Wakeema Hollis

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Wakeema Hollis
Born (1984-11-25) November 25, 1984 (age 39)
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Other namesHollis
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
Years active1999–present
Spouse
Darrell Walden
​
(m. 2022)​

Wakeema Hollis (born November 25, 1984) is an American actress and model. She is known for playing Monica Colby in the CW series Dynasty (2017–2021).

Early life and modeling[edit]

Hollis was born in Memphis, Tennessee.,[1] but her mother, Frances, raised Hollis and her brother in Jackson, Tennessee, near her "vast extended family."[2] She attended Alexander Elementary School, Jackson Central-Merry Middle and High School, where her theatre teacher, Becky Fly, introduced her to a love for acting. Hollis believes, "If I had never met Ms. [Becky] Fly, my life would have been so different [...] I would never be doing what I'm doing now. She saw something in me I didn't see in myself."[2] At age 15, Hollis was introduced to an agent through Fly, and she began book modeling jobs on weekends and during breaks from school.

After graduating From Jackson Central-Merry High School, Hollis moved to New York to pursue a modeling career. She appeared in high fashion magazines, walked runways in New York, Paris, Milan, and London, including before the British royal family,[2] and worked with designers such as Marc Jacobs, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, and Ralph Lauren.[3] Hollis later attended William Esper Studio in New York, which she graduated from in 2016.[2] In an interview with Bustle in 2019, Hollis admitted that the decision to transition from modeling to acting was a difficult one, "Modeling was the only thing I knew ... it was really scary, but it was also what I wanted. It's what I've always wanted. I couldn't not do it."[4]

Acting[edit]

In 2017, within the span of a week, Hollis was cast in recurring roles as Monica Colby in The CW's Dynasty, a drama television series reboot based on the 1980s prime time soap opera of the same name,[5] and Harriet in Prime Video's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, a period comedy-drama television series.[4]

Hollis starred in The Photograph, a romantic drama film that was released on February 14, 2020.[6] In 2021, Hollis appeared in And Just Like That... on Max, a revival/sequel series of HBO's Sex and the City.[7]

Personal life[edit]

Hollis resides in New York City, but she travels to Jackson, Tennessee at least once a year where her mother, brother, and extended family live. Hollis maintains her membership at her family's church, Deliverance House of Prayer.[2]

On August 20, 2022, Hollis married Darrell Walden Jr.[8][9]

Filmography[edit]

Film and television roles
Year Title Role Notes
2014 Girls Waitress TV series; Episode: "Incidentals"
Black Box Kidada TV series; Episode: "Kodachrome"
The Mysteries of Laura Natalie Marquez TV series; Episode: "The Mystery of the Red Runway"
2015 Creative Control Casey Feature film
The Affair Hot Female TV series; Episode: "206"
2017–2019, 2021 Dynasty Monica Colby TV series; recurring role; 34 episodes
2017–2018 The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Harriet TV series; recurring role; 4 episodes
2019 Orange Is the New Black Laniece TV series; Episode: "The Big House"
First Wives Club Melissa TV series; recurring role; 3 episodes
2020 The Photograph Denise Holness Feature film
Paint Christina Feature film
2021–2023 And Just Like That... Deirdre TV series; recurring role; 3 episodes
2022 Only Murders in the Building Naomi Jackson/Brazzos TV series; Episode: "Performance Review"
2023 Aurora: A Love Story Giselle Feature film

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Wakeema Hollis". FMD. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e McAllister, Keli (October 8, 2017). "JMCSS alumna lands starring role in 'Dynasty' remake". Jackson Sun. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  3. ^ "Inside Scoop Series: An interview with international fashion model Wakeema Hollis". NATURAL HAIR IN THE MEDIA. November 27, 2012. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Cawley, Kaitlyn (January 2, 2019). "Wakeema Hollis Of 'Dynasty' Wants You Know That This 'Overnight Success' Took Years". Bustle Entertainment. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  5. ^ Nguyen, Hanh (August 2, 2017). "'Dynasty': 4 Ways CW's Reboot Has Updated the Series to Be More Inclusive and Tolerant". IndieWire. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  6. ^ Hollis, Wakeema (January 29, 2020). "Picture this... A little girl from Tennessee followed her heart, pursued her dreams, and now I'm making my big screen debut!!⁣ ⁣I can't even count the number of times I've been laughed at or told that a small town girl like me would never make it. Always believe in yourself 🤍⁣ THE PHOTOGRAPH directed by @stellameghie hits theaters on Feb 14!! #DreamBig #NeverGiveUp #ThePhotograph". Instagram. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  7. ^ Hollis, Wakeema (December 23, 2021). "And Just Like That… you can catch me on the Sex and The City reboot! ⁣When I first moved to NY this show was everything. I never imagined that I'd one day be on it. I love it when things come full circle. 🙏🏾". Instagram. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  8. ^ Hollis, Wakeema (August 20, 2023). "1 year ago today I was fortunate enough to marry this wonderful man. This year has been an amazing journey. Here's to many more adventures together! ♥️ #anniversary #marriage #love #travel". Instagram. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  9. ^ Walden, Jr., Darrell (August 20, 2023). "Damn it's been 365 days already?! @iamwakeema 😬😅🙏🏾 Happy 1yr Anniversary, My 💚. 🥂 #TheWaldens #antigua 🇦🇬 #blacklove #marriage". Instagram. Retrieved November 19, 2023.

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