TAMALA JONES

1 OF MY FAV ACTRESSES

Starting out as a teen model for magazine ads and television commercials, Tamala Jones began appearing on television in her early twenties, in such TV shows as "The Parent 'Hood," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "The Wayans Bros.," and "ER." She was a recurring in "Veronica's Closet" and "One on One," and was a regular in "Dangerous Minds" (1996; as Callie Timmons), "For Your Love" (1998-2002; as Bobbi Seawright) and in "The Tracy Morgan Show" (2003; as Morgan's wife Alicia).

Jones also starred in a number of films, including "How to Make an American Quilt" (1995), "Booty Call" (1997), "Can't Hardly Wait" (1998), "Blue Streak" (1999), "Next Friday" (2000), "Kingdom Come" (2001), "Two Can Play That Game" (2001), "On the Line" (2001), "Head of State" (2003), "Nora's Hair Salon" (2004), "Who's Your Caddy?" (2007) and "Daddy Day Camp" (2007). She will appear in the upcoming films "Show Stoppers," "American Dream," "Thug Passion," "The Hustle," and "The Black Man's Guide to Understanding black Women."

The 5' 4" poised African-American actress with bright eyes and smooth skin was voted as One of "The 10 Sexiest Women of the Year" in 2000 and 2001 by "Black Men magazine." She was romantically linked to R&B singer Nate Dogg and is reportedly dating Big Gipp from the hip-hop group Goodie Mob.

Pasadena Root

Childhood and Family:

In Pasadena, California, Tamala Jones was born on November 12, 1974. She is the younger sister of actress Tracey Cherelle Jones (born in 1970).

Booty Call

Career:

Starting to take acting lesson in the sixth grade, Tamala Jones started out as a model, appearing in magazine ads and television commercials. At age fifteen, She was cast in first national commercial for IBM.

The aspiring actress landed her first acting job in an episode of the NBC Saturday teen series ''California Dreams'' and followed it up with guest spots in an episode of the WB sitcom "The Parent 'Hood" and NBC popular, award-winning sitcom starring Will Smith, ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.'' She also appeared in multiple episodes of NBC hit medical drama ''E.R.'' (as Peter Benton's niece Joanie) and the WB sitcom ''The Wayans Brothers.''

In 1995, Jones made her feature film debut with a flashback cameo as the great-grandmother of Maya Angelou's character in Jocelyn Moorhouse's adaptation of Whitney Otto's novel, "How to Make an American Quilt," which also stars Winona Ryder, Anne Bancroft and Ellen Burstyn. In the following year, She had her first regular television role playing a teenage mother on the ABC network's short-lived drama series based on the continuation story of the motion picture film of the same name, "Dangerous Minds."

Jones returned to the big screen with Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, and Vivica A. Fox in the 1997 comedy film "Booty Call," in which She played Davidson's girlfriend Nikki. she also had a featured role in the hit teen romantic comedy "Can't Hardly Wait" (1998; starring Seth Green, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Ethan Embry), in the urban comedy/romance/drama "The Wood" (1999; starring Taye Diggs, Omar Epps, and Richard T. Jones), and in the successful action comedy "Blue Streak" (1999; starring Martin Lawrence).

Meanwhile, Jones working on television. She was a recurring player on the NBC sitcom starring Kirstie Alley, "Veronica's Closet," and was a regular on the sitcom "For Your Love" (NBC, 1998; The WB 1998-2001), playing Barbara Jean 'Bobbi' Seawright Ellis, the girlfriend of Edafe Blackmon's Reggie.

Entering the new millenium, Jones was cast as Mike Epps' stalker ex-girlfriend D'Wana in the comedy "Next Friday" and as Pras' pregnant girlfriend Kia in the musical drama "Turn It Up." She was also featured in the comedy film starring actor, comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member Tim Meadows, "The Ladies Man." Additionally, she portrayed the famed Lucille in the NBC Emmy-nominated biopic about the celebrated African-American singer, songwriter and pianist, "Little Richard" (portrayed by Leon), and appeared in the music video "No Love" by Kevon Edmonds.

In the following year, Jones co-starred as a fiercely ambitious advertising executive who clashes with Lance Bass' innovative but idealistic character, in the romantic comedy movie "On the Line." She was also featured in the African-American ensemble features "The Brothers," in which she portrayed D.L. Hughley's wife, and "Kingdom Come," which was inspired by David Dean Bottrell and Jessie Jones' Play.

That same year, Jones played One of the Women being schooled in men by Vivica A. Fox, in the romantic comedy film "Two Can Play That Game." She also appeared as a dancer lip-synching in a music video for the Wu Tang Clan's "Gravel Pit" and as the "Black chick" in the music video for Jay-Z's "Girls, Girls, Girls." Additionally, she began playing a recurring role on the now-defunct UPN sitcom "One on One," as Tonya (2001-2005).

After co-starring as campaign manager Lisa Clark in Chris Rock's comedy "Head of State" (2003), Jones co-starred as Tracy Morgan's wife in the NBC sitcom "The Tracy Morgan Show" (2003-2004). Meanwhile, She played a hairstylist named Chloe who has aspirations of a career in show business, in the independent comedy-drama film "Nora's Hair Salon" (2004; with Jenifer Lewis and Tatyana Ali), and supported Monica Keena in the thriller "Long Distance" (2005). she also acted opposite Janeane Garofalo in the romantic comedy made-for-television movie "Nadine in Date Land" (2005) and was spotted as a guest in an October 2005 episode of UPN sitcom "Love, Inc."

Jones spent the next year working mostly on television. She starred with Wayne Brady in the unsold comedy series pilot "Flirt" (2006) and guest starred in an episode of CBS supernatural drama "Ghost Whisperer" as well as CBS cop/crime drama "CSI: Miami." In 2007, she returned to the big screen in the comedies "What Love Is," with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Sean Astin, "Who's Your Caddy?," alongside Big Boi, and "Daddy Day Camp," reteaming with Cuba Gooding Jr. She also starred in an unsold drama series "Protect and Serve" and guest starred in an episode of NBC Emmy-winning sitcom "My Name Is Earl" and NBC drama/comedy "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."

Jones has completed filming "Show Stoppers," a drama/comedy by Barry Bowles, and "American Dream," which chronicles Mikes Jones' real life rise to fame as an aspiring rapper. She is currently working on her upcoming films "Thug Passion," a romantic drama by Greg Young, "The Hustle ," a comedy by Deon Taylor, and "The Black Man's Guide to Understanding black Women," an independent drama by Greg Carter.