• Tempestt Bledsoe was a child model before pursuing an acting career
• She is best known for her role as Vanessa Huxtable in "The Cosby Show"
• She has made appearances in various TV shows and films, and won several awards for her roles
• She is in a long-term relationship with “A Different World” co-star Darryl M. Bell
• Tempestt Bledsoe has an estimated net worth of $13 million
Known for movies
The Cosby Show (1984-1992)
as Vanessa Huxtable
ParaNorman (2012)
as Sheriff Hooper
Dance 'Til Dawn (1988)
as Margaret
Guys with Kids (2012-2013)
as Marny
Short Info
| Net Worth | $13 million |
| Date Of Birth | August 1, 1973 |
| Fact | Is a vegetarian. |
Contents
Introduction
You probably know her as the cute teenage daughter of Cliff and Clair in the famous sitcom “The Cosby Show”. However, do you know that Tempestt Bledsoe was a model before her acting career, and what major did she chose for her education?
Early life and education
Tempestt Bledsoe was born on 1 August 1973, in Chicago, Illinois USA, of African-American descent. Early in her childhood her parents divorced, and she was given into the custody of her mother, Willa Bledsoe. She is the second cousin of Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots football player, Drew Bledsoe.
When she was just four years old she became a child model, and appeared in several commercials for brands such as Kellogg’s and Safeway grocery stores. This helped start her future career in acting in TV series and feature films.
There is no disclosed information about her high school, but Bledsoe studied finance at New York University, and graduated in 1994, then just a few months later moved to Los Angeles, California US.
Career
Bledsoe made her television debut when she was 11, after being cast as Vanessa Huxtable in Bill Cosby’s “The Cosby Show”, the main couple’s fourth child who is troubled by typical teenage girl problems, such as dating and make-up.
She won the role after auditioning in 1984, two years before the show’s premiere, when she was only nine years old! In 1985, she earned her first award nomination for Young Artist Awards, and remained a regular in the show for eight years. She also portrayed Vanessa Huxtable in a 1989 episode of “A Different World”, a spin-off from “The Cosby Show”.
In 1986, she portrayed Grace Williams in an episode of season 15 of the ABC show “Afterschool Special Program”. Two years later, she made support appearances in the TV movie “Dance ‘Til Dawn”, and in the TV series “Monsters”.
That same year she won the Kids Choice Awards for Favorite Actress. She landed the starring role of Danni Fairview in the television movie “Dream Date”, a romantic comedy about a teenage girl and her overprotective father. In 1989 she won the Young Artist Award in the category Best Young Actor/Actress in a Television Comedy, Drama Series.
During the middle of the 1990s, she was the host of Columbia TriStar Television’s daytime talk show “The Tempestt Bledsoe Show”. She landed a guest role in TV series “Jenny” in which she portrayed Kaylene, and the next year appeared in three episodes of the ABC mystery series “The Practice”, as the character Roberta Bayor.
In 1999 she appeared in the episode “And the Band Plays On” of the TV series “The Parkers”.
In the early 2000s, Bledsoe was in several TV movies, including “The Expendables” and “Fire and Ice”, and portrayed the guest character Chloe in the TV series “Rock Me, Baby”. In 2006 she had a support role in the final season of the drama romance series “South of Nowhere”, and the same year she was nominated for TV Land Awards for Favorite Singing Siblings. Two years later in 2008, she was cast as Abbey and Claudia in the third season of “The Replacements”, the animated series that aired on the Disney Channel.
After which she made an appearance in VH1’s reality show “Celebrity Fit Club”, and in 2010 became the host of Style Network’s makeover television show “Clean House”, replacing the previous host Niecy Nash. That same year she co-starred in the crime drama film, “N-Secure”, in which she portrayed the role of Jill. She again won the TV Land Awards for Favorite Singing Siblings in 2011.
In 2012, Bledsoe provided the voice of the character Sheriff Hooper in the Laika LLC. animated film “ParaNorman”, in which she was credited alongside Anna Kendrick and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
That same year she landed the co-starring role of Marny in the sitcom “Guys with Kids”, but the show was canceled after the second season.
Bledsoe reprised her portrayal of Vanessa Huxtable in 214, when she appeared in the episode of the TV series “Instant Mom”. In 2018, she acted in the drama musical “Jingle Belle”, and the next year had a guest role in the first season of TV series “Family Reunion”.0
Personal Life
As of April 2020, Bledsoe is in a long term relationship with Darryl M. Bell, her “A Different World” co-star – the couple met on the set and started dating in 1993.
They are often seen attending VIP and red carpets events together. They both appeared in the “House-husbands of Hollywood” reality TV show that aired in 2009. The couple doesn’t have any children, and haven’t disclosed any news about a possible marriage.
