Monica Calhoun

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,^[1] Calhoun is the daughter of Lorine Calhoun.^[6] She moved to California in the late 1970s, and began acting while in sixth grade.^[7] Calhoun attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.^[8]

Calhoun made her acting debut in the 1985 TV film Children of the Night as Wanda.^[9] She portrayed Phyllis, the daughter of CCH Pounder's character, in Bagdad Cafe (1987).^[10] Calhoun was the only actor in Bagdad Cafe to return for the television series,^[11] albeit the character's name was changed to Debbie.^[12] The televised adaptation lasted two seasons before being cancelled.

She portrayed Rebbie Jackson in the 1992 biopic miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream.^[13] In 1993, she had a minor role in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit^[14] and acted in the Disney Channel film The Ernest Green Story alongside Morris Chestnut.^[15] Calhoun received an Emmy Award nomination for her performance in the CBS Schoolbreak Special "Different Worlds: A Story of Interracial Love" (1993).^[16] Calhoun co-starred with actor Flex Alexander in the short-lived series, Where I Live, and appeared in Pacific Station.

Calhoun guest starred in several sitcoms including The Wayans Bros., A Different World and The Jamie Foxx Show, the latter as Jamie Foxx's sister.^[17] She appeared as Linda, one of the daughters of Donald Thornton in television film The Ditchdigger's Daughters (1997).^[18] Calhoun played the role of Ebony, a stripper,^[19] in Ice Cube's directorial debut The Players Club (1998).

She appeared in the lead role, Reese Delaware, in Intimate Betrayal (1999).^[20] In Love & Basketball (2000), she portrayed Kerry, a girlfriend of the basketball playing protagonist.^[21] In 2002, Calhoun appeared in Trois 2: Pandora's Box as psychologist Dr. Mia DuBois^[22] and portrayed Wet in Civil Brand.^[23] Calhoun played Rachel in the Western Gang of Roses (2003).^[24]

Calhoun portrayed Mia, the wife of Morris Chestnut's character, in The Best Man (1999).^[25] She received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture in 2000 for her performance.^[26] She returned in its sequel The Best Man Holiday (2013).^[27] In the latter, Mia is terminally ill and dies at the end of the film.^[28]

She played the role of Brenda in 2007's The Salon starring Vivica Fox.^[29] In 2009, Robert Townsend directed Calhoun in Diary of a Single Mom, Season I, II and III (2008–10).^[30] Calhoun appeared as Patricia Tresvant, Ralph's mother in The New Edition Story miniseries which aired on the BET network in January 2017.^[31]

Calhoun gave birth to a son in 2000. Her son is blind. ^[32][33][34]

• Monica Calhoun at IMDb
• Monica Calhoun at AllMovie