- Nia Peeples
-
Nia Peeples Born Virenia Gwendolyn Peeples
December 10, 1961
Hollywood, California,
United StatesOccupation Actress/Singer Years active 1981–present Spouse Guy Ecker (1984–1986)
Howard Hewett (1989–1993), 1 child
Lauro Chartrand (1997–2004), 1 childWebsite www.niapeeples.com Virenia Gwendolyn "Nia" Peeples (born December 10, 1961) is an American R&B and dance music singer and actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Nicole Chapman on Fame. She is also known for her role as Karen Taylor Winters on The Young and the Restless and as Sydney Cooke on Walker, Texas Ranger.
Contents
Personal life
Peeples was born in Hollywood, California, the daughter of Elizabeth Joan (née Rubic), a flamenco dancer, and Robert Eugene Peeples.[1][2] She was raised in West Covina. Her maternal grandparents were immigrants from the Philippines, and were of Filipino, Spanish, French, and German descent.[3] Her father, who was originally from Mississippi, was of Scottish, Irish, English, Native American, and Italian ancestry.[4][2][5]
She attended UCLA on a music scholarship, during which time she performed as Liberace's opening act in Las Vegas on weekends.
Career
Peeples started her career as part of the performance group The Young Americans.
Music
In 1988 she hit #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with "Trouble," which climbed to #35 on the Hot 100. Her most successful pop single is "Street Of Dreams," which hit #12 on the Hot 100 in 1991.
She made a music video in 1986 of "All You Can Dream", directed by Alan Bloom and conceptualised by Keith Williams, for the purposes of promoting the values of UCLA. She appeared in Prince's video for Raspberry Beret.
Acting
Notably, Peeples portrayed performing arts student Nicole Chapman on the hit TV series Fame. In 1987 she was in the movie North Shore as Kiani. She hosted the short-lived American version of Top of the Pops as well as a weeknight dance music program called The Party Machine, and portrayed Texas Ranger Sydney Cooke in the CBS hit series Walker, Texas Ranger from 1999-2001.
Nia Peeples joined the cast of The Young and the Restless in 2007, playing the role of Karen Taylor, and was released from the role in the spring of 2009. Her last air date was in May 2009.
Peeples has been cast in the 2010 ABC Family TV series Pretty Little Liars, based on the book series by Sara Shepard.[6]
Discography
- Nothin' But Trouble (1988)
- Nia Peeples (1991)
- Songs of the Cinema (2007)
Filmography
Film Year Film Role Notes 1981 A Single Light Deaf Girl TV movie 1984 Fame Nicole 1987 North Shore Kiani 1989 DeepStar Six Scarpelli Swimsuit Maria TV movie Nasty Boys Serena Cruz TV movie 1990 Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer Cathy Redding TV movie 1992 I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore Theresa Garabaldi 1994 My Name Is Kate Annie TV movie XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl) Sasha Townes TV movie 1995 Improper Conduct Bernie Deadlocked: Escape from Zone 14 Allie Thompson TV movie Mr. Stitch Dr. Elizabeth English TV movie 1996 Terminal Janet Reardon TV movie Bloodhounds II Nikki Cruise TV movie 1997 Odd Jobs Assassin TV movie Tower of Terror Jill Perry TV movie 1998 Blues Brothers 2000 Lt. Elizondo Poodle Springs Angel Heroes: The Mystique, the Movies, the Men Special Guest Host 2000 Alone with a Stranger Beth Jenkins 2001 Bruised Michelle The Riff Heather Anderson 2002 The Chang Family Saves the World Pearl Empress TV movie Half Past Dead 49er Six 2004 The Coven unknown TV movie 2005 Inside Out Maria Sub Zero Kelli Paris 2006 Alpha Mom Susan TV movie Special Unit Tara Connors' War Amanda 2009 Citizen Jane Evelyn TV movie The Outside Joanne Blakey 2010 Firedog Haley (voice) post-production 2011 Battle of Los Angeles (film) Capt. Karla Smaith TV Movie Television Year Title Role Notes 1981 The Music Shoppe Darcie 1983 Tales of the Gold Monkey Zita Henriques 1 episode Hardcastle and McCormick Waitress 1 episode Days of Our Lives Mallory unknown episodes General Hospital Carla Escobar unknown episodes, 1983–1994 Fame Nicole Chapman 27 episodes, 1983–1986 1984 T.J. Hooker Maria Dominguez 1 episode 1987 Top of the Pops Host unknown episodes 1989 Matlock Morgan Gerard 1 episode Nasty Boys Serena Cruz 13 episodes, 1989–1990 1991 The Party Machine with Nia Peeples Host unknown episodes 1992 The New WKRP in Cincinnati Sierra Smith 2 episodes 1993 Return to Lonesome Dove Agostina Vega mini-series 1994 Highlander: The Series Nefertiri 1 episode Touched by an Angel Angela Evans 1 episode 1995 Crazy Love unknown unknown episodes Marker Lisa 1 episode Courthouse Veronica Gilbert 11 episodes 1997 Early Edition Sister Mary 1 episode Crisis Center Lily Gannon 5 episodes 1998 Real Life Maya 1 episode 1999–2001 Walker, Texas Ranger Sydney Cooke 46 episodes 2004 Andromeda Rox Nava 1 episode The Division Sandra Prestiss 2 episodes 2005 Barbershop Det. Hahanna 3 episodes 2007 Arwin! Ms. Hawkhauser 1 episode The Young and the Restless Karen Taylor 130 episodes, 2007–2009 2010-2011 Pretty Little Liars Pam Fields Currently airing See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
References
- ^ http://www.filmreference.com/film/35/Nia-Peeples.html
- ^ a b http://sites.google.com/site/fametvseriesepisodeguide/Home/interviews/nia-peeples-2003-philippine-daily-inquirer-interview
- ^ http://www.dinnel.com/news/20284/Nia-Peeples-The-Elements-of-Life.html
- ^ Article Index - INQUIRER.net
- ^ http://bellapetite.com/sincerely-nia%E2%80%A6beauty-is-in-it-your-best-you-is-in-it.html
- ^ "ABC Family Announces Pick-Up Of Dramas Huge And Pretty Little Liars" (Press release). ABC Family. January 27, 2010. Archived from the original on January 28, 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5n7jbuRff. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
External links
Categories:- 1961 births
- American actors of Asian descent
- American dance musicians
- American female singers
- American people of Filipino descent
- American people of French descent
- American people of German descent
- American people of Irish descent
- American people of Italian descent
- American people of Native American descent
- American people of Scottish descent
- American people of Spanish descent
- American soap opera actors
- Living people
- People from Hollywood
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
