Bianca Lawson
Encyclopedia
Bianca Jasmine Lawson is an American
film
and television
actress.
, California
. She is the daughter of Denise
(née
Gordy
) and actor Richard Lawson. Bianca is also the great niece of Motown founder Berry Gordy
. She attended the Stella Adler Studio of Acting
and graduated from an elite Catholic school called Marymount High School
in Los Angeles, California. She then went on to study film and psychology at University of Southern California
.
for Barbie
and Revlon
and in several television shows. On Buffy the Vampire Slayer she portrayed Kendra Young, another Vampire Slayer who is activated as a result of the temporary death of title character, Buffy Summers
, in the first season finale.
She has also appeared on The WB
's Dawson's Creek
, where she portrayed Nikki Green, the daughter of the high school's new principal and competitor of the show's title character Dawson Leery
. She has had roles in Saved by the Bell: The New Class
and films such as Save the Last Dance
and Breakin' All the Rules
. She also appeared in the ABC/WB series Sister, Sister
as Ronda Coley. She also appeared on "The Parent Hood" and The Steve Harvey Show
.
In December 2009, Lawson plays in the cast as Maya St. Germain in the TV series Pretty Little Liars
based on the book series
by Sara Shepard
. Lawson also appeared as Emily Bennett in The Vampire Diaries
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actress.
Early life
Lawson was born in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. She is the daughter of Denise
Denise Gordy
Denise Gordy is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Denise Gordy was born in Detroit, Michigan. She is the daughter of George and Rosemary Gordy and sister of George Gordy, Jr...
(née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Gordy
Gordy family
The Gordys are an African-American family of businesspeople and music industry executives born to Georgia-reared parents Berry "Pops" Gordy, Sr. and Bertha Fuller Gordy and raised in Detroit, where a majority of the siblings had a pivotal role in the international acceptance of rhythm and blues...
) and actor Richard Lawson. Bianca is also the great niece of Motown founder Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
. She attended the Stella Adler Studio of Acting
Stella Adler Studio of Acting
Stella Adler Studio of Acting is an acting school in New York founded by the actress and teacher Stella Adler -History:...
and graduated from an elite Catholic school called Marymount High School
Marymount High School
Marymount High School is a private, Roman Catholic, all-girls, college-preparatory high school located in the Holmby Hills/Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles. It sits across from the University of California, Los Angeles campus at 10643 Sunset Boulevard....
in Los Angeles, California. She then went on to study film and psychology at University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
.
Career
Lawson started acting at the age of nine. She has appeared in commercialsTelevision advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
for Barbie
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
and Revlon
Revlon
Revlon is an American cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care company founded in 1932.-History:Revlon was founded in the midst of the Great Depression, 1932, by Charles Revson and his brother Joseph, along with a chemist, Charles Lachman, who contributed the "L" in the Revlon name...
and in several television shows. On Buffy the Vampire Slayer she portrayed Kendra Young, another Vampire Slayer who is activated as a result of the temporary death of title character, Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
, in the first season finale.
She has also appeared on The WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
's Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
, where she portrayed Nikki Green, the daughter of the high school's new principal and competitor of the show's title character Dawson Leery
Dawson Leery
Dawson Wade Leery is the central fictional character and the main protagonist of the American television drama Dawson's Creek. The character is portrayed by American actor James Van Der Beek.-Biography:...
. She has had roles in Saved by the Bell: The New Class
Saved by the Bell: The New Class
Saved by the Bell: The New Class is a spin-off of the Saved by the Bell series which ran from September 11, 1993 to January 8, 2000. The series lasted for seven seasons on NBC as a part of the network's TNBC Saturday morning line-up. It was the fourth incarnation of the franchise...
and films such as Save the Last Dance
Save the Last Dance
Save the Last Dance is a 2001 romantic drama dance film produced by MTV Films, directed by Thomas Carter and released by Paramount Pictures on January 12, 2001. The film stars Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas as a teenage interracial couple in Chicago who work together to help the main...
and Breakin' All the Rules
Breakin' All the Rules
Breakin' All the Rules is a 2004 American comedy film. It was directed and written by Daniel Taplitz.-Plot:Quincy Watson is unceremoniously dumped by his fiancée, and pens a "how to" book on breaking up and becomes a best-selling author on the subject. Not wanting his male friends to suffer the...
. She also appeared in the ABC/WB series Sister, Sister
Sister, Sister (TV series)
Sister, Sister is an American television sitcom about identical twin girls Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell , who were separated and adopted at birth, when one day they come face-to-face after 14 years apart....
as Ronda Coley. She also appeared on "The Parent Hood" and The Steve Harvey Show
The Steve Harvey Show
The Steve Harvey Show is an American sitcom that aired for six seasons from August 25, 1996 to February 17, 2002 on The WB Television Network. It was created by Winifred Hervey and directed by Stan Lathan.-Synopsis:...
.
