but laid-back personality, voluptuous actress/model LisaRaye first
caught the eye of television viewers with an appearance on the
popular television series In the House. Born in Chicago in
September 1967, LisaRaye never really took the idea of a career in
acting seriously until persuaded by an insistent roommate to attend
a local audition in her hometown. Making her screen debut in the
low-budget action movie Reasons, LisaRaye received numerous
critical kudos despite the fact that the film went largely unseen.
Though the movie never did find a distributor, director Monty Ross
convinced the budding young actress to move out to L.A. during pilot
season, and LisaRaye soon landed minor roles on such shows as
Martin and In the House. Subsequently appearing in rapper Tupac
Shakur's final music video, her memorable appearance caught the
eye of rapper/actor Ice Cube, who was at the time planning his
directorial debut, The Players Club. LisaRaye was quickly cast in the
film, and her memorable performance as a troubled stripper left a
solid impression on audiences. Though her appearances thus far
had shown an impressive talent developing, it was following her
appearance in The Wood (1999), that LisaRaye's career truly began
to ignite. In 2000 LisaRaye found her widest audience yet as the
host of Source: All Access, a popular series dedicated to exploring
hip-hop culture. She quickly gained a loyal following with her
winning smile and extensive knowledge of all things hip-hop. As film
roles continued to role in, the millennial turnover found LisaRaye
approaching her biggest role to date in the 2002 film Civil Brand. A
harrowing look into life in women's prison, the film took home top
awards at both the American Black Film Festival and The
Urbanworld Film Festival. Soon following little sister Da Brat into a
career in music, LisaRaye next began collaborating with Benzino to
record a song to be featured in the film Redemption. 2003 proved an
equally lucrative year for LisaRaye as she prepared for the release
of the Barry Levinson comedy Envy, the female-driven Western Guns
and Roses, and her new sitcom All of Us. ~ Jason Buchanan, All
Movie