She is a good friend of her “The Cosby Show” co-star Pam Potillo.
Bledsoe is a vegetarian and a big activist when it comes to animal rights. She is also publicly advising people to protect their skin, so they can be safer from skin cancer.
Despite the rumors due to her skin being blotchy and discolored, Bledsoe doesn’t bleach or lighten her skin in any way. She is reported to have a skin condition known as vitiligo, that causes the loss of pigment on certain patches of skin.
In 2017, Bledsoe and her “The Cosby Show” colleagues have been in the center of controversy surrounding the allegations of sexual assault against the show’s star and creator, Bill Cosby. Though most of her co-stars have publicly supported Cosby, stating that they think the allegations are false, Bledsoe has remained quiet, refusing to publicly comment on the situation. In September 2018, 81-year-old Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison.
Net worth
Acting isn’t Bledsoe’s only source of income; she is also the owner of a chain restaurant in Washington D.C. This is the reason she has a net worth that is estimated at around $13 million.
Physical characteristics
Bledsoe is a tall, African-American woman, with a height of 5ft 8ins (1.72m) and weight of around 132lbs (60kgs). Her hair is curly and black, and her eyes are dark brown.
General Info
| Full Name | Tempestt Bledsoe |
| Net Worth | $13 million |
| Date Of Birth | August 1, 1973 |
| Height | 1.72 m |
| Profession | Voice Actor |
| Education | New York University Stern School of Business, New York University |
| Nationality | American |
Family
| Parents | Willa Bledsoe |
| Partner | Darryl M. Bell, Darryl M. Bell |
Accomplishments
| Awards | TV Land Impact Award |
| Nominations | TV Land Favorite Singing Siblings Award |
| Movies | ParaNorman, N-Secure, Husband for Hire, Fire and Ice, The Expendables, Santa and Pete, Dance 'til Dawn, Fingers Walking |
| TV Shows | Guys with Kids, Clean House, Celebrity Fit Club, Househusbands of Hollywood, The Cosby Show, One to Grow On, 100 Greatest Kid Stars |
Social profile links
Facts
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Has been with her long-time boyfriend, actor Darryl M. Bell, for 16 years (2009). |
| 2 | Has been best friends with Pam Potillo since the days when they were both in The Cosby Show (1984). |
| 3 | Is a vegetarian. |
| 4 | Ranked #51 in VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Kid Stars" |
| 5 | Graduated from New York University with a degree in finance |
Pictures
Movies
Actress
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instant Mom | 2014 | TV Series | Vanessa Huxtable |
| Guys with Kids | 2012-2013 | TV Series | Marny |
| ParaNorman | 2012 | Sheriff Hooper (voice) | |
| N-Secure | 2010 | Jill | |
| The Wishing Well | 2009 | TV Movie | Enid |
| The Replacements | 2008-2009 | TV Series | Abbey Claudia Abbey-clone |
| Raising the Bar | 2008 | TV Series | Camilla Hansen |
| Husband for Hire | 2008 | TV Movie | Nina |
| South of Nowhere | 2006 | TV Series | Cecily |
| Strong Medicine | 2005 | TV Series | |
| Rock Me, Baby | 2004 | TV Series | Chloe |
| BachelorMan | 2003 | Janey | |
| Fire & Ice | 2001 | TV Movie | Pam Moore |
| The Expendables | 2000 | TV Movie | Tanika |
| Santa and Pete | 1999 | TV Movie | Maria Dangola |
| The Parkers | 1999 | TV Series | Neena Davis |
| Johnny B Good | 1998 | ||
| The Practice | 1998 | TV Series | Roberta Baylor |
| Jenny | 1997 | TV Series | Kaylene |
| The Cosby Show | 1984-1992 | TV Series | Vanessa Huxtable |
| Dream Date | 1989 | TV Movie | Danni Fairview |
| A Different World | 1989 | TV Series | Vanessa Huxtable |
| Monsters | 1988 | TV Series | Dottie |
| Dance 'Til Dawn | 1988 | TV Movie | Margaret |
| ABC Afterschool Specials | 1986 | TV Series | Grace Williams |
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Cosby Show | 1986 | TV Series performer - 1 episode |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11th Annual Visual Effects Society Awards | 2013 | TV Special | Herself |
| The 39th Annual People's Choice Awards | 2013 | TV Special | Herself |
| Late Night with Jimmy Fallon | 2013 | TV Series | Herself - Guest |
| The Talk | 2012 | TV Series | Herself - Guest |
| Vietnam in HD | 2011 | TV Series documentary | Elizabeth Allen |
| Clean House | 2010-2011 | TV Series | Herself - Host |
| The Mo'Nique Show | 2011 | TV Series | Herself |
| The 9th Annual TV Land Awards | 2011 | TV Special | Herself |
| Celebrity Ghost Stories | 2010 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