In December 2009, Lawson plays in the cast as Maya St. Germain in the TV series Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars (TV series)
Pretty Little Liars is an American mystery-thriller teen drama television series created by Marlene King. Based on the popular series of novels written by Sara Shepard, the show premiered on June 8, 2010 on ABC Family...
based on the book series
Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars is a series of more than 10 young adult novels by Sara Shepard, from 1981–present, which have been made into a television show . The series follows the lives of four girls — Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily — whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their leader,...
by Sara Shepard
Sara Shepard
Sara Shepard is an American author known for the bestselling Pretty Little Liars series of young-adult novels.-Biography:Shepard graduated from Downingtown West High School in Downingtown, Pennsylvania in 1995, and got her undergraduate degree from New York University. She later received an MFA...
. Lawson also appeared as Emily Bennett in The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth...
.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1998 | Twice the Fear | Girlfriend | Direct-to-video film |
| Primary Colors | Loretta | Theatrical film | |
| 1999 | The Pavilion | Mary | Direct-to-video film |
| 2000 | Big Monster on Campus | Darien Stompanato | Direct-to-video film |
| 2001 | The Feast of All Saints | Anna Bella Monroe | Made-for-TV film |
| Bones | Cynthia | Theatrical film | |
| Save the Last Dance Save the Last Dance Save the Last Dance is a 2001 romantic drama dance film produced by MTV Films, directed by Thomas Carter and released by Paramount Pictures on January 12, 2001. The film stars Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas as a teenage interracial couple in Chicago who work together to help the main... |
Nikki | Theatrical film | |
| 2004 | Breakin' All the Rules Breakin' All the Rules Breakin' All the Rules is a 2004 American comedy film. It was directed and written by Daniel Taplitz.-Plot:Quincy Watson is unceremoniously dumped by his fiancée, and pens a "how to" book on breaking up and becomes a best-selling author on the subject. Not wanting his male friends to suffer the... |
Helen Sharp | Theatrical film |
| Dead & Breakfast Dead & Breakfast Dead & Breakfast is a 2004 horror/comedy film directed by Matthew Leutwyler.-Plot:Six friends take a road trip to Galveston, Texas in an RV for the wedding of their friend, Kelly... |
Kate | Independent film | |
| 2005 | Flip the Script | Angela | Direct-to-video film |
| 2006 | National Lampoon's Pledge This! National Lampoon's Pledge This! National Lampoon's Pledge This! is a 2006 comedy film starring Paris Hilton, who also served as an executive producer. The film was very poorly received and went straight to video.-Plot:... |
Monique | Direct-to-video film |
| Broken | Mia | Independent film | |
| 2007 | Supergator Supergator Supergator is a 2007 horror film from Roger Corman starring Brad Johnson and Kelly McGillis. The music was by Damon Ebner.-Background:After Corman produced Dinocroc in 2004, he wanted to creat a sequel to be named Dinocroc 2. However, Sci-Fi Channel turned down the project after claiming that... |
Carla Masters | Direct-to-video film |
| 2009 | Killing of Wendy | Brooke | Independent film |
| Sorority Wars Sorority Wars - External links :* on Lifetime Movies... |
Cameo | Uncredited | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1993–1995 | Saved by the Bell: The New Class Saved by the Bell: The New Class Saved by the Bell: The New Class is a spin-off of the Saved by the Bell series which ran from September 11, 1993 to January 8, 2000. The series lasted for seven seasons on NBC as a part of the network's TNBC Saturday morning line-up. It was the fourth incarnation of the franchise... |
Megan Jones | Regular role, 39 episodes |
| 1994 | What'z Up? | Herself | Co-host |
| My So-Called Life My So-Called Life My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the... |
Bathroom Girl number 3 | 1 episode: "Pilot" | |
| Sister, Sister Sister, Sister (TV series) Sister, Sister is an American television sitcom about identical twin girls Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell , who were separated and adopted at birth, when one day they come face-to-face after 14 years apart.... |
Rhonda Coley | Recurring role, 7 episodes | |
| 1995 | In the House In the House (TV series) In the House is an American sitcom that premiered on April 10, 1995 on NBC. The series moved to UPN after its second season where it remained for an additional three seasons until it was canceled on August 11, 1999. In the House starred LL Cool J and Maia Campbell.-Synopsis:Marion Hill is a former... |
Rachel | 1 episode: "The Final Cut" |
| Me and the Boys | Girl | 1 episode: "The Age of Reason" | |
| Saved by the Bell: The New Class Saved by the Bell: The New Class Saved by the Bell: The New Class is a spin-off of the Saved by the Bell series which ran from September 11, 1993 to January 8, 2000. The series lasted for seven seasons on NBC as a part of the network's TNBC Saturday morning line-up. It was the fourth incarnation of the franchise... |
Megan Jones | Archive footage: Schreech's Dream | |
| 1996 | Goode Behavior Goode Behavior Goode Behavior is an American sitcom that premiered August 26, 1996 on UPN. The series was cancelled after its first season, airing its last episode on May 19, 1997, for a total of 23 episodes.-Synopsis:... |
