Raven Goodwin is an American actress. She made her debut with the comedy film Lovely & Amazing (2001), which earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination, and next received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her role in the drama film The Station Agent. She made her shift to television roles starring in the Nickelodeon comedy series Just Jordan (2007–2008).
Raven Goodwin | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Children | 2 |
In 2010, Goodwin transitioned to mature roles with the series Huge (2010), and subsequently came to mainstream recognition with a recurring role on the sitcom Good Luck Charlie (2010–2014). Her widespread breakthrough came with a leading role on the BET series Being Mary Jane (2013–2019), for which her performance received praise. She has since appeared as Eliza on the comedy series SMILF (2017–2019) and as Denise Clark-Bradford in the television film The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (2020), the latter of which earned her a Black Reel Award nomination. She made her return to film with a cameo in the action film Snatched (2017).
Early and personal life
editGoodwin announced her engagement to finance executive Wiley Battle[1] through Instagram,[2][non-primary source needed] which was picked up across various media outlets.[3] She has two children; both of them were confirmed via Instagram.
Acting career
edit2001–2008: Child acting
editGoodwin began acting in 2001, making her debut with the comedy drama film Lovely & Amazing, starring as Annie Marks. Goodwin's performance was praised, leading her to receive a number of award nominations for the role, of which includes a Black Reel Award nomination and an Independent Spirit Award.[4][5] The New York Times wrote on her performance that "Of the three daughters, Annie (Goodwin) seems the most grounded",[6] and Empire magazine named Goodwin a "stand-out" of the film.[7]
In 2003, Goodwin was cast in Tom McCarthy's independent comedy-drama The Station Agent as Cleo. Filmed over a strain of time in the same year, The Station Agent and the performances of the ensemble were acclaimed upon release.[8] She earned a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for the role,[9] which ranks her among the youngest actresses to be nominated. On Goodwin's acting, Roger Ebert, who previously reviewed Lovely & Amazing, said that she "like (Peter) Dinklage, has a particular and unshakable presence on the screen, and I hope the movies do not misplace her, as they do so many child actors."[8]
In 2004, Goodwin began working on television, making guest appearances on various shows, of which include the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, and the television series Strong Medicine and Everybody Hates Chris. In 2006, Goodwin appeared in the critically-panned[10] comedy film Phat Girlz as Young Jazmin Biltmore. Goodwin landed the main role of Tangie Cunningham on Nickelodeon sitcom Just Jordan, which began airing in 2007, running for two seasons.[11]
2009–present: Mainstream breakthrough
editIn 2010, Goodwin was cast in the main role of Becca in the sitcom Huge,[12] which ran for a season. The show averaged roughly a million viewers per episode.[13] Later that year, Goodwin was cast as the recurring role of Ivy Wentz in Disney Channel sitcom Good Luck Charlie.[14] Following this, Goodwin played the role of Sheila on Fox's comedy drama Glee for three episodes,[11] and appeared as Desiree in American sitcom New Girl. Her role on Good Luck Charlie earned particular praise.
In 2013, Goodwin was cast in the main role of Niecy Patterson, the niece of Gabrielle Union's character, in the American drama series Being Mary Jane,[15] which she played until the show ended in 2019. Being Mary Jane polarized critics and audiences,[16] and broke records for the BET network, and gave Goodwin recognition in mature roles.[17] On the transition from Disney, she said that "it was very necessary. At one point I was doing Disney and Being Mary Jane at the same time. But it still felt natural. It still felt organic."[18] She played the role until 2019, a period of time in which she sporadically took television and film roles.
In 2017, she was cast in the role of Eliza in the American television program SMILF; she was initially set to portray a recurring role, though she was promoted to a series regular for the show's second season.[19] The series ran for 2 years, and was cancelled following several misconduct allegations made by SMILF's cast and crew against Frankie Shaw.[20] In spite of this, SMILF obtained widespread acclaim throughout its run,[21] and received a Golden Globe Award nomination. Goodwin had a minor role in the 2017 action-comedy film Snatched as Lew.[22]
In 2019, Goodwin starred in the BET television film Christmas Belles. In the same year, she was cast as Denise Clark-Bradford in the Lifetime television film The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel.[23] Released in 2020, the feature was Lifetime's most-watched in four years,[24] and Goodwin's acting was lauded by critics; she received a nomination for another Black Reel Award.[25][26]
In January 2021, Goodwin portrayed actress Hattie McDaniel in the independent biographical film Behind the Smile.[27][28] On being cast in the role, Goodwin stated that "I am forever honored. I look forward to bringing this important historical and relevant life story to the screen."[27] In August of that same year, Goodwin began playing the recurring character of Josephine on the drama series Our Kind of People.[29]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Lovely & Amazing | Annie Marks | |
| 2003 | The Station Agent | Cleo | |
| 2006 | Phat Girlz | Young Jazmin Biltmore | |
| 2007 | All About Us | DJ | |
| 2008 | My Genie | Princene "Princess" Gingi | |
| 2017 | Snatched | Lew | |
| 2024 | Lola | Babina | |
| TBA | Behind the Smile | Hattie McDaniel | Upcoming film[27] |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Malcolm in the Middle | Special Kid # 2 | Episode: "Dewey's Special Class" |
| 2005 | Strong Medicine | Tara | Episode: "Infectious Love" |
| 2006 | Everybody Hates Chris | Tangee | Episode: "Everybody Hates Valentine's Day" |
| 2006 | All of Us | Courtney | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Just a Phase | Crystal | Unsold television film |
| 2007–2008 | Just Jordan | Tangie Cunningham | Main role |
