Caryn Ward Ross

Caryn Ward Ross (née Ward) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer and producer.

Life and career

Ward was born in Los Angeles, California, Ward's mother is a lawyer and her father is a medical doctor. She attended

Howard University where she graduated with a degree in psychology.{{Cite web|url=http://www.femalesuccessfactor.com/panelists/fsf_panelists_cwardbio.php|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007103651/http://www.femalesuccessfactor.com/panelists/fsf_panelists_cwardbio.php|url-status=dead|title=Female Success Factor|archivedate=October 7, 2009}} Ward also studied dance at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. She performed with various artists including Janet Jackson, Arsenio Hall, and Rosie Perez.

Ward began her career as a child actor in the 1980s, appearing in a recurring role in the musical-dance drama series Fame from 1985 to 1986. She later appeared in Webster, Paradise and Family Matters. From 1990 to 1991, she co-starred in the short-lived CBS sitcom You Take the Kids, starring Nell Carter.{{cite book|last=Brooks|first=Tim |author2=Marsh, Earle F. |title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present |publisher=Ballantine Books|date=October 17, 2007|edition=9|pages=1554|isbn=978-0-345-49773-4}} Ward later took ten year-break from acting and in 2000s, began appearing in episodes of Friends, Strong Medicine, The Shield, and Lincoln Heights. In 2004, she made her movie debut appearing in an supporting role in the thriller Motives, opposite Vivica A. Fox and Shemar Moore. She later appeared in several featuring films, including Boss'n Up (2005), Traci Townsend (2006), and N-Secure (2009). From 2006 to 2015, she had a recurring role in the CW/BET comedy series, The Game.

Ward starred and produced films The Affair (2014) and Zodiac Sign (2015). She starred in the short-lived Bounce TV sitcom Grown Folks in 2017, which was canceled after 13 episodes.{{Cite web|url=http://thefutoncritic.com/showatch/grown-folks/|title=Shows A-Z - grown folks on bounce tv | TheFutonCritic.com|website=thefutoncritic.com}} In 2018, she received Indie Series Awards nomination for her performance in the Victoria Rowell comedy series The Rich and the Ruthless.{{Cite web|url=http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/entertainment/20180404/seven-indie-series-award-nominations-rich-and-ruthless|title=Seven Indie Series Award nominations for 'The Rich and The Ruthless'|date=April 4, 2018|website=jamaica-gleaner.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://shadowandact.com/victoria-rowell-rich-and-the-ruthless|title=Urban Movie Channel to debut original, soapy dramedy 'The Rich and The Ruthless' from Victoria Rowell|website=shadowandact.com}} Later in 2018, she so-created alongside her husband Craig Ross Jr., starred and produced Urban Movie Channel drama series Monogamy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.divvymag.com/new-blog/caryn-ward-ross-talks-executive-producing|title=Caryn Ward Ross on Stepping into the Role of Executive Producer|website=Divvy Magazine|date=3 May 2018 }}

Personal life

On June 26, 2011, Caryn Ward married television and film director Craig Ross, Jr.[http://blackthespian.com/actress-caryn-ward-marries-filmmaker-craig-ross-jr/ Actress Caryn Ward Marries Filmmaker Craig Ross Jr.]{{Cite web|url=https://www.blackfilm.com/read/2011/06/craig-ross-jr-caryn-ward-wedding-pics/|title=Craig Ross Jr./Caryn Ward Wedding Pics|work=Blackfilm - Black Movies, Television, and Theatre News |date=June 16, 2011}}

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1988 \| David \| Jennifer \| TV movie
1992 \| The Boys \| Tap Dancer \| TV movie
2001 \| The Heart Department \| Shondra Adaire \| TV movie
2004 \| Motives \| Gwendolyn \| Video
2005 \| Boss'n Up \| Dominique \|
rowspan="2"\| 2006 \| Sarang Song \| Nessa \| Short
Traci Townsend \| Lynn \|
rowspan="3"\| 2007 \| Tournament of Dreams \| Nessa \|
Stompin' \| Camille Turner \|
Blood River \| Sheila \|
rowspan="4"\| 2009 \| Think Twice \| Jennifer \| Short
Breaking News \| Kendra Davis \| Short
Sideline Confessions \| Jade \| Short
Steppin: The Movie \| Actor \|
rowspan="2"\| 2010 \| Backyard Wedding \| Jane \| TV movie
N-Secure \| Kim \|
rowspan="3"\| 2011 \| The Blackest Swan \| Lily \| Video
The Bachelor Party \| La-La \| Video
He's Mine Not Yours \| Mandy \|
rowspan=3\| 2012 \| The Marriage Chronicles \| Sabel Jones \|
If You Really Love Me \| - \| TV movie
Air Collision \| Presidential Purser Joan Watts \| Video
rowspan=4\| 2014 \| Patterns of Attraction \| Dr. Flowers \|
Daddy's Home \| -Stacy \| TV movie
Crossed the Line \| Kyra \|
The Affair \| Simone Waite \|
2015 \| Zodiac Sign \| Diana \|
rowspan=3\| 2016 \| 36 Hour Layover \| Tammy \|
For the Love of Christmas \| Diana \|
LAPD African Cops \| - \|
2017 \| Message from a Mistress \| Jamie Hall \|
2023 \| Back on the Strip \| Eve

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1988

| David

| Jennifer

| TV movie

1992

| The Boys

| Tap Dancer

| TV movie

2001

| The Heart Department

| Shondra Adaire

| TV movie

2004

| Motives

| Gwendolyn

| Video

2005

| Boss'n Up

| Dominique

rowspan="2"| 2006

| Sarang Song

| Nessa

| Short

Traci Townsend

| Lynn

rowspan="3"| 2007

| Tournament of Dreams

| Nessa

Stompin'

| Camille Turner

Blood River

| Sheila

rowspan="4"| 2009

| Think Twice

| Jennifer

| Short

Breaking News

| Kendra Davis

| Short

Sideline Confessions

| Jade

| Short

Steppin: The Movie

| Actor

rowspan="2"| 2010

| Backyard Wedding

| Jane

| TV movie

N-Secure

| Kim

rowspan="3"| 2011

| The Blackest Swan

| Lily

| Video

The Bachelor Party

| La-La

| Video

He's Mine Not Yours

| Mandy

rowspan=3| 2012

| The Marriage Chronicles

| Sabel Jones

If You Really Love Me

| -

| TV movie

Air Collision

| Presidential Purser Joan Watts

| Video

rowspan=4| 2014

| Patterns of Attraction

| Dr. Flowers

Daddy's Home

| -Stacy

| TV movie

Crossed the Line

| Kyra

The Affair

| Simone Waite

2015

| Zodiac Sign

| Diana

rowspan=3| 2016

| 36 Hour Layover

| Tammy

For the Love of Christmas

| Diana

LAPD African Cops

| -

2017

| Message from a Mistress

| Jamie Hall

2023

| Back on the Strip

| Eve

=Television=

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1985 \| Days of Our Lives \| Tracy \| Regular Cast
1985-86 \| Fame \| Tina \| Recurring cast: season 5, guest: season 6
1986 \| Webster \| Tony \| Episode: "The Big Sleepover"
1987 \| Disneyland \| Emily \| Episode: "The Liberators"
1988 \| What's Happening Now!! \| Joyce \| Episode: "The Fabulous Fortunes"
1989 \| Paradise \| Role unknown \| Episode: "All the Pretty Little Horses"
1990 \| Family Matters \| Susie \| Episode: "Dedicated to the One I Love"
1990-91 \| You Take the Kids \| Lorette Kirkland \| Main cast
2002 