Bianca Goode | Regular role |
| 1997–1998 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Kendra Young | 3 episodes |
| 1997 | The Parent 'Hood The Parent 'Hood The Parent 'Hood is an American sitcom that aired on The WB airing from January 18, 1995 to July 25, 1999. The series starred Robert Townsend and Suzzanne Douglas.... |
Jasmine | 2 episodes: "Bad Rap", "Zaria Peterson's Day Off" |
| 1997, 1999 | Smart Guy Smart Guy Smart Guy is an American sitcom created by Danny Kallis. The series ran on The WB for three seasons from April 2, 1997 to May 16, 1999.-Premise:The show centers on the misadventures of boy genius T.J... |
Tracy/Jill | 2 episodes: "It Takes Two", "Baby, It's You and You and You" |
| 1998 | The Steve Harvey Show The Steve Harvey Show The Steve Harvey Show is an American sitcom that aired for six seasons from August 25, 1996 to February 17, 2002 on The WB Television Network. It was created by Winifred Hervey and directed by Stan Lathan.-Synopsis:... |
Rosalind | 3 episodes |
| The Temptations | Diana Ross Diana Ross Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway... |
TV miniseries | |
| Silk Stalkings Silk Stalkings Silk Stalkings is a TV crime drama originally shown on CBS in 1991 as part of the network's late-night Crimetime After Primetime programming package, and rebroadcast on the USA Network. After CBS ended the Crimetime experiment in 1993, the series ran exclusively on USA until its finale in the... |
Unknown | 1 episode: "Rage" | |
| 1999–2000 | Dawson's Creek Dawson's Creek Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons... |
Nikki Green | 4 episodes |
| 2001 | For the People | Asia Portman | 1 episode: "Textbook Perfect" |
| Strong Medicine Strong Medicine Strong Medicine is a medical drama with a focus on feminist politics, health issues and class conflict. The television series aired on the Lifetime network from 2000 to 2006. It is distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The series was created and produced in part by comedienne and... |
Esperenza Maldonaldo | 1 episode: "Control Group" | |
| The Late Late Show With Craig Kilbourn | Herself | Guest | |
| 2002 | Haunted Haunted (TV series) Haunted is an American television program first aired in September 2002 on UPN. The program, which was filmed in Vancouver, was canceled in November 2002 due to low ratings. As a result, only seven of the completed episodes were aired. However, all eleven filmed episodes have subsequently been... |
Brandi Combs | 1 episode: "Blind Witness" |
| 2003 | Loose Lips | Herself | |
| 2004 | Fearless | Harmony Kaye | TV pilot |
| The Big House The Big House (2004 TV series) The Big House is an American prime time television sitcom starring actor/comedian Kevin Hart. It ran on the ABC television network in April 2004, lasting for only six episodes.... |
Angela | 1 episode: "Almost Touched by an Angel" | |
| The Division The Division The Division is an American Lifetime Television original series about a team of women police officers in the San Francisco Police Department. The series premiered on January 7, 2001 and ended on June 28, 2004 after 88 episodes.-Synopsis:... |
Marilynn Reiser | 1 episode: "Play Ball" | |
| 2006 | Living In TV Land | Herself | 1 episode: "Sherman Hemsley" |
| 2008 | The Cleaner The Cleaner (TV series) The Cleaner was an A&E television series starring Benjamin Bratt. It debuted on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 at 10:00 pm EST and the last episode aired on September 15, 2009, when the show was officially cancelled.... |
Jeannie | 2 episodes: "The Eleventh Hour", "Meet the Joneses" |
| 2009–2011 | The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth... |
Emily Bennett | 5 episodes |
| 2009 | The Secret Life of the American Teenager The Secret Life of the American Teenager The Secret Life of the American Teenager is an American teen drama television series created by Brenda Hampton. It first aired on ABC Family on July 1, 2008. The show was renewed for a second season consisting of 24 episodes on February 9, 2009, which began airing on June 22, 2009... |
Shawna | Recurring role, 6 episodes |
| Bones Bones (TV series) Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent... |
Albie | 1 episode: "Fire in the Ice" | |
| 2010– present | Pretty Little Liars Pretty Little Liars (TV series) Pretty Little Liars is an American mystery-thriller teen drama television series created by Marlene King. Based on the popular series of novels written by Sara Shepard, the show premiered on June 8, 2010 on ABC Family... |
Maya St. Germain | Regular role, season 1 episodes: 1-13; Season 2 episodes: 11—present |
| 2010 | Nikita Nikita (TV series) La Femme Nikita is a Canadian action/drama television series based on the French film Nikita by Luc Besson. The series was co-produced by Jay Firestone of Fireworks Entertainment and Warner Brothers. It was adapted for television by Joel Surnow... |
Emily | Guest star, episode: "The Guardian" |
| 2011 | American Horror Story American Horror Story American Horror Story is a horror-drama television series created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The series centers on the Harmon family: Ben, Vivien and their daughter Violet, who move from Boston to Los Angeles after Vivien has a miscarriage and Ben has an affair... |
Abby | Guest star, episode: "Pilot" |