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Sicily Sewell (born October 1, 1985) is an American chef, restaurateur, television producer, and former actress.[3] She is sometimes credited in film or television as simply with a mononym Sicily. Following the birth of two daughters, Sewell became a restaurateur.
Sicily Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sicily Sewell October 1, 1985 |
| Other names | Sicily |
| Occupation(s) | Restaurateur, former actress |
| Years active | 1995–2007 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
Early life, family and education
editSewell was born in Pontiac, Michigan.[1] Her parents divorced, and she and her mother and brothers relocated to California where other family resided.[1] She has three brothers (one of which was born after their relocation to California).[1] She resided in Los Angeles during her childhood.[1]
As an adult, Sewell attending the Hollywood campus of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.[4]
Career
editTelevision and film
editSewell made her television appearance on an Emmy Award-winning episode of Sesame Street when she was eight years old.[4] She played "Young Aisha" in a two-part episode of Season 2 of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers called "Rangers Back in Time", as well as in the 10 part miniseries Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers. She starred as young Diana in the hit miniseries, Mama Flora's Family in 1998, and as Angela Bassett's niece in the film How Stella Got Her Groove Back.
For 4 seasons, Sewell portrayed Spirit Jones, the best friend of Breanna Barnes (played by Kyla Pratt) in the sitcom One on One.[3] Citing a decision by UPN to move in a different direction for the fifth season, Sicily was released from the series on June 20, 2005, when it was nine episodes away from syndication.
Sewell also appeared in the Lifetime original movie Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story alongside Ernie Hudson, Edwin Hodge and Jami Gertz in August 2005.
Chef and restaurateur
editSewell's family has a long tradition of skilled cookery.[5] She has told interviewers she is much happier as a chef and restaurateur than she was an actor.[3]
In 2010, while Sewell was attending the Hollywood campus of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, she was an intern at the Los Angeles Times' Test Kitchen.[4] Sewell subsequently graduated, with honours.[6]
Sewell and her mother are co-owners of a soul food restaurant known as Pinky and Red's, in Berkeley, California.[7][8] In late 2019, Sewell was hired as the chef of a high-profile restaurant known as Colors, in New York City.[9]
Personal life
editSewell came out as gay in a 2022 interview with Comedy Hype channel. She revealed that, despite still being in the closet to her One On One castmates, she was open about her attraction to females at a young age to her close friends.[1]
She married Melanie Wilkerson in 2022 and has two daughters.
Filmography
edit| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1998 | Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror | Chloe | |
| How Stella Got Her Groove Back | Chantel | ||
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995–1996 | Mighty Morphin Power Rangers | Young Aisha Campbell | 11 episodes |
| 1998 | Mama Flora's Family | Teenage Diana | Television Movie |
| 1999 | Power Rangers: The Lost Episode | Young Aisha Campbell | Special episode (archival footage) |
| 2001–2005 | One on One | Spirit Jones | 91 episodes |
| 2004 | The Proud Family | Teen Cece | 1 episode |
| 2005 | Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story | Lisa Jones | Television Movie |
| 2007 | Super Sweet 16: The Movie | Chloe Spears | Television Movie |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Sicily Sewell (2023). "Sicily Sewell Opens Up About Ending Acting Career, Hiding Sexuality, Flex Alexander, Cooking & More" (Interview). Comedy Hype. Retrieved July 29, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Sicily Johnson | Actress, Producer". IMDb.
- ^ a b c
"WhereTheyAtNow: Sicily Sewell-Johnson Reflects On Her Amazing Acting Career And Talks About Her New Career As A Chef!". The Shade Room. 2019-03-31. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
Sicily appeared on the show for the first four seasons from 2001 to 2005. However, before starring on the popularized sitcom she also starred alongside Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg and a host of others in the 1998 "How Stella Got Her Groove Back."
- ^ a b c
Noelle Carter (2010-11-09). "So you want to be a Test Kitchen intern.... Meet Sicily Johnson". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2010-11-11. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
Here, I introduce Sicily Johnson, on loan from the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles (Hollywood Campus).
- ^
Caroline Hatchett (2019-12-11). "I Want to Make Really Good, Black-Ass Food". Eater. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
Sewell-Johnson, who began cooking professionally after more than 15 years as an actor, ultimately wanted to create a deeply personal restaurant for the community. Her family has been in the business for generations: She owned a Berkeley restaurant with her mother, her aunt owned a restaurant in Chicago, and seven generations ago, one of her maternal forebears was the enslaved head cook on a Tennessee plantation.
- ^ The Cooking Project [@cooking_project] (2018-05-04). "Our guest chef last week was Sicily Sewell-Johnson @SicilySierra - a successful Executive Chef who graduated with the highest of honors from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and is one half of her restaurant Pinky & Red's, a mother- daughter business @lacocinasf" (Tweet). Retrieved 2020-04-07 – via Twitter.
- ^
Momo Chang (2018-08-23). "Five La Cocina Incubator Businesses Run by Women and People of Color Open Up on Cal Campus". East Bay Express. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
Pinky & Red's is run by mother-daughter pair Bernadine Sewell and Sicily Sewell-Johnson.
- ^
Sicily Sewell-Johnson (2019-02-26). "Community needs to support Black-owned businesses". Daily Californian. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
Watching my daughter's Black History Month town hall where Black excellence was being normalized, I realized how my children have the luxury of seeing me and their grandmother own Pinky and Red's.
- ^
Chris Crowley (2020-01-21). "Colors, ROC United's Downtown Restaurant, Abruptly Closes". Grub Street. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
Staff found out about the news during dinner service at around 8 p.m. on Thursday, when the restaurant's chef, Sicily Sewell-Johnson, was informed via text that the restaurant would have to close.