January 2024

Award-winning actress and singer Tichina Arnold has entertained audiences in a variety of notable roles throughout her career.

Born and raised in Queens, N.Y., to a policeman father and mother who worked for the city, Arnold got her first taste of performing in her family’s church at the tender age of 4. Recognizing her love and natural talent for singing, her parents enrolled her in vocal training. Later, while attending the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Arnold studied such diverse art forms as Italian opera, dance, drama and comedy.

Since then, Arnold has made her mark on television in several successful series, beginning with the comedy “Martin,” opposite Martin Lawrence in 1992. Her portrayal of the character Pam earned the actress an NAACP Image Award for supporting actress in 1996 and she later reunited with Lawrence on the big screen in “Big Momma’s House.” She also starred as Rochelle in “Everybody Hates Chris,” a semi-autobiographical comedy created by Chris Rock, turning in a performance that earned her another NAACP Image Award in 2006; “Happily Divorced,” opposite Fran Drescher; and “Survivor’s Remorse,” which was executive produced by NBA superstar LeBron James and earned Arnold her third NAACP Image Award in 2017.

Arnold began her television career on the daytime dramas “All My Children” and “Ryan’s Hope,” the latter of which earned her a Daytime Emmy nomination. She recently starred in BET+’s original holiday film titled “So Fly Christmas” and her directorial debut last year with her short “Oh Baby Baby!” which premiered on BET Her. She also made her 54 Below debut this past Summer with FAME-ish alongside her NEIGHBORHOOD co-star Beth Behrs.

On stage, Arnold starred in “Alex in Wonderland,” written and directed by Debbie Allen; a revival of “The Wiz” at the City Center in New York; the off-Broadway hit “Love, Loss, and What I Wore”; and the musical hit “If These Hips Could Talk.” Early theater credits include “The Me Nobody Knows” at Brooklyn’s Billie Holiday Theatre, “Hair,” “Romance and Hard Times” and “Haggadah” at the Joseph Papp Theatre.

Together with her sister, Arnold formed the We Win Foundation, which offers support to individuals suffering with lupus and other related autoimmune diseases, as well as their families and caregivers.

Arnold’s birthday is June 28. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @TichinaArnold.