| Househusbands of Hollywood | 2009 | TV Series | Herself |
| The Oprah Winfrey Show | 2008 | TV Series | Herself |
| Fear Factor | 2006 | TV Series | Herself - Contestant |
| Celebrity Fit Club | 2006 | TV Series | Herself |
| The View | 2006 | TV Series | Herself |
| The Greatest | 2005 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
| Pet Star | 2003 | TV Series documentary | Herself - Judge / Herself - Celebrity Judge #2 |
| The Cosby Show: A Look Back | 2002 | TV Movie documentary | Herself; Vanessa Huxtable |
| NBC 75th Anniversary Special | 2002 | TV Special | Herself |
| Maury | 1995 | TV Series | Herself - Guest |
| Late Night with Conan O'Brien | 1995 | TV Series | Herself |
| The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | 1995 | TV Series | Herself |
| The Tempestt Bledsoe Show | 1994 | TV Series | Host |
| ABC Afterschool Specials | 1992-1994 | TV Series | Herself |
| The Last Laugh: Memories of the Cosby Show | 1992 | TV Special documentary | Herself; Vanessa Huxtable |
| NBA All-Star Stay in School Jam | 1992 | TV Movie | Herself |
| The Geraldo Rivera Show | 1990 | TV Series | Herself |
| The Earth Day Special | 1990 | TV Special | Vanessa Huxtable |
| The Cosby Outtakes Show | 1990 | TV Movie | Herself; Vanessa Huxtable |
| 22nd NAACP Image Awards | 1990 | TV Special | Herself |
| The More You Know | 1989 | TV Series | Herself |
| Bill Cosby Salutes Alvin Ailey | 1989 | TV Movie | Herself |
| The Arsenio Hall Show | 1989 | TV Series | Herself |
| Walt Disney World 4th of July Spectacular | 1988 | TV Special | Herself (1988) |
| The New Hollywood Squares | 1986-1988 | TV Series | Herself |
| Ebony/Jet Showcase | 1988 | TV Series | Herself |
| Square One Television | 1987 | TV Series | Herself |
| Late Night with David Letterman | 1987 | TV Series | Herself |
| The 38th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | 1986 | TV Special | Herself |
| NBC 60th Anniversary Celebration | 1986 | TV Special documentary | Herself |
| The 11th Annual People's Choice Awards | 1985 | TV Special | Herself - Accepting Award for Favourite New Television Comedy Program |
| Andy Williams and the NBC Kids Search for Santa | 1985 | TV Special | Herself |
| Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade | 1985 | TV Special | Herself |
| The 37th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | 1985 | TV Special | Herself |
| Motown Returns to the Apollo | 1985 | TV Special | Herself |
| Night of 100 Stars II | 1985 | TV Movie | Herself |
| The 42nd Annual Golden Globe Awards | 1985 | TV Special | Herself - Audience Member |
| Fast Copy | 1985 | TV Movie | Herself |
| One to Grow On | 1985 | TV Series short | Herself |
Archive Footage
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneers of Television | 2014 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Vanessa Huxtable - Cosby Show |
| Freakonomics | 2010 | Documentary | Herself |
| The Cosby Show: 25th Anniversary Special | 2009 | TV Movie documentary | Vanessa Huxtable |
| La tele de tu vida | 2007 | TV Series | Vanessa Huxtable |
| I Was a Network Star | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | Herself |
| 101 Biggest Celebrity Oops | 2004 | TV Special documentary | Herself - #66: Terrible Talk Shows |
| E! True Hollywood Story | 2001 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
| The Cosby Show | 1987 | TV Series | Vanessa Huxtable |
Awards
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Impact Award | TV Land Awards | The Cosby Show (1984) | |
| 1989 | Young Artist Award | Young Artist Awards | Best Young Actor/Actress Ensemble in a Television Comedy, Drama Series or Special | The Cosby Show (1984) |
Nominated Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Black Reel | Black Reel Awards | Best Voice Performance | ParaNorman (2012) |
| 2006 | TV Land Award | TV Land Awards | Favorite Singing Siblings | The Cosby Show (1984) |
| 1990 | Young Artist Award | Young Artist Awards | Best Young Actress Supporting Role in a Television Series | The Cosby Show (1984) |
| 1988 | Blimp Award | Kids' Choice Awards, USA | Favorite TV Actress | The Cosby Show (1984) |
| 1987 | Young Artist Award | Young Artist Awards | Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress, Starring in a Television, Comedy or Drama Series | The Cosby Show (1984) |
| 1985 | Young Artist Award | Young Artist Awards | Best Young Supporting Actress in a Television Comedy Series | The Cosby Show (1984) |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
