Tisha Campbell-Martin

This pretty, stage-trained singer, dancer and actress got her start singing in church as a small child. Campbell went on to appear in such children's TV shows as "Unicorn Tales", "Big Blue Marble" and "Wonderama" in the late 1970s and early 80s. She also appeared in the stage production "Betsy Brown" (directed by Joseph Papp) and starred in "Really Rosie" and "Mama, I Want to Sing". Campbell was still a teenager when her big break came, as one of the back-up singers in the off-Broadway production of "Little Shop of Horrors" (1986), a role she reprised for the Frank Oz-directed film version.

A good follow-up came with Spike Lee's "School Daze" (1988), which showcased both Campbell's singing and acting skills. She went on to appear as one of the New York teens living on "Rooftops" (1989) and supported Eddie Murphy in "Another 48 Hrs." (1990). Campbell played the girlfriend of Kid (Christopher Reid) in the Hudlin brothers' teen comedy "House Party" (also 1990) and choreographed a dance battle; she followed up in the same role in the film's 1991 and 1994 sequels. Eddie Murphy promoted her to wise-cracking ex-girlfriend in the yuppie comedy "Boomerang" (1992) and she provided one of the voices for the animated "Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco" (1996). Campbell's singing skills were again brought out with Rusty Cundieff's comedy "Sprung" (1997).

On TV, Campbell popped up in guest spots on "Blossom", "Roc", "Fresh Prince of Bel Air", "A Different World" and several other series. She appeared in the TV-movies "Heart and Soul" (NBC, 1988), as a hopeful young singer, "Moe's World" (ABC, 1992), as an unwed mother, and as an orphan in the series "Rags to Riches" (NBC, 1987-88). But Campbell is best recognized for her portrayal of Gina, the strong-willed and intelligent but tolerant girlfriend (later wife) of the hyper-macho yet insecure Martin Lawrence on the Fox sitcom "Martin". In late 1996, Campbell walked off the show, filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against Lawrence and the production company, but by March 1997 had settled the matter out of court and returned for the show's final episodes.

Campbell has also appeared on a number of children's, educational and awards shows, such as "GED--Get It!" (PBS, 1993), "Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child" (HBO, 1995) and several NAACP Image Awards shows.

  • Also Credited As:
    Angie Bonner, Tisha Campbell, Tisha Michelle Campbell
  • Born:
    Tisha Michelle Campbell on October 13, 1968 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
  • Job Titles:
    Actor, Singer, Dancer
Family
  • Father: Clifton Campbell.
  • Mother: Mona Campbell. Formerly managed her daughter s career
  • Son: Ezekial Czar Martin. Born Sept. 8, 2009; father, Duane Martin
  • Son: Xen Martin. Born Aug. 8, 2001; father, Duane Martin
Education
  • Newark Arts High School, Newark, NJ
Milestones
  • 1980 Played the title character in the children s musical, Really Rosie
  • 1986 Made film debut in Frank Oz s Little Shop of Horrors
  • 1987 TV series debut in Rags to Riches (NBC)
  • 1988 Had featured acting role in the film, School Daze
  • 1992 Played Gina, the title character s girlfriend, on the FOX sitcom, Martin
  • 1993 Released her debut album, Tisha
  • 1996 Filed a sexual harassment suit against co-star Lawrence and the producers of Martin ; suit was later settled out of court and Campbell returned to the series for its final episodes
  • 1997 Contributed vocals for the soundtrack of the film, Sprung
  • 1998 Had a recurring role on the Showtime series, Linc s
  • 2001 Had a regular role on the ABC sitcom, My Wife and Kids
  • 2004 Had a recurring role on All of Us (UPN)
  • 2008 Had a recurring role on the CW sitcom, Everybody Hates Chris
  • 2008 Played the best friend of the title character in the Lifetime series, Rita Rocks
  • 2008 Had a small role in Kevin Smith s Zack and Miri Make a Porno
  • Began acting onstage and on TV as a child

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