Bernie Mac's Wife

Background:

“I'm the kind of girl who doesn't have a problem dressing sexy, and showing cleavage and legs and back. I like feeling sensual and sexy. I like being a female.” Kellita Smith

American actress of television, film and stage Kellita Smith first gained kudos on stage with bright supporting part in the Hudson Theatre production of “Feelings” (1996), for which she won a NAACP Theatre Award. The same year, she also earned a NAACP nomination for starring in the play “The Thirteenth Thorn.” A supporting performer on movies and recurring guest star on television, Smith eventually got her massive breakthrough and widespread prominence as a result of her bravura acting on the Fox popular series “The Bernie Mac Show” (2001-2006). As the no-nonsense, career-focused mother and wife, Wanda, she took home four Image nominations and two BET Comedy nominations. Smith has had recurring roles on Fox's “Martin” (1994-1995), “Sister, Sister” (1995), UPN's “Malcolm and Eddie” (1997), the WB's “Jamie Foxx Show” (1997-1999) as well as guested in such shows as “Living Single,” “Moesha,” “The Steve Harvey Show,” “Nash Bridges,” “NYPD Blue” and many others.

On the movie front, Smith scored a huge break in 1995 with Sean Penn's “The Crossing Guard,” but all her movies after that have been largely centered on African-American casts. Among them are “Kingdom Come” (2001), “Hair Show” (2004), “King’s Ransom” (2005), “Roll Bounce” (2005), “Fair Game” (2005) and “Feel the Noise” (2007). Smith is set to play a supporting part in the forthcoming comedy “Three Can Play That Game,” slated for 2008 release.

In the industry since early 1990s, Smith has enjoyed the fruits of her many years hard work to become a profitable performer in Hollywood. She has been featured in a number of magazines, including Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan, People, Glamour, Savoy, Stuff, TV Guide, Dysonna, Esquire, Black Men, Emmy, Fitness, Oil of Olay, Jet, Today's Black Woman, and Essence.

Born in Chicago, raised in Oakland, Smith is currently a resident of Los Angeles, which now she considers as her home. When not working, she enjoys practicing such sports as fencing, Tae Kwon Do, tennis and snowmobile riding. She also loves pilates and sculpting.

Smith is the owner of Strange Fruit, a production company she formed in 2001.

From Chicago to Oakland

Childhood and Family:

The eldest of two children, Kellita Smith was born in 1969, in Chicago, Illinois. Shortly after her birth, her father, a military man, served in Vietnam and was away from home for 18 months. In 1972, a short time after he returned from duty, Kellita's parents divorced and she and her brother Eric relocated to Oakland, California to live with their mother, Honey. Along with her brother, Kellita was educated at the Oakland Community Learning Center, a historical learning facility established by the Black Panthers. In 1989, she graduated from Santa Rosa Junior College with a degree in political science. She later attended an acting workshop.

Feelings

Career:

Attending an acting workshop after having early jobs as an administrative and a saleswoman, Kellita Smith got her acting career start on stage in 1990, when she landed a part in the play “Tell It Like It Tiz,” which toured the country for two years. She further demonstrated her talents in productions like “No Place to be Somebody” for the KC Theatre Company, “Feelings” for the Hudson Theatre, in which she netted a 1996 NAACP Theatre for Best Supporting Actress, and “The Thirteenth Thorn” for the Complex Theatre, for which she was nominated for a Best Actress NAACP.

While gaining ground on stage, Smith also tried her luck on the small screen. After making her debut in an episode of Fox's “Living Single” (1993), she landed a recurring role in the Martin Lawrence-comedy series “Martin,” portraying Tracy from 1994 to 1995. She followed it up with another recurring role on the outstanding series “Sister, Sister” in 1995, as Tonya. It was also in 1995 that Smith made her crack into the big screen, when she landed a small part as Tanya in the Sean Penn-directed/written psychological drama “The Crossing Guard,” which starred Jack Nicholson, David Morse and Anjelica Huston.

Smith continued to have guest spot in series like “The Wayans Bros.” (1996), “Dangerous Minds” (1996), “Moesha” (1996), “High Incident”(1997) and “The Parent 'Hood” (1997). She also was cast in the recurring role of Danielle, the brief girlfriend of Tim, on the UPN series “Malcolm and Eddie” (1997). However, it was her five-episodic turn as Cherise, a love interest to Jamie Foxx's Jamie King, in the WB series “The Jamie Foxx Show” (1997-1999) that earned the skilled performer notice. After leaving the show, she could be seen as Ava Whitley in an episode of “The Steve Harvey Show” (1999), Valerie Maxwell on an episode of “The Parkers” (1999) and Sophia in the 2000 “For Your Love” episode of “The Special Delivery.”

Returning to film after five years, Smith found herself in support of Anthony Winters and Nikki Crawford in 2000's “Retiring Tatiana,” a comedy helmed by Thom Steinhoff and written by Anthony Winters. She next had a small part opposite LL Cool J, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox and Loretta Devine in the entertaining ensemble drama “Kingdom Come” (2001), about a heterogeneous family who gather for the funeral of one of their own. Meanwhile, on the small screen, she made her TV movie debut in the based-on-novel “Masquerade” (2000), along side Simbi Khali and Cress Williams.

Following guest appearances in “Nash Bridges” and “NYPD Blue” (both 2001), Smith's TV career received huge boost when she won the role of Wanda McCullough, the no-nonsense, career-minded wife and mother, in “The Bernie Mac Show,” which ran on the Fox network for five season from 2001 to 2006. Starring opposite Bernie Mac as her title character's husband, she was nominated for three consecutive Image awards from 2003 to 2005 in the category of Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series and in 2006 nabbed another nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She also picked up two BET Comedy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2005 and 2006. The sitcom made Smith an instant star.

Apart from her hectic TV schedule, Smith maintained to pursue her film career. In 2004, she costarred with Mo'Nique and Gina Torres in the low-budget indie-comedy “Hair Show,” playing Angela, the booming owner of an upscale hair salon in Beverly Hills whose alienated sister (played by Mo’Nique) appears accidentally while on the run from the IRS. She then played Cheryl on the Michael Whaley drama “Fair Game” (2005), was cast as the calculating wife of a millionaire (played by Anthony Anderson) in “King’s Ransom” (2005) and appeared with Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson, Marcus T. Paulk and Rick Gonzalez in Malcolm D. Lee's “Roll Bounce” (2005).

After “The Bernie Mac” came to an end, Smith was featured as Tanya in the drama/music “Feel the Noise” (2007). She also has a supporting role in the upcoming comedy film “Three Can Play That Game” (2008), starring Vivica A. Fox as Shanté Smith and Jason Winston George as Byron Thompson.

Awards:

• NAACP Theatre: Best Supporting Actress,“Feelings,” 1996