Holly Robinson (actress)
Encyclopedia
Holly Elizabeth Robinson Peete (born September 18, 1964) is an American
actress and singer. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Judy Hoffs on the Fox TV
police drama 21 Jump Street
, Vanessa Russell on the ABC
sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
, and Dr. Malena Ellis on the NBC
/WB
sitcom For Your Love
. After graduating from high school, Peete entered Sarah Lawrence College in New York. She majored in psychology and French, and could speak four languages. During her time as an undergraduate, she spent a year abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris, France. After she graduated in 1986, she considered attending graduate school and perhaps working in languages for the U.S. State Department. However, her love of acting contributed to her decision to give an acting career a chance for a few months first. Within a short time, Peete found roles on a television series and in two films, and thoughts of graduate school were left behind.
Peete served as one of the original five co-hosts of the CBS
daytime talk show
The Talk
. She was not asked back for the show's second season.
Peete's children's book, "My Brother Charlie", won her an NAACP Image Award
for Outstanding Literary Work in March 2011.
, to Dolores and Matt Robinson (the original Gordon on Sesame Street
). Her mother was a school teacher, in public relations, and later a personal talent manager, and her father a producer/writer. She has an older brother named Matthew Jr. In 1974 her family moved to California
. Peete graduated from Santa Monica High School
in Santa Monica, California
, where her classmates included Rob Lowe
. Peete graduated from Sarah Lawrence College
with a degree in psychology and French. Peete studied abroad for a year at the Sorbonne
, and is fluent in French. While there she sang in Paris
nightclubs, including a memorable performance with jazz legend Lionel Hampton
at the Hotel Meridian Jazz Club.
.At the age of 11 Holly worked for the children's show Kidsworld as a celebrity correspondent;she interviewed many actors and actresses for the program. As an actress, she has appeared on the television series 21 Jump Street
(1987—1991), Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
(1992—1997), For Your Love
(1998—2002), and Like Family
(2003—2004). In 1992 she portrayed Diana Ross
in The Jacksons: An American Dream
. Robinson most recently starred on the UPN comedy Love, Inc.
. The show lasted just one season, and was canceled after the WB/UPN merger.
Robinson has also had a limited career as a singer and recording artist, including the introductory song to 21 Jump Street. She contributed a variety of songs to the soundtrack of the film Howard the Duck
. (She appeared as a musician/singer in a minor role in the film.) She recorded the theme song "We Got Our Love" for the 1988 film Three for the Road
. She and Dawnn Lewis
, along with R&B quartet En Vogue
, performed the theme song for Season 1 of Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
.
Robinson has been a spokesperson for Colgate
Total toothpaste since 2008. Robinson and her husband currently co-host a talk show on Oprah & Friends Radio. In 2009, she co-starred in the ABC
comedy pilot, The Bridget Show.
In 2006, she won, along with fellow writer Daniel Paisner, the Quills Award in Sports for the book Get Your Own Damn Beer, I'm Watching the Game!: A Woman's Guide to Loving Pro Football. Peete and her daughter Ryan Elizabeth co-wrote a children's book My Brother Charlie, which was released in March 2010.
In 2010, she participated in the third season of Celebrity Apprentice, playing for her own charity, the HollyRod Foundation
, which provides support for families with autism. She set an "Apprentice" record for the most money made on a single task, and finished as the runner-up to winner Bret Michaels
.
Robinson began co-hosting The Talk
, a CBS
daytime talk show
, on October 18, 2010.
Robinson is known for expressing herself through her ethnicity and being vocal on especially issues of the African American
race and autism
, from
which one of her children, Rodney, suffers. In April 2011, Robinson hosted a weekly series on The Talk promoting autism awareness.
Robinson hosted the 42nd NAACP Image Awards, alongside Wayne Brady
, on March 4, 2011.
, a National Football League
quarterback
. He proposed by surprising Holly during an episode of Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
. Together, they have four children: daughter Ryan Elizabeth and son Rodney Jr. (twins born in 1997), son Robinson (born in 2002), and son Roman (born in 2005). Rodney Jr., was diagnosed with autism
at age 3. One of Holly's closest friends is Terry Ellis
of the popular R&B group En Vogue
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress and singer. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Judy Hoffs on the Fox TV
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
police drama 21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools,...
, Vanessa Russell on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
sitcom Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from 1992 to 1997, starring Mark Curry and Holly Robinson. The show took place in Curry's hometown of Oakland, California. Hangin' with Mr. Cooper was produced by Jeff Franklin Productions, in association with...
, and Dr. Malena Ellis on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
/WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
sitcom For Your Love
For Your Love (TV series)
For Your Love is an American sitcom that premiered on March 17, 1998 on NBC. It was canceled after six episodes, but was picked up by The WB Network. It ran there for four years before its 2002 cancellation.-Synopsis:...
