BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY Stacey Lauretta Dash (born January 20, 1967) is an American actress, known for starring in the 1995 feature film Clueless and the television spin off of the same name. She has also appeared in films such as Moving, Mo' Money, Renaissance Man and View from the Top. Other television work by Dash includes appearances in series such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Single Ladies and the reality television show Celebrity Circus. She has also appeared in music videos for Carl Thomas' "Emotional" and Kanye West's "All Falls Down". On May 28, 2014, Fox News announced that Dash had been hired as a contributor for "cultural analysis and commentary." [1]
Early life
Stacey Dash was born in The Bronx, New York. She is an alumna of Paramus High School in Paramus, New Jersey. Her mother, Linda, was the general manager of DME Interactive Holdings.[2] Her father is a businessman.[3] She is part Barbadian, African American and Mexican.[4] Her brother is Darien Dash, the CEO of DME Interactive Holdings, and her first cousin is Damon Dash, the former CEO and co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records.[5]
Career
Dash made her first television appearance in the NBC crime drama pilot Farrell: For the People starring Valerie Harper and Ed O'Neill in 1982, which did not make it past its pilot episode.[6][7] Her first notable appearance was as Michelle in the 1985 The Cosby Show episode "Denise's Friend" alongside Lisa Bonet, and in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.[8]Dash's first substantial television role was in the 1988 television series TV 101, which also featured Matt LeBlanc and Sam Robards. The series was canceled after 13 episodes.
Dash's first major film role was in the Richard Pryor comedy Moving in 1988. She also had sizeable roles in Mo' Money and Renaissance Man during this time. In 1995, Dash starred as a femme fatale in the low-budget film Illegal in Blue. Dash received her big break with the 1995 teen comedy film Clueless, which also starred Alicia Silverstone andBrittany Murphy. Dash played Cher's high school best friend Dionne Marie Davenport, although Dash was twenty-eight at the time. In 1996, the film spawned a television spin-off of the same name, in which Dash reprised her role as Dionne and Rachel Blanchard played Cher. The series ran from 1996 to 1999.
After the television series ended, she appeared in View from the Top (2003) and smaller budget films, including Gang of Roses (2003), and Getting Played (2005). She also has appeared in small guest roles on television shows such as Eve and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Dash played Vanessa Weir in the television series, The Strip, which was not successful and was canceled after several episodes. In 2001, Dash was featured in a music video by Carl Thomas for the single "Emotional". In 2004, Dash was featured in a music video by Kanye West, labelmate of her cousin Damon Dash, for the single "All Falls Down". Dash posed nude in the August 2006 issue of Playboy. Also in 2006, she was featured in singer Marques Houston's video for "Favorite Girl". In 2006, she launched her own lingerie line called Letters of Marque.[9]
In 2007, she completed filming roles in I Could Never Be Your Woman, Nora's Hair Salon II, Fashion Victim, Ghost Image and American Primitive. For 2008 release, she filmedPhantom Punch and Secrets Of A Hollywood Nurse for television, and the feature film Close Quarters. Dash performed in the 2008 reality television series Celebrity Circus. Prior to the series premiere, Dash suffered a broken rib while training. Despite the injury, Dash performed on the trapeze bungee during the premiere and continued on to be a finalist. Dash finished second behind Antonio Sabato, Jr.
