Waiting to Exhale

Background:

“...This is the most exciting film for black women since The Color Purple and I'm a part of it!” Lela Rochon, on her role in “Waiting to Exhale”

An Award-nominating, African-American actress who began acting and modeling in college, Lela Rochon acquired critical acclaim and prominence with her breakthrough role of Robin in the surprise hit “Waiting to Exhale” (1995), helmed by Forest Whitaker. Delivering a bright acting, she picked up an MTV Movie and Image nominations. She is also known for playing roles in such films as “Harlem Nights” (1989), “Boomerang” (1992), “Any Given Sunday” (1999) and “First Daughter” (2004, again directed by Forest Whitaker). On the small screen, Rochon has had a regular role in the sitcom “The Wayans Bros.”(1995), a recurring role in “The Division” (2001) and guest roles in a number of series, including “The Cosby Show,” “21 Jump Street,” “Tales from the Crypt” and “The Outer Limits.” Besides, she has acted in several TV movies, most notably the heartwarming drama “Mr. and Mrs. Loving” (1996).

Off camera, former model Rochon has the measurements of 34C-23-36 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine). She was voted one of People magazine's “50 Most Beautiful People in the World” in 1996 and one of Black Men Magazine's “10 Sexiest Women of the Year” in 2000. The Los Angeles native has been married twice. After her marriage to breakdancer Adolfo Quinones ended in 1987, she found a new love in her present husband, director Antoine Fuqua, whom she married in 1999. The couple have three children, Asia, Brando, and Zachary (from Fuqua's earlier relationship).

Dancer

Childhood and Family:

Lela Rochon Staples was born on April 17, 1964, in Los Angeles, California, to Zelma and Samuel Staples. She graduated from Cerritos High School in Cerritos, California in 1982. She then attended California State University in Dominguez Hills, California, where she received a BA in Broadcast Journalism, with minors in Theater and Sociology. Lela was a trained dancer.

On December 12, 1982, Lela tied the knot with breakdancer Adolfo Quinones, whom she met on the production of “Breakin” and “Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.” They divorced in 1987. More than a decade later, in 1998, she was engaged to director Antoine Fuqua, whom she married on April 9, 1999. The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Asia Rochon Fuqua, on July 28, 2002. Their son, Brando, was born in May 2004. Lela also has a stepson named Zachary, from Fuqua's previous relationship.

Balancing the Books

Career:

Lela Rochon entered the show business when she was still in college. She was featured in a music video for Lionel Richie, “All Night Long” (1983), and from 1984 to 1986, she appeared in a series of Spuds MacKenzie beer TV commercials. A skilled dancer, she had extras in the musical film “Breakin” and its sequel, “Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo” (both 1984). Her first real acting job arrived when she landed a small role of Charlotte in the television film “A Bunny's Tale” (1985), about feminist activist Gloria Steinem (played by Kirstie Alley) and her days as Playboy Bunny.

After completing her studies in 1986, Rochon could be seen making her feature acting debut in “Foxtrap” (1986), a low-budget action/drama starring and directed by Fred Williamson. Later that same year, she offered a volatile performance as a school instructor in the indie-comedy “Stewardess School,” by writer/director Ken Blancato. Rochon returned to TV by making guest appearances in such shows as “The Facts of Life,” “What's Happening Now!,” “The Cosby Show” (all 1987) and “Amen” (1989) before starting a collaboration with Eddie Murphy in the blockbuster comedy “Harlem Nights” (1989), where she played Sunshine.

The 5'9” beauty opened the new decade by having episodic roles in the TV series “21 Jump Street,” “227,” “1st & Ten” (all 1990), “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” (1991), “Roc” and HBO's “Tales from the Crypt” (both 1992). She also supported Bud Spencer in the action made-for-TV film “Extralarge: Black and White” (1991) and rejoined Eddie Murphy for the successful comedy/romance “Boomerang” (1992), in which she played Christie, an appealing and dog-loving girl with hideous corns on her feet. In 1993, she appeared as Vanessa the Pretty Nurse in Robert Townsend's fantasy, “The Meteor Man.”

1995 saw Rochon have a season regular role of Shawn Wayans' girlfriend, Lisa, on The WB sitcom “The Wayans Bros.” She left the show after six months in order to focus her energy on movies. Her bet soon paid off when the determine actress experienced her screen breakthrough as Robin Stokes in the Forest Whitaker-directed “Waiting to Exhale” (1995), based on a novel by Terry McMillan. Costarring with Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett and Loretta Devine, Rochon's performance received critical praise and she was handed an Image nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture and an MTV Movie nomination for Best Breakthrough Performance. The film became a storm hit in Hollywood.

Lured by the success, Rochon was flooded with many offers. In 1996, she landed her first starring role in a TV film, “Mr. and Mrs. Loving,” where she was paired with Timothy Hutton to play a Southern interracial spouse in the 1960s who are incarcerated for crossbreeding. Also in that same year, she was cast as a government adjutant in the Chris O'Donnell/Gene Hackman starring vehicle “The Chamber” (1996), adapted from the John Grisham book of the same name directed by James Foley. Rochon further showcase her versatility with her subsequent film roles like as an exotic terpsichorean in “Gang Related” (1997, opposite James Belushi and Tupac Shakur), a firm vice president in Hark Tsui's “Knock Off” (1998) and a schoolteacher in the biopic “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” (1998, with Halle Berry and Vivica A. Fox). She also starred as Sydney Banks in Monika Harris' thriller “Legal Deceit”(1997), had a small role in the action/comedy “The Big Hit” (1998, starred Mark Wahlberg), played the mother of the titular character in the ABC TV film “The Ruby Bridges Story” (1998) and offered small, but notable role as Vanessa Struthers, the girlfriend of Jamie Foxx's Willie Beamen, in Oliver Stone's “Any Given Sunday” (1999).

Entering the new millennium, Rochon costarred with Kyra Sedgwick and Rob Morrow as a buggy best friend in the drama/romance “Labor Pains” (2000). She then joined the cast of the Lifetime original series “The Division” in the recurring role of Inspector Angela Reide (2001). After a short break, she returned to feature film in 2004 in the romantic comedy “First Daughter,” which starred Katie Holmes. The film marked Rochon reunion with “Waiting to Exhale” director, Forest Whitaker. Two years later, she teamed up with John Diehl and Gregory Michael to star in the drama film “Running Out of Time in Hollywood.”

The 44-year-old actress will play Sharlene in the drama “Balancing the Books” (2008), directed by Meir Sharony and written by Kathy Cotter. Among her costars in the upcoming project are Lea Thompson, Dina Meyer, Ernie Hudson, Ed Begley Jr. and Tess Harper.

Awards:
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