. After graduating from high school, Peete entered Sarah Lawrence College in New York. She majored in psychology and French, and could speak four languages. During her time as an undergraduate, she spent a year abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris, France. After she graduated in 1986, she considered attending graduate school and perhaps working in languages for the U.S. State Department. However, her love of acting contributed to her decision to give an acting career a chance for a few months first. Within a short time, Peete found roles on a television series and in two films, and thoughts of graduate school were left behind.
Peete served as one of the original five co-hosts of the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
daytime talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
The Talk
The Talk (U.S. TV series)
The Talk is a talk show created by actress Sara Gilbert, who also serves as the executive producer. The show premiered on October 18, 2010, and airs on CBS as a part of CBS Daytime...
. She was not asked back for the show's second season.
Peete's children's book, "My Brother Charlie", won her an NAACP Image Award
NAACP Image Award
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
for Outstanding Literary Work in March 2011.
Early life
Peete was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, to Dolores and Matt Robinson (the original Gordon on Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
). Her mother was a school teacher, in public relations, and later a personal talent manager, and her father a producer/writer. She has an older brother named Matthew Jr. In 1974 her family moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Peete graduated from Santa Monica High School
Santa Monica High School
Santa Monica High School, informally known as SAMOHI, is located in Santa Monica, California. Founded in 1884, it is one of the oldest high schools in the state....
in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, where her classmates included Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
. Peete graduated from Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
with a degree in psychology and French. Peete studied abroad for a year at the Sorbonne
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, and is fluent in French. While there she sang in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
nightclubs, including a memorable performance with jazz legend Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
at the Hotel Meridian Jazz Club.
Career
In 1969, she made her first TV appearance by playing a little girl named Sally on the very first episode of Sesame StreetSesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
.At the age of 11 Holly worked for the children's show Kidsworld as a celebrity correspondent;she interviewed many actors and actresses for the program. As an actress, she has appeared on the television series 21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools,...
(1987—1991), Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from 1992 to 1997, starring Mark Curry and Holly Robinson. The show took place in Curry's hometown of Oakland, California. Hangin' with Mr. Cooper was produced by Jeff Franklin Productions, in association with...
(1992—1997), For Your Love
For Your Love (TV series)
For Your Love is an American sitcom that premiered on March 17, 1998 on NBC. It was canceled after six episodes, but was picked up by The WB Network. It ran there for four years before its 2002 cancellation.-Synopsis:...
(1998—2002), and Like Family
Like Family
Like Family is an American sitcom that aired on The WB in 2003. The series starred Holly Robinson Peete and Kevin Michael Richardson and lasted one season...
(2003—2004). In 1992 she portrayed Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
in The Jacksons: An American Dream
The Jacksons: An American Dream
The Jacksons: An American Dream is a five-hour American miniseries broadcast in two halves on ABC and originally broadcast on November 15 through November 18, 1992...
. Robinson most recently starred on the UPN comedy Love, Inc.
Love, Inc. (TV series)
Love, Inc. is an American sitcom that began airing on UPN on September 22, 2005 until May 11, 2006. In its first and only season, it was aired right after Everybody Hates Chris. It was created by Andrew Secunda a former writer at "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "Saturday TV Funhouse" who...
. The show lasted just one season, and was canceled after the WB/UPN merger.
Robinson has also had a limited career as a singer and recording artist, including the introductory song to 21 Jump Street. She contributed a variety of songs to the soundtrack of the film Howard the Duck
Howard the Duck
Howard the Duck is a comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe created by writer Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik. The character first appeared in Adventure into Fear #19 and several subsequent series have chronicled the misadventures of the ill-tempered, anthropomorphic, "funny...
. (She appeared as a musician/singer in a minor role in the film.) She recorded the theme song "We Got Our Love" for the 1988 film Three for the Road
Three for the Road
Three For the Road is a 1987 road trip themed comedy starring Charlie Sheen, Alan Ruck, Kerri Green, Sally Kellerman and Blair Tefkin.-Plot:...
. She and Dawnn Lewis
Dawnn Lewis
Dawnn Lewis is an American actress and singer, perhaps best known for her roles on sitcoms such as A Different World and in the first season of Hangin' with Mr. Cooper.-Career:...
, along with R&B quartet En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
, performed the theme song for Season 1 of Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from 1992 to 1997, starring Mark Curry and Holly Robinson. The show took place in Curry's hometown of Oakland, California. Hangin' with Mr. Cooper was produced by Jeff Franklin Productions, in association with...
.
Robinson has been a spokesperson for Colgate
Colgate
- Places :*Colgate, West Sussex, UK*Colgate, North Dakota, USA*Colgate, Wisconsin, USA*Colgate, Saskatchewan, India- People :*Pat Colgate, the artistic director of the Placer Theatre Ballet dance company...
Total toothpaste since 2008. Robinson and her husband currently co-host a talk show on Oprah & Friends Radio. In 2009, she co-starred in the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
comedy pilot, The Bridget Show.
In 2006, she won, along with fellow writer Daniel Paisner, the Quills Award in Sports for the book Get Your Own Damn Beer, I'm Watching the Game!: A Woman's Guide to Loving Pro Football. Peete and her daughter Ryan Elizabeth co-wrote a children's book My Brother Charlie, which was released in March 2010.
