How U Like Me Now

Background:

''I was losing a lot of jobs because the other people had more notoriety than I did.'' Salli Richardson Whitfield.

Starting her professional acting career in the theater at the Kuumba Workshop in Chicago, Salli Richardson Whitfield made her film debut in an independent teen drama film called "Up Against The Wall" (1991) before landing her first big break as an ambitious, materialistic girl who dumps his boyfriend for a white guy in the indie romantic comedy "How U Like Me Now" (1993). She has since appeared in such films as "Posse" (1993), "A Low Down Dirty Shame" (1994), "I Spy Returns" (1994; TV), "Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored" (1995), "The Great White Hype" (1996), "True Women" (1997; TV), "Antwone Fisher" (2002), "Biker Boyz" (2003), "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid" (2004), and the newly-released "I Am Legend" (2007), in which she plays Will Smith's wife.

Whitfield is also widely-known as the voice of Elisa Maza (1994-1996) in the animated series "Gargoyles" and its accompanying videos. She has appeared in such TV shows as "Silk Stalkings," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," "New York Undercover," "Stargate SG-1," "The Jamie Foxx Show," "Family Law," "Rude Awakening," "CSI: Miami," "NYPD Blue," "Mercy Point," "Bones," and "House M.D." She currently plays Department of Defense agent (and later head of Global Dynamics) Allison Blake in the Sci-Fi Channel television series "Eureka" (2006-Present), which has been renewed for a third season.

The 5' 4" African-American screen beauty with Caucasian heritage once dated the late rapper/actor Tupac Shakur and was rumored to be dating actor Matthew McConaughey back in 2000, which she has denied. She has been married to veteran TV actor Dondre Whitfield since 2002 and has one daughter with him.

''I try to do some physical activity each day, even if it's just walking my dogs up into the hills.''Salli Richardson Whitfield.

Salli Elise

Childhood and Family:

''People think that I am Persian, Indian, East Indian, Spanish, everything. People think that I am everything. Nobody knows what I am. And that was a problem when I was first working because it was like, 'She doesn't really look this or that.' Now people know who I am and it is not a problem. If I get some work, I'll just have to get the work looking like me.'' Salli Richardson Whitfield.

In Chicago, Illinois, Salli Elise Richardson was born on November 23, 1967. Her mother, Marcia Harris, is African-American with some Native American (Cherokee) ancestry, while her father, Duel Richardson, is Caucasian (Irish/Italian). Mr. Richardson is the director of Neighborhood Relations/Educational Programs and Office of Community Affairs for the University of Chicago.

Young Salli played tennis for the University of Chicago Laboratory High School, and started her acting career in the Kuumba Workshop theater there.

On September 8, 2002, she married long-time companion, veteran TV actor Dondre Whitfield (born on May 27, 1969). They have one daughter, Parker Richardson Whitfield. Salli is a vegan-vegetarian.

''The things that are most important to me are my close friends, my family, and being good to them. The people I've met in LA have been wonderful. Its great to be living here.'' Salli Richardson Whitfield.

Gargoyles Girl

Career:

''I think I've always wanted to perform.'' Salli Richardson Whitfield.

Since her early years, Salli Richardson Whitfield has been keen to perform, beginning with the Chicago Children's Choir. She eventually kicked off her professional acting career in the theater at the Kuumba Workshop in Chicago and landed her first film role in an independent teen drama film, "Up Against The Wall" (1991), which was directed by Ron O'Neal and stars Marla Gibbs. She followed it up with tiny roles as a bridesmaid in Norman René's film adaptation of Craig Lucas' play, "Prelude to a Kiss" (1992; starring Alec Baldwin and Meg Ryan), and as a pretty customer in Peter MacDonald's comedy starring Damon Wayans, Marlon Wayans and Stacey Dash, "Mo' Money" (1992). She also appeared on television, in an episode of CBS crime/drama series "Silk Stalkings" and the syndicated sci-fi series "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."

After co-starred as an ambitious, materialistic girl who dumps Darnell Williams' character for a white guy in Darryl Roberts' indie romantic comedy "How U Like Me Now" (1993), Whitfield essayed the role of Lana, the love interest of actor/director Mario Van Peebles, in the Western film "Posse" (1993; with Stephen Baldwin and Billy Zane), in which she also sang "If I Knew Him At All" on the film's soundtrack.

