The Color of Friendship

Background:

Two time Young Artist Award winning Canadian actress Shadia Simmons picked up her awards for playing Maggie on the Showtime TV film “In His Father's Shoes” (1997) and as Piper Dellums on the Disney Channel TV film “The Color of Friendship” (2000). She also received Young Artist nominations for her work in the Disney Channel's “Zenon: The Zequel” (2001) and the science fiction series “Strange Days at Blake Holsey High” (2002-2006), where she played Corrine. In addition, Simmons portrayed roles on “I Was a Sixth Grade Alien” (2000), “Ace Lightning” (2002-2004) and “Life with Derek” (2005-2009). Although she has gained success on television, Simmons originally began her dramatic career on the big screen as Whoopi Goldberg's daughter in 1995's “Moonlight and Valentino.”

Simmons enjoys playing basketball. She is a fan of Vince Carter and her favorite NBA teams are the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors. She plays the violin and piano and sings and dances.

The mother of one is good friends with Hilary Duff and Robert Clark.

Canada

Childhood and Family:

Shadia Simmons was born on June 28, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to a Trinidadian father and a Nova Scotian mother. She is the eldest of three. In May 2010, she completed her Master's degree in education in New York City, and was set to start teaching in September that year.

Shadia is married and has a daughter named Saraya (born March 19, 2009).

Strange Days at Blake Holsey High

Career:

Shadia Simmons made her professional acting debut as the young daughter of Whoopi Goldberg, Jenny Morrow, in the motion picture “Moonlight and Valentino” (1995), which was based on the semi autobiography play of the same name by Ellen Simon, who also wrote the screenplay. The next year, she landed a guest spot in a Canadian children's horror anthology television series based on R. L. Stine's books “Goosebumps,” playing Alicia. She made her TV movie debut in “Holiday Affair,” a remake of the Don Hartman 1949 comedy film of the same name. Starring Cynthia Gibb, David James Elliott and Curtis Blanck, the television film version originally aired on the USA TV Network on December 15, 1996.

Simmons next portrayed Louis Gossett Jr.’s daughter, Maggie, on the TV film “In His Father's Shoes” (1997), which aired on Showtime on June 15, 1997. Directed by Vic Sarin and written by Gary Gelt, the drama won Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Children's Special and Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special and was nominated for a CableACE for Children's Special - 7 and Older. Simmons took home a 1998 Young Artist Award in the category of Best Performance in a TV Movie/Pilot/Mini-Series - Supporting Young Actress for her performance.

Later that same year, Simmons appeared as Harriet in Showtime's “Color of Justice,” starring F. Murray Abraham, Dayo Ade and Philip Akin. The drama aired on September 7, 1997, and was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Original Long Form in 1999. After working in the based on book TV series “Noddy” (1998), Simmons was cast as Annette Anderson in the Disney production “A Saintly Switch” (1999), a made for TV comedy directed by film director Peter Bogdanovich that starred Vivica A. Fox, David Alan Grier and Al Waxman. She then starred as Clotee in the short film “Dear America: A Picture of Freedom” (TV, 1999), opposite Alison Sealy-Smith and Erica Luttrell.

In 2000, Simmons joined the cast of the live action television show “I Was a Sixth Grade Alien,” which debuted on ABC on July 13, 1999. In the series she portrayed October Wilde. The same year, the actress played Amy in the Canadian television movie “Virtual Mom,” starring Lauren Collins, Sumela Kay and Sheila McCarthy, Zoe in “Quints,” a Disney Channel Original Movie starring Kimberly J. Brown, and Jenny in the Daytime Emmy Award winning TV film “The Sandy Bottom Orchestra” (Showtime), starring Glenne Headly, Tom Irwin and Madeline Zima. Simmons won her next Young Artist Award starring as Piper Dellums, opposite Lindsey Haun as Mahree Bok, on the Disney Channel TV film “The Color of Friendship,” which was based on actual events about the friendship between two girls. 2000 also saw her appear in an episode of “Are You Afraid of the Dark” called “The Tale of the Night Nurse” (as A.J.)

In 2001, Simmons costarred as Nebula Wade in the Disney Channel made for TV film “Zenon: The Zequel,” opposite Kirsten Storms, and received a 2002 Young Artist nomination in the category of Best Performance in a TV Movie or Special - Leading Young Actress for her performance. She then played the recurring role of Sarah on the paranormal television series “The Zack Files,” a role she held between February 2001 and February 2002.

In May 2002, Simmons played the role of Blair, the best friend of Matt Freema (portrayed by Paul Dano), on the Lifetime TV movie “Too Young To Be A Dad,” which dealt with teen pregnancy. Later that same year, she returned to television series as a regular on the Canadian science fiction TV program “Strange Days at Blake Holsey High,” which was first broadcasted in North America in October 2002 on NBC and Discovery Kids. The show was a success and aired until January 28, 2006. Playing Corrine Baxter in the series, she was nominated for Young Artist Awards in 2003 and 2004. She also portrayed cheerleader Samantha Thompson on the BBC children's television show “Ace Lightning” (2002-2004).

Simmons next portrayed Emily Davis, Casey's best friend and next door neighbor, on the Canadian TV sitcom “Life with Derek,” which premiered on the Family Channel on September 18, 2005, and ran until March 25, 2009. The show aired in the United States on the Disney Channel.

Awards:

• Young Artist: Best Performance in a TV Movie (Drama) - Leading Young Actress, “The Color of Friendship,” 2001

• Young Artist: Best Performance in a TV Movie/Pilot/Mini-Series - Supporting Young Actress, “In His Father's Shoes,” 1998