotten sick. I had a time where I really challenged God, like, if you're really God you'll show me such-and-such'. I was going through this whole thing where I questioned whether God was real or not. I really needed God to be real because I was feeling so depressed and so unhappy, I felt like if there isn't a God [then] I have no reason to live. It was just a bad time in my life and God really showed up and met me where I was."
In December 2010, Smith married her boyfriend of one year Keith Douglas, who is also her manager.[9] In November 2014, Smith appeared in court to request a restraining order against Douglas, who in documents filed prior to the court appearance, she said accused her of having affairs with other women. Smith's friend Tisha Campbell-Martin acted as a character witness.[10] The final divorce decree was issued in March 2015.[11] However, Smith contested the divorce by alleging that Douglas concealed information from her that she should have known before the marriage. Smith alleged that Douglas was not "man of the cloth" that he presented himself to be during their courtship.[1] She also said that, if she had known about Douglas' background, she would not have married him. The allegations about Douglas' background included five marriages before he married Smith, multiple children that he did not claim and disclose to Smith, and non-payment of income taxes for nearly a decade. The judge in the case granted Smith an annulment of the marriage in December 2015 on the basis of fraud committed by Douglas.[1]
Smith is involved in some off-screen ventures, such as an organic perfume line titled "US", which she launched in 2011 with Keith Douglas, who, at the time, was her then-husband and manager.[12]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Twin Sitters | The Aleem's Wives | |
| 1995 | Let It Be Me | Student | |
| 1998 | Max Q | Karen Daniels | Television film |
| 1999 | Chameleon II: Death Match | IBI Director Webster | Television film |
| 2003 | Playas Ball | Vonda | |
| 2004 | The Whole Ten Yards | Jules "Julie" Figueroa | |
| 2004 | My Purple Fur Coat | Ruth | Short film |
| 2006 | Miles from Home | Keisha Knight | |
| 2006 | ATL | Miss Gayle | |
| 2006 | You, Me and Dupree | Co-Worker | Uncredited |
| 2006 | Glass House: The Good Mother | Caseworker | |
| 2007 | Love... & Other 4 Letter Words | Lucille | |
| 2007 | Daddy's Little Girls | Jennifer Jackson | |
| 2007 | Why Did I Get Married? | Angela Williams | |
| 2008 | The Longshots | Claire Plummer | |
| 2009 | Couples Retreat | Jennifer | |
| 2010 | Why Did I Get Married Too? | Angela Williams | |
| 2010 | Pastor Brown | Angelique Todd | |
| 2010 | Something Like a Business | Angela | |
| 2011 | Jumping the Broom | Shonda | |
| 2014 | Addicted | Dr. Marcella Spencer | |
| 2015 | Boxed in | Director and writer | |
| 2015 | Polaris | Sophie |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–1997 | Boston Common | Tasha King | Series regular, 32 episodes |
| 1997 | Chicago Hope | Dr. Denise Potter | Episode: "Brain Salad Surgery" |
| 1997–1998 | The Tom Show | Tanya Cole | Series regular, 19 episodes |
| 1999 | The Steve Harvey Show | Kimberly Davis | Episode: "Steve Don't Get Nun" |
| 2000 | The Corner | Veronica 'Ronnie' Boice | Miniseries |
| 2001 | The Parkers | Rachel Jones | Episode: "A Knockout Times Two" |
| 2003 | Without a Trace | Veronica | Episode: "The Friendly Skies" |
| 2004 | Nip/Tuck | Carol Nelson | Episode: "Joan Rivers" |
| 2005 | Second Time Around | Laura | Episode: "Big Bank, Little Bank" |
| 2005 | Girlfriends | Shandara Durrani | Episode: "See J-Spot Run" |
| 2007 | All of Us | Jewel | Episode: "The B-R-E-A-K-U-P" |
| 2008 | Finnegan | Det. Nenna McCants | Unsold Pilot |
| 2009 | The Game | Shiela | Episode: "The Third Legacy" |
| 2009–2010 | Meet the Browns | Tanya Gould | Recurring role, 7 episodes |
| 2011–present | Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse | Angela Williams | Series regular, 100+ episodes Nominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (2014) |
| 2015–present | Empire | Carol Holloway | Recurring role |
| 2015 | Power | Jarita | Episodes: "You're the Only Person I Can Trust", "Three Moves Ahead" and "Ghost Is Dead" |
References
- 1 2 3 Eromosele, Diana Ozemebhoya (December 23, 2015). "Judge Annuls Tasha Smith's Marriage After Finding That Her Husband Hid Kids, Marriages and Debt". The Root. Univision Communications Inc. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Black Star News - Black Star News". Blackstarnews.com. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Tasha Smith". Metacritic. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- ↑ Courtney (October 29, 2012). "Tasha Smith Confirmed For Zane's 'Addicted'". IndieWire. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
- ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (March 18, 2014). "Macy Gray Boards Lee Daniels' Hip-Hop Drama 'Empire' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- ↑ "Tasha Smith Makes Directorial Debut with 'Boxed In' at 2015 ABFF (WATCH)". EURweb. June 23, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
- ↑ "African American News - Black Entertainment News - EURWeb.com". EURweb. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
- ↑ Tasha Smith: Survival of the Fittest : Essence.com
- ↑ "Tasha Smith : My Black Is Beautiful", BET
- ↑ "Tasha Smith Files Retraining Order Against Keith Douglas". EURweb.com. November 27, 2014.
- ↑ Diaz, Evelyn (March 29, 2015). "Tasha Smith Reaches Divorce Settlement With Husband". BET. Retrieved May 24, 2015.
- ↑ "Cover". Essence. December 2011.
External links
- Tasha Smith at the Internet Movie Database
- Tasha Smith on Twitter
