Monica Calhoun (born July 29, 1971)[3] is an American film and television actress. Calhoun is best known for her roles in the films Bagdad Cafe (1987), The Players Club (1998),[4] The Salon (2005), The Best Man (1999),[5] and its sequel The Best Man Holiday ( two thousand and thirteen). She has also appeared in the films Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993) and Love & Basketball (2000). Calhoun has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award and one NAACP Image Award.
Biography Early life and education Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,[1] Calhoun is the daughter of Lorine Calhoun.[6] She moved to California in the late 1970s, and began acting while in sixth grade.[7] Calhoun participated in the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.[8]
Career Calhoun made her acting debut in the 1985 TV film Children of the Night as Wanda.[9] She portrayed Phyllis, the daughter of CCH Pounder’s character, in Bagdad Cafe (1987).[10] Calhoun was the only actor in Bagdad Cafe to return for the television series,[11] although the character’s name was changed to Debbie.[12] The televised adaptation lasted two seasons before being canceled.
She portrayed Rebbie Jackson in the 1992 biopic miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream.[13] In 1993, she had a minor role in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit[14] and acted in the Disney Channel film The Ernest Green Story alongside Morris Chestnut.[15] Calhoun received an Emmy Award nomination for her performance in the CBS Schoolbreak Special “Different Worlds: A Story of Interracial Love” (1993).[16] Calhoun co-starred with actor Flex Alexander in the short-lived series, Where I Live, and appeared in Pacific Station.
Calhoun guest starred in several sitcoms including The Wayans Bros., A Different World and The Jamie Foxx Show, the latter as Jamie Foxx’s sister.[17] She appears as Linda, one of the daughters of Donald Thornton in the television film The Ditchdigger’s Daughters (1997).[18] Calhoun played the role of Ebony, a stripper,[19] in Ice Cube’s directorial debut The Players Club (1998).
She appeared in the lead role, Reese Delaware, in Intimate Betrayal (1999).[20] In Love & Basketball (2000), she portrayed Kerry, a girlfriend of the basketball playing protagonist.[21] In 2002, Calhoun appeared in Trois 2: Pandora’s Box as psychologist Dr. Mia DuBois[22] and portrayed Wet in Civil Brand.[23] Calhoun played Rachel in the Western Gang of Roses (2003).[24]
Calhoun portrayed Mia, the wife of Morris Chestnut’s character, in The Best Man (1999).[25] She received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture in 2000 for her performance.[26] She returned in its sequel The Best Man Holiday (2013).[27] In the latter, Mia is terminally ill and dies at the end of the film.[28]
She played the role of Brenda in 2007’s The Salon starring Vivica Fox.[29] In 2009, Robert Townsend directed Calhoun in Diary of a Single Mom, Seasons I, II and III (2008–10).[30] Calhoun appeared as Patricia Tresvant, Ralph’s mother in The New Edition Story miniseries which aired on the BET network in January 2017.[31]
Personal Calhoun gave birth to a son in 2000. Her son is blind. [32][33][34]