Dash appeared as a recurring character on the television series The Game in early 2009. In 2011, Dash starred in the first season of VH1's first scripted series, Single Ladies, playing Valerie "Val" Stokes, described as a "'good girl' looking for a good man".[10] On August 31, 2011, it was reported that she would leave the series in order to focus on her family.[11][12][13]
In 2012, Dash starred as Lisa, the female lead in the film Dysfunctional Friends, alongside Meagan Good, Tatyana Ali, Stacy Keibler and Terrell Owens. The film was written and directed by Corey Grant. It garnered favorable reviews from Wilson Morales of BlackFilm.com[14] and Michael Dequina of TheMovieReport.com,[15] but a negative review by John Anderson of Variety.[16][17] In 2012, Dash was featured in Funny or Die and YouTube broadcast trailers and shorts for her web series Stacey Dash Is Normal.[18] The scripted series will launch in 2013.[19]
Personal life
In 2010, Dash filed a divorce and restraining order against her now ex-husband Emmanuel Xuereb.[20][21] Dash claimed "Xuereb hit her on several occasions on her face, head and body throughout the marriage."[22] On October 7, 2012, Dash posted an endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on her Twitter account. In response to this, other Twitter followers responded with criticism, racial epithets and calls for her to commit suicide.[23][24][25] Vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan personally telephoned her. During their conversation, Ryan thanked Dash for supporting the Romney–Ryan ticket, and "told her she was brave".[26][27] Since the 2012 elections, Dash has made it a point of publicly expressing her conservative views. She criticized Jay-Z and Beyoncé's trip to Cuba in April 2013. Dash asked her fans on Twitter if they "care that The Jay Zs have taken the capital you have given them and funded a communist oppressive regime?"[28]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Farrell: For the People | Denise Grey | Television film |
| 1987 | Enemy Territory | Toni Briggs | |
| 1988 | Moving | Casey Pear | |
| 1989 | Tennessee Nights | Minnie | |
| 1992 | Mo' Money | Amber Evans | |
| 1994 | Renaissance Man | Pvt. Miranda Myers | |
| 1995 | Clueless | Dionne Davenport | Nominated – Youth in Film Award for Best Young Supporting Actress: Feature Film |
| 1995 | Illegal in Blue | Kari Truitt | Direct-to-video |
| 1997 | Cold Around the Heart | Bec Rosenberg | |
| 1997 | Personals | Leah | |
| 2001 | The Painting | Hallie Gilmore at 18 | |
| 2002 | Paper Soldiers | Tamika | |
| 2003 | View from the Top | Angela Samona | |
| 2003 | Gang of Roses | Kim | |
| 2003 | Ride or Die | Real Venus | Direct-to-video |
| 2005 | Lethal Eviction | Amanda | |
| 2005 | Getting Played | Emily | Television film |
| 2007 | I Could Never Be Your Woman | Brianna Minx | |
| 2007 | Ghost Image | Alicia | |
| 2008 | Christmas Break | Smokin' woman | Short film |
| 2008 | Nora's Hair Salon 2: A Cut Above | Simone | |
| 2008 | Fashion Victim | Cara Wheeler | |
| 2008 | Phantom Punch | Geraldine Liston | |
| 2008 | Secrets of a Hollywood Nurse | Reporter | Television film |
| 2009 | Wild About Harry | Joy Crowley | |
| 2009 | Chrome Angels | Lady | |
| 2012 | Dysfunctional Friends | Lisa | |
| 2012 | House Arrest | Chanel | |
| 2014 | Lap Dance | Dr. Annie Jones | |
| 2014 | Patient Killer | Nancy Peck | In post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | The Cosby Show | Michelle | Episode: "Denise's Friend" |
| 1988 | St. Elsewhere | Penny Franks | 4 episodes |
| 1988–1989 | TV 101 | Monique | Main cast; 13 episodes |
| 1994 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Michelle Michaels | Episode: "When You Hit Upon a Star" |
| 1994 | Harts of the West | N/A | Episode: "Drive, He Said" |
| 1996–1999 | Clueless | Dionne "Dee" Davenport | Main cast; 62 episodes |
| 1999–2000 | The Strip | Vanessa Weir | Main cast; 10 episodes |
| 2001 | Going to California | Janie | Episode: "A Pirate Looks at 15 to 20" |
| 2001 | Men, Women & Dogs | Meg | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2001 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Amy Young | Episode: "Slaves of Las Vegas" |
| 2003 | Eve | Corryn | Episode: "The Ex Factor" |
| 2005 | Duck Dodgers | Paprika Solo | Voice; episode: "Diamond Boogie/Corporate Pigfall" |
| 2008 | American Dad! | Janet Lewis | Voice; episode: "Escape from Pearl Bailey" |
| 2009, 2011 | The Game | Camille Rose | 5 episodes |
| 2011 | Single Ladies | Valerie "Val" Stokes | Main cast (season 1); 11 episodes |
| 2013 | The Exes | Dana | Episode: "Trading Places"                                                                                                                        |
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