Kadeem Hardison

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kadeem Hardison
Hardison at the premiere of Beyond: Two Souls in 2013
Born (1965-07-24) July 24, 1965 (age 58)
New York City, New York, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1981–present
Known forA Different World, The Cosby Show & K.C. Undercover
Spouse
(m. 1997; div. 2000)
Children1

Kadeem Hardison (born July 24, 1965) is an American actor. The son of fashion model Bethann Hardison, he rose to prominence after landing the role of Dwayne Wayne on the television series A Different World, a spin-off of the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. He is also known for playing Craig Cooper, the title character's father, in the Disney Channel series K.C. Undercover. Hardison has also appeared in the first season of the Showtime comedy Black Monday and starred as Bowser in the Netflix series Teenage Bounty Hunters.

Early life[edit]

Hardison was born in Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Donald McFadden, an antique and fine art collector, and Bethann Hardison, a pioneering African-American runway model and advocate for diversity in the fashion industry.[1][2]

Career[edit]

Hardison was a starring cast member on the sitcom A Different World as Dwayne Wayne, and a regular cast member of K.C. Undercover and the short-lived sitcoms Abby and Between Brothers. His career was managed predominantly by his mother, Bethann Hardison. He has also guest starred on several other sitcoms, including Living Single, Girlfriends, Under One Roof, The Boondocks (as himself), Greek, Parenthood, and on Everybody Hates Chris as the judge. His films include Escapee, Rappin', School Daze, Def by Temptation, Vampire in Brooklyn, 30 Years to Life, Made of Honor, The 6th Man, Drive, Renaissance Man, Panther, The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life Is Not a Fairy Tale, Bratz, Biker Boyz, Who's Your Daddy?, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Blind Faith, Showtime, White Men Can't Jump, and B.C. Butcher. He appears in the 2013 PlayStation 3 video game Beyond: Two Souls as Cole Freeman, a doctor at the United States Department of Paranormal Activity.

Personal life[edit]

Hardison was married to American singer Chanté Moore from 1997 until 2000; they have a daughter named Sophia (b. 1996). Hardison remains a close friend of actor Darryl Bell, who played his best friend Ron Johnson on A Different World; he made an appearance alongside Bell on FOX's Househusbands of Hollywood.[3]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1984 Beat Street High School Student
The House of Dies Drear Mac Darrow TV movie
Go Tell It on the Mountain Royal
1985 Rappin' Moon
1987 Enemy Territory A-Train
1988 School Daze Edge
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka Willie
1989 Dream Date Jim Parker TV movie
1990 Def by Temptation 'K'
1992 White Men Can't Jump Junior
1994 Gunmen Izzy
Renaissance Man Pvt. Jamaal Montgomery
1995 Panther Judge
Vampire in Brooklyn Julius Jones
1997 The 6th Man Antoine Tyler
Drive Malik Brody
1998 Blind Faith Eddie Williams
2000 Dancing in September Winston
2001 30 Years to Life Bruce
Fire & Ice Michael Williams TV movie
Instinct to Kill Lance Difford
Thank Heaven Billy Ferrell
2002 Showtime Kyle
Red Skies Riley TV movie
Who's Your Daddy? Andy Brookes Video
2003 Biker Boyz T.J.
Dunsmore Walter Taylor
2004 Face of Terror Jefferson
2006 The Cassidy Kids Dennis Peabody
Love Hollywood Style Ice Pop
Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story Joseph Barrino TV movie
2007 Bratz Sasha's Dad
2008 Made of Honour Felix
The Sweep Tyrone
2010 Ashes Matthew
2011 Escapee Detective Pars
The Hop Off Charles Lee Short
Ricochet Bob Worley TV movie
2013 The Dark Party Jeff
Zerosome Cyrus Wainwright
2014 Android Cop Sgt. Jones
Rescuing Madison Steven TV movie
2015 Sister Switch Gregory Cole
2016 B.C. Butcher Narrator
Queen of Hearts Book Short
2018 The Christmas Pact Sadie’s Dad TV movie
2019 Paddleton David
2020 Psych 2: Lassie Come Home Wilkerson TV movie
Playing with Beethoven Ted
2024 ClearMind Tom