''I don't think there's anything else I've ever wanted to do. My mother used to run a recording studio in Chicago and I used to sit in the studio and watch all the bands record. I was interested in singing. I would sing to Minnie Riperton records. I was always in a choir, and I have a song on the soundtrack of 'Posse.''' Salli Richardson Whitfield.

In the following year, Whitfield co-starred as Keenan Ivory Wayan's beautiful old flame Angela in his comedy "Low Down Dirty Shame" and played Bill Cosby's daughter in the TV movie ''I Spy Returns'' (both in 1994). She recalled, ''I was so excited playing Bill Cosby's daughter. Also, I got to play a spy.''

From 1994 to 1996, Whitfield provided the voice of character Elisa Maza, the steadfast ally (and honorary member) of the Manhattan Clan of gargoyles and the love interest of Goliath, the clan's leader, in the animated series "Gargoyles." She also voiced Maza for the series of "Gargoyles" videos that were released from 1995-1998: "Gargoyles: The Heroes Awaken" (1995), "Gargoyles: The Force of Goliath" (1998), "Gargoyles: The Hunted" (1998), "Gargoyles: Deeds of Deception" (1998) and "Gargoyles: Brothers Betrayed" (1998).

During that time, Whitfield played Miss Alice in Tim Reid's drama film based on Clifton L. Taulbert's book, "Once Upon a Time... When We Were Colored" (1995), co-starred with Samuel L. Jackson and Jeff Goldblum in Reginald Hudlin's boxing comedy feature "The Great White Hype" (1996). She was also cast alongside Dana Delany, Annabeth Gish and Angelina Jolie in the TV movie version of Janice Woods Windle's 1993 best-selling historical novel of love, war and adventure, "True Women" (1997), and co-starred with Ernie Hudson, Nia Long, Donnie Wahlberg and Terrence Howard in Peter Gathings Bunche's independent action/thriller movie "Butter" (1998).

On stage, she performed in the play "The Old Settler" (1998), alongside CCH Pounder and Jenifer Lewis, for which Whitfield was nominated for an Ovation Award by the Theatre League of Southern California for her performance. Back on television, she was spotted as guest in Fox sitcom starring Charles S. Dutton, "Roc," Fox cop drama "New York Undercover," Fox sitcom "Between Brothers," NBC drama "The Pretender," Showtime/SCI FI series "Stargate SG-1," playing Teal'C's (Christopher Judge) wife, the WB sitcom "The Jamie Foxx Show" and UPN short-lived spy-fi series "Secret Agent Man." She also had a recurring role as Kim (1998-1999) in the UPN sci-fi series "Mercy Point" and was a series regular on the CBS Emmy-nominated legal drama starring Kathleen Quinlan, "Family Law" (1999-2002).

Entering the new millennium, Whitfield landed another recurring role, this time on Showtime sitcom "Rude Awakening," playing Nancy Adams (2000-2001). She then went back to the big screen, portraying Berta in Denzel Washington's directorial debut feature, the biopic "Antwone Fisher" (2002), and co-starring with with Laurence Fishburne, Djimon Hounsou and Derek Luke in Reggie Rock Bythewood's predominantly African-American action feature "Biker Boyz" (2003). She also starred as one of four surviving members of the team in Dwight H. Little's horror/thriller film "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid" (2004), sequel to the 1997 film "Anaconda."

Afterwards, Whitfield worked mostly on TV, playing recurring roles on CBS cop/crime drama "CSI: Miami" and ABC Emmy-winning, long-running police procedural drama "NYPD Blue." She also guest starred in an episode of ABC political drama "Line of Fire," UPN short-lived romantic drama series "Second Time Around," Fox medical drama "House M.D.," Lifetime mystery drama "1-800-Missing," Fox sitcom "The War at Home," and Fox ongoing crime-drama "Bones." Since 2006, she has been starring as Department of Defense agent (and later head of Global Dynamics) Allison Blake in the Sci-Fi Channel television series "Eureka" (2006), which has been renewed for a third season.

Along with her husband, actor Dondre Whitfield, Whitfield now co-hosts an infomercial for the "Midnight Soul" music collection. Moviegoers recently saw her as Will Smith's wife Zoe in Francis Lawrence's post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film "I Am Legend" (2007).

''In this business you really need someone who's going to be there no matter what, she says. It's hard for people in this business to trust, but I nave a manager I completely trust.'' Salli Richardson Whitfield.

Awards:
---