| 2008 | 30 Rock | Pam | Episode: "Believe in the Stars" |
| 2010 | Huge | Rebecca "Becca" Huffstatter | Main role |
| 2010–2014 | Good Luck Charlie | Ivy Wentz | Recurring role |
| 2010 | Meet the Browns | Rose Watkins | Episode: "Meet the Trainer" |
| 2011 | Glee | Sheila | 3 episodes |
| 2011 | New Girl | Desiree | Episode: "Bells" |
| 2011 | Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! | Ivy Wentz | Television film |
| 2013–2019 | Being Mary Jane | Niecy Patterson | Main role |
| 2017–2019 | SMILF | Eliza | Recurring (season 1), main role (season 2) |
| 2019 | Christmas Belles | Delia | Television film |
| 2020 | The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel | Denise Clark Bradford | Lifetime movie[23] |
| 2021 | Our Kind of People | Josephine | Recurring role[29] |
| 2022 | Single Black Female | Monica Harris | Lifetime movie |
| 2022-2023 | Abbott Elementary | Krystal | 3 Episodes |
| 2024 | Single Black Female 2: Simone's Revenge | Monica Harris | Lifetime movie |
| 2024 | Grotesquerie | Merritt Tryon | Main role |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Breakthrough Performance | Lovely & Amazing | Nominated | [citation needed] |
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best Breakthrough Performance | Nominated | |||
| OTA Film Awards | Best Film Performance | Nominated | |||
| 2004 | Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Best Ensemble Acting (shared with cast) | The Station Agent | Nominated | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture (shared with cast) | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a TV Movie or Limited Series | The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel | Nominated | [26] |
References
edit- ^ "'Being Mary Jane' Actress Raven Goodwin Is Engaged!". Essence. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- ^ "Raven Goodwin (@ravengoodwin) • Instagram photos and videos". instagram.com. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- ^ "Fans Just Realized This Good Luck Charlie Actor Is Engaged". Teen Vogue. November 19, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
- ^ Nat (March 12, 2018). "Five Things You Didn't Know About Raven Goodwin". TVOvermind. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- ^ McCarthy, Todd (September 6, 2001). "Lovely & Amazing". Variety. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (June 28, 2002). "FILM REVIEW; Outward Appearances Fuel Inner Neuroses". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ "Lovely and Amazing". Empire. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Ebert, Roger. "The Station Agent movie review (2003) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
- ^ "SCREEN ACTORS GUILD HONORS OUTSTANDING FILM AND TELEVISION PERFORMANCES IN 13 CATEGORIES AT THE 10TH ANNUAL SAG AWARDS® | Screen Actors Guild Awards". May 18, 2017. Archived from the original on May 18, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Leydon, Joe (April 9, 2006). "Phat Girlz". Variety. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Girl, GangStarr (September 15, 2011). "V Premiere: H Wood City & New 'Glee' Actress Raven Goodwin Debut 'No Good For Me' (Video)". Vibe (magazine). Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ "Breaking News - ABC Family Premieres Its New Original Scripted Drama Series, "Huge" | TheFutonCritic.com". www.thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
- ^ "TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com". TV By The Numbers by zap2it.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2010. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- ^ "'Being Mary Jane' Star Raven Goodwin Talks Being Black, Self Esteem, & More". Global Grind. January 11, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
- ^ "Breaking News - BET Networks' First Original Scripted Series "Being Mary Jane" Starring Gabrielle Union Premieres on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 at 10 P.M. ET/PT | TheFutonCritic.com". www.thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
- ^ "'Being Mary Jane' premiere postmortem: Gabrielle Union on the aftermath of Mary Jane's crash". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ "Solid Ratings Debut For BET's 'Being Mary Jane' - 4 Millions Viewers, Highest-Rating On Cable | Shadow and Act". September 21, 2013. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ Rosario, Richy (February 2, 2015). "Raven Goodwin Made A Smooth Transition From Disney To 'Niecy' On 'Being Mary Jane'". Vibe (magazine). Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 7, 2018). "'SMILF': Raven Goodwin Promoted To Regular For Season 2 Of Showtime Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 9, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ Masters, Kim (December 17, 2018). "'SMILF' Creator Frankie Shaw Investigated Over Misconduct Claims (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ Romero, Ariana. "These Were The Best TV Shows Of 2017". refinery29.com. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
- ^ "Raven Goodwin attends the "Snatched" premiere in Los Angeles". United Press International. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
- ^ a b LEGASPI, ALTHEA (March 28, 2019). "Salt–N-Pepa Miniseries, the Clark Sisters Biopic In Works". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
- ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (April 13, 2020). "'The Clark Sisters: First Ladies Of Gospel' Biopic Marks Highest-Rated Lifetime Movie In Four Years". Deadline. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ "Meet the Nominees". Black Reel Awards. June 29, 2020. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
- ^ a b "Watchmen & Insecure Pace the Black Reel Awards for TV Nominations". The Black Reel Awards. June 18, 2020. Archived from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ a b c N'Duka, Amanda (January 7, 2021). "Raven Goodwin To Play Hattie McDaniel In Indie Biopic 'Behind the Smile'". Deadline. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ "Raven Goodwin Cast in Indie Biopic 'Behind the Smile' as Legendary Actress Hattie McDaniel -". mxdwn Movies. January 7, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
- ^ a b Petski, Denise (August 18, 2021). "'Our Kind Of People': Raven Goodwin & Nicole Chanel Williams Join Fox Drama Series As Recurring". Deadline. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