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1981 ABC Afterschool Specials - Episode: "The Colour of Friendship"
1984 The Cosby Show Phillip Washington Episode: "A Shirt Story"
1985 American Playhouse Royal Episode: "Go Tell It on the Mountain"
1987 Spenser: For Hire Bobby Waters Episode: "My Enemy, My Friend"
1987-93 A Different World Dwayne Cleophus Wayne Main Cast
1988 TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes Himself Episode: "Corbin Bernsen/Kadeem Hardison/Morton Downey Jr."
1990 Saturday Morning Videos Himself/Host Main Host
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Himself Episode: "Someday Your Prince Will Be in Effect: Part 2"
1991 Sesame Street Himself Episode: "Episode #22.42"
1992 CBS Schoolbreak Special Henry Brooks Episode: "Words Up!"
Out All Night Dean Episode: "Smooth Operator"
Roc Rev. Adams Episode: "Dear Landlord"
1994 Captain Planet and the Planeteers Goki (voice) Episode: "Gorillas Will Be Missed"
1995 Living Single Marcus Hughes Episode: "Who's Scooping Who?"
1997 Touched by an Angel Marc Hamilton Episode: "Smokescreen"
1997-99 Between Brothers Charles Gordon Main Cast
1998 Love Boat: The Next Wave Perry Episode: "Smooth Sailing"
Linc's - Episode: "Gangsta Rap"
Fantasy Island Michael Wilkinson Episode: "Wishboned"
1998-99 The Crow: Stairway to Heaven Skull Cowboy Recurring Cast
2000 Just Shoot Me! Tad Gallow Episode: "Blackjack"
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Clown (voice) Episode: "The Steadfast Tin Soldier"
2001 Intimate Portrait Himself Episode: "Jasmine Guy"
What About Joan? Ben Episode: "Joan Sets Up Alice"
2002-03 Livin' Large Himself/Host Main Host
2003 Abby Will Jefferies Main Cast
2000-04 Static Shock Adam Evans/Rubberband Man (voice) Recurring Cast: Season 1-2 & 4 [4]
2005 One on One Director Episode: "Venice Boulevard of Broken Dreams"
2006 Just for Kicks Charles Atwood Recurring Cast
My Name is Earl Owner Episode: "Born a Gamblin Man"
2006-07 House Lawyer Howard Gemeiner Recurring Cast: Season 3
2007 Girlfriends Eldon Parks Recurring Cast: Season 7
2007-09 Everybody Hates Chris Judge Harry Watkins Guest Cast: Season 3-4
2008 Under One Roof Jamal Episode: "Cell Out"
2009 Greek Brian Howard Episode: "Our Fathers"
Cold Case Andrew 'Huxtable' Garrett '09 Episode: "Read Between the Lines"
2010 Ghost Whisperer Dean Olson Episode: "Dead Air"
The Boondocks Himself/Bald Actor (voice) Episode: "Pause"
2012 Parenthood Richard Gilchrist Episode: "Remember Me, I'm the One Who Loves You"
Family Guy NBA Player (voice) Episode: "Ratings Guy"
2013 Cult Paz Recurring Cast
2015 Unsung Hollywood Himself Episode: "A Different World"
2015-18 K.C. Undercover Craig Cooper Main Cast
2016 Unsung Hollywood Himself Episode: "Jasmine Guy"
Supernatural Russell Lemmons Episode: "Rock Never Dies"
2017 9JKL Terrance Episode: "The Key to Life"
K.9. Undercover Craig Cooper (voice) Episode: "Infinite Loop"
2018 Love Is Norman Recurring Cast
2019 Black Monday Spencer Recurring Cast: Season 1
2020 Teenage Bounty Hunters Bowser Jenkins [5] Main Cast
2021 Reunion Road Trip Himself Episode: "It's a Different World"
2022 The Lincoln Lawyer Detective Kinder Recurring Cast: Season 1
Moonhaven Arlo Main Cast
2022-24 Grown-ish Carnegie Guest: Season 4-5, Recurring Cast: Season 6
2023 The Chi Professor Gardner Episode: "New Chi City"

Music Videos[edit]

Year Song Artist
1991 "Monster in the Mirror" Sesame Street
1995 "Just tah Let U Know" Eazy-E
2001 "Careful (Click, Click)" Wu-Tang Clan

Video Games[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2013 Beyond: Two Souls Cole Freeman Voice acting and motion capture

Cultural influence[edit]

  • Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran credit Hardison for making the name "Kadeem" familiar.[6]
  • Hardison is the model for the title character Michael “The Cool” Young History in the inserts of the album The Cool by Lupe Fiasco.
  • Hardison was the subject of then-wife Chanté Moore's 1999 single "Chanté's Got a Man".
  • In a press conference following Game 4 of the 2012 NBA Finals, Dwyane Wade wore flip-up sunglasses and said he was, "paying a little homage to Dwayne Wayne tonight", referencing Hardison's popular character from A Different World.[7][8]
  • In Season 2, Episode 7 of Psych ("If You're So Smart, Then Why Are You Dead"), Gus references utilizing the "Kadeem Hardison method" to kiss a girl.
  • Hardison appears as the narrator on Add-2's 2019 album, Jim Crow: The Musical.[9]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Kadeem Hardison Biography (1965?-)". filmreference.com. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  2. ^ Cadet, Danielle (September 21, 2017). "Whitley's World: A Brief History of Bad and Boujee Black Girl Style". Andscape. ESPN. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  3. ^ "'A Different World': Where Are They Now?". EW.com. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  4. ^ "Kadeem Hardison (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 19, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  5. ^ Teenage Bounty Hunters (TV Series 2020) - IMDb, retrieved August 13, 2023
  6. ^ Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran, Baby Names Now: From Classic to Cool—The Very Last Word on First Names (Macmillan, 2002), 353.
  7. ^ Dwyane Wade postgame interview, Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
  8. ^ Wade brings back flip shades at the podium!. YouTube. June 20, 2012. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  9. ^ Ivey, Justin (November 26, 2019). "Add-2 Releases 'Jim Crow: The Musical' Album". hiphopdx.com. Cheri Media. Retrieved February 1, 2020.

External links[edit]