In 2010, she participated in the third season of Celebrity Apprentice, playing for her own charity, the HollyRod Foundation
HollyRod Foundation
HollyRod Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by actress Holly Robinson Peete and retired NFL quarterback Rodney Peete that provides "medical, physical, and emotional support" to individuals living with Parkinson's Disease as well as families of children with autism...
, which provides support for families with autism. She set an "Apprentice" record for the most money made on a single task, and finished as the runner-up to winner Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels
Bret Michaels is an American musician, actor, director, screenwriter, producer and reality television personality. He first gained fame as the lead vocalist of the glam metal band Poison. Besides his career as lead singer, he has several solo albums to his credit, as well as one chart single...
.
Robinson began co-hosting The Talk
The Talk (U.S. TV series)
The Talk is a talk show created by actress Sara Gilbert, who also serves as the executive producer. The show premiered on October 18, 2010, and airs on CBS as a part of CBS Daytime...
, a CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
daytime talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
, on October 18, 2010.
Robinson is known for expressing herself through her ethnicity and being vocal on especially issues of the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
race and autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, from
which one of her children, Rodney, suffers. In April 2011, Robinson hosted a weekly series on The Talk promoting autism awareness.
Robinson hosted the 42nd NAACP Image Awards, alongside Wayne Brady
Wayne Brady
Wayne Alphonso Brady is an actor, singer, comedian and television personality, known for his work as a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show...
, on March 4, 2011.
Personal life
On June 10, 1995, Robinson married Rodney PeeteRodney Peete
Rodney Peete is a former American football quarterback from the University of Southern California who played in the National Football League for 16 years. He retired in 2004 and is now in broadcasting.-Early life:...
, a National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. He proposed by surprising Holly during an episode of Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper
Hangin' with Mr. Cooper is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from 1992 to 1997, starring Mark Curry and Holly Robinson. The show took place in Curry's hometown of Oakland, California. Hangin' with Mr. Cooper was produced by Jeff Franklin Productions, in association with...
. Together, they have four children: daughter Ryan Elizabeth and son Rodney Jr. (twins born in 1997), son Robinson (born in 2002), and son Roman (born in 2005). Rodney Jr., was diagnosed with autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
at age 3. One of Holly's closest friends is Terry Ellis
Terry Ellis
Terry Lynn Ellis is an African-American R&B singer best known for her work with the quartet En Vogue.-Biography:...
of the popular R&B group En Vogue
En Vogue
En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | Dummy | Genettia Lang | TV Movie |
| 1986 | Howard the Duck Howard the Duck (film) Howard the Duck is a 1986 American science fiction comedy film directed by Willard Huyck and produced by George Lucas. It is loosely based on the Marvel comic book of the same name, created by Steve Gerber and quoting scripts by Bill Mantlo, the film focuses on Howard, an alien from a planet... |
K.C., Cherry Bomb | |
| 1992 | The Jacksons: An American Dream The Jacksons: An American Dream The Jacksons: An American Dream is a five-hour American miniseries broadcast in two halves on ABC and originally broadcast on November 15 through November 18, 1992... |
Diana Ross Diana Ross Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway... |
TV Movie |
| 1998 | Killers in the House Killers in the House Killers in the House is a 1998 made for TV film starring Mario Van Peebles, Holly Robinson Peete, and Hal Linden. Bank robbers hold a family hostage in a newly inherited mansion. The movie was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia... |
Jennie Sawyer | TV Movie |
| 1999 | After All | Michelle Troussaint | TV Movie |
| 2002 | My Wonderful Life | Samika | TV Movie |
| 2004 | Earthquake | Heaven | TV Movie |
| 2007 | Matters of Life and Dating Matters of Life and Dating Matter of Life and Dating is a 2007 Lifetime Television movie, directed by Peter Wellington and starring Rachael Harris, Ricki Lake, and Holly Robinson Peete.... |
TV Movie | |
| 2009 | The Bridget Show | TV Movie | |
| 2010 | Speed-Dating Speed-Dating Speed-Dating is a 2010 film written and directed by Joseph A. Elmore Jr.-Plot:Best friends Dog and Beaver have difficulty ever meeting women. No matter what they do, nothing ever goes right for them... |
Gayle | |
| 2010-11 | The Talk The Talk The Talk may refer to:*A discussion of sexuality given to children, also euphemistically referred to as "the birds and the bees".*An episode of Mortified called "The Talk", about a teen attempting to avoid the above discussion.... |
Herself | |
| 2011 | The Young and the Restless The Young and the Restless The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin... |
Herself | July 28, 2011 episode |
External links
- Holly Robinson Peete 2006 Interview on Sidewalks EntertainmentSidewalks EntertainmentSidewalks Entertainment is a long-running, weekly American television series that is a combination of a talk show, magazine show and variety show featuring celebrity interviews, music, artistic and novelty acts, and rising performers...
- Holly Robinson Peete Biography