Vanessa Baden
Vanessa Baden-Kelly | |
|---|---|
| Born | Vanessa Jennifer Baden September 8, 1985 |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, writer, director, producer |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Spouse |
RJ Kelly (m.2013) |
| Children | 1 |
Vanessa Jennifer Baden-Kelly(/ˈbeɪdən/;born September 8, 1985) is an American actress, writer, director, and producer. She is best known as a child actress in theNickelodeontelevision seriesGullah Gullah Island(1994–1998) andKenan & Kel(1996–2000). In 2017, she starred, co-wrote and co-produced theweb seriesGiants,executive produced byIssa Rae.[1]In 2019, she won aDaytime Emmy Awardfor her performance inGiants.[2]
She was the executive story editor and writer for season 1 ofThe Sex Lives of College Girls.[3]
Early life
[edit]Baden was born inManhattan Beach, California,and raised inSatellite Beach, Florida,where she got her start as a model in print ads.
In 2004, she won the Florida District Miss Black and Gold Pageant, representing the Iota Delta chapter ofAlpha Phi Alphafraternity at a regional competition inAtlanta,Georgia.[citation needed]She graduated fromFlorida State UniversityinTallahassee, Floridain December 2007 with a degree insociology.[citation needed]
Career
[edit]Baden began her career as a child actress on television; her first major role was as Vanessa in the Nick Jr. television seriesGullah Gullah Island.Following this, she portrayed Kyra Rockmore for more than 60 episodes of the teen sitcomKenan & Kel,which also aired on Nickelodeon.
In 1997, she played a supporting role in the filmRosewoodand served as a panelist on the children's game showFigure It Out.This was followed by a year-long hiatus from acting.
In 2011, Baden returned to the screen as Hope in the YouTube comedy seriesFail,oppositeKing Bach.In 2012, she starred as Erin Mult in the television filmChris & Todd.In 2014, she played oppositeJenifer Lewisin the comedy feature filmSecrets of the Magic City,directed byR. Malcolm Jones.
Since 2017, she has starred, co-written, and co-produced theweb seriesGiants,which streams onIssa Rae's YouTube channel.[1]She plays Journee in the series. Her performance inGiantsgarnered her aDaytime Emmy Awardnomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2018, and a win in 2019.[2][4]
Baden also works as a writer and producer; she co-wrote and co-produced several episodes ofGiants,[1]and has also written forThe Huffington Post.[5]
In May 2021, Baden'sessaycollection,Far Away from Close to Home: A Black Millennial Woman in Progress[6]will be published byThree Rooms Press.
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994–1995 | My Brother and Me | Janey | TV series; 3 episodes |
| 1994–1998 | Gullah Gullah Island | Vanessa | TV series; 50 episodes |
| 1996–2000 | Kenan & Kel | Kyra Rockmore | TV series; 27 episodes |
| 1997 | Rosewood | Lee-Ruth | |
| 1997 | Figure It Out | Herself / Panelist | TV series |
| 2011–2012 | Fail | Hope | TV series; 6 episodes |
| 2012 | Franchise | Cameo | Short film |
| 2013 | Chris & Todd | Erin Mult | TV film |
| 2014 | Secrets of the Magic City | Tracey | |
| 2017–2018 | Giants | Journee | Web series; 13 episodes; also writer and producer |
| 2019 | Soap Central | Interviewee | TV series |
References
[edit]- ^abc"Vanessa Baden Kelly of 'Giants' on Millennials Leading the Mental Health Conversation".Rebellious Magazine.February 26, 2018.RetrievedApril 15,2018.
- ^ab"Giants Cleans Up at Daytime Emmys, Takes Home Outstanding Lead Actress and Outstanding Supporting Actor".The Grapevine.May 6, 2019.RetrievedJanuary 31,2021.
- ^"The Sex Lives of College Girls (TV Series 2021– )",IMDb,retrievedSeptember 12,2023
- ^"THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS & SCIENCES ANNOUNCES NOMINATIONS FOR THE 45th ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMY® AWARDS | The Emmy Awards - The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences".emmyonline.com.Archived fromthe originalon March 30, 2018.RetrievedApril 15,2018.
- ^Kelly, Vanessa Baden (September 26, 2015)."Why I Support Michael B. Jordan and Not Internet Hype".HuffPost.RetrievedApril 15,2018.
- ^Kelly, Vanessa Baden (May 4, 2021).Home is the Mouth of a Shark: Essays.Three Rooms Press.ISBN978-1953103024.
External links
[edit]- 1985 births
- Living people
- Actresses from Florida
- Florida State University alumni
- Satellite High School alumni
- African-American female comedians
- African-American comedians
- American women comedians
- Actors from Manhattan Beach, California
- Actresses from California
- American television actresses
- American film actresses
- American child actresses
- African-American child actresses
- 21st-century African-American actresses
- 20th-century African-American actresses
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century African-American women writers
- 21st-century American women writers
- 21st-century African-American writers
- American women film directors
- Film producers from California
- Comedians from California
- Film directors from California
- American women film producers
- 21st-century American comedians
- 21st-century American actresses
- Comedians from Florida