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The American actress, comedienne, and model, Kellita Smith is possibly best known for her appearance in the TV sitcom “The Bernie Mac Show.”
Age, Early Life, and Education Background
Kellita Smith hails from Chicago, Illinois, and was born under the Capricorn zodiac sign on 15 January 1969, which makes her 54 years old as of 2023. Her mother is Honey Smith but she hasn’t disclosed the name of her father, who was a serviceman. Smith’s parents divorced when she was three years old in 1972, and she relocated to Oakland to live with her mother together with her brother, Eric Smith.
Kellita was educated together with Eric at the Oakland Community Learning Center. She matriculated to Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC), California, from where she graduated with a Political Science associate’s degree in 1989. Subsequently, she began working as an Administrative Assistant, and later as a Saleswoman. Kellita attended David Arnold’s comedy lessons during her youth.
Career Beginnings: Stage Appearances
Before she began her acting career, Kellita worked as a model. She began acting in theatrical productions, and one of her earliest roles was in the play “Tell It Like It Tiz.” Other stage appearances were in Charles Gordone’s play “No Place to Be Somebody,” which was performed at the K.C. Theater Company, “Feelings,” at the Hudson Theater, for which she scooped an NAACP Theater Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress in 1996, and “The Thirteenth Throne (performed at Complex Theater), for which she received another NAACP Theater Award nomination for Best Actress. Smith is also credited with her appearance in “One Woman Two Lives,” which was performed at The Imagined Life Theater in mid-2009.
🤣🙏💫 We Are !
In this entertainment business🦋 https://t.co/TNfyYXhfRp— Kellita Smith (@KellitaSmith1) January 30, 2022
TV Appearances
Smith made her TV debut in the episode “Dirty Little Dick” of the comedy sketch series “In Living Color” in 1993. She appeared in single episodes of two more series before she landed the recurring role of Tracy in the third season of the Fox sitcom “Martin” in 1994. Smith’s next notable TV roles were in the sitcom “Sister, Sister” in 1995, “Malcolm & Eddie” in 1997, and “The Jamie Foxx Show” from 1997-1999.
Smith made her career breakthrough when she was cast as Bernie Mac’s intelligent, gentle, and sensitive wife, Wanda McCullough, in the Fox sitcom “The Bernie Mac Show”, in which Bernie (portrayed by Bernie Mac) and Wanda reluctantly began their parenting journey when the former’s drug-addicted sister leaves her three children in their care, after being admitted into rehab. Although Bernie’s views on parenting are politically incorrect, Wanda is very keen on raising the kids in an upright manner. The show also stars Jeremy Suarez, Dee Dee Davis, Camile Winbush and Reginald Ballard. Smith’s stint lasted for five years (2001-2006).
Between 2012 and 2015, Smith played First Lady K. Johnson in the sitcom “The First Family” and her performance brought her an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. Her next noteworthy appearance was in the Syfy horror series “Z Nation” (2014-2018). Concurrently, Smith was cast as Cheryl in Bentley Kyle Evans’ sitcom “In the Cut” in 2016, and she was next seen in “From the Mouths of Babes,” (2018 and 2019), “The Couch” (2021), and the romance drama “From Scratch” (2022).
Film Appearances
Smith made her film debut in the 1994 comedy “House Party 3,” which starred the likes of Bernie Mac, Chris Tucker, Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin. In 2004, she shared the screen with Mo’Nique in the comedy “Hair Show,” and the appearance was followed by stints in the romantic comedy “Fair Game” in 2005, and “Three Can Play That Game” in 2007.
In the 2010s, Smith appeared in 12 films including 2015’s satirical thriller-drama “A Deadly Adoption.” Most recently in 2020, she played Carla Hudson in the film “Influence.”
Other Works
Kellita has appeared in commercials for various firms including Ford Motor Company, and has used her social media platforms to popularize numerous brands including The Diaspora Dialogues, Alicia G, and Town Royalty, among others. The model has also appeared on the cover of “Sheen” and “Savoy” magazines.
Awards and Nominations
Smith has been nominated for seven awards as of August 2023. In 2004 and 2005, she was nominated for two BET Comedy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance in “The Bernie Mac Show.” Her performance in the Fox sitcom has also seen her receive four consecutive NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (2003-2006).
Smith is active on Instagram with around 170,000 followers, and also on Twitter and Facebook with over 35,000 and 7,000 fans respectively.
Personal Life
Smith has never married; in a 2019 interview with Comedy Hype, “The Bernie Mac Show” starlet revealed that she does not support the idea of marriage. She said ‘I don’t know if I agree with marriage. I do agree with an exclusive relationship where I share my life with a man. I do believe in that.’ She went on to mention how ‘awesome’ the romance of the famed actors, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, who have been dating for over four decades without marrying was. She added that she’s not comfortable with being monogamous for life, because she views marriage as a sentence that limits someone’s privileges.
Previously, Smith was spotted having dinner with an unidentified man at the Beverly Hills-based restaurant, Mr. Chow, which resulted in her dating rumor. However, she hasn’t confirmed the rumor or disclosed the name of the man. Kellita is seemingly single without any children as of 2023.
Height, Weight, and Physical Appearance
Smith is of Afro-American ethnicity and has a pair of dark brown eyes and black hair. She stands 5ft 10ins (1.78m) tall, weighs approximately 175lbs (79kgs), and her vital statistics are 35-26-36. Smith wears dress and shoe sizes 6(US) and 9(US) respectively. Some of her distinctive features include dimpled cheeks, heart-shaped lips, a wide smile, and thin eyebrows. In the past, Smith struggled with a case of emotional eating which saw her gain a lot of weight. She managed to shed some weight after she began following a healthy diet and rationing her food intake.
Net Worth
Kellita has appeared in various hit films and TV series and has shared the screen with several successful American actors including Robin Wright, Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett, and LL Cool J, which has increased her fame significantly. She has also accumulated a decent sum from her acting career, and is reputedly worth approximately $3 million as of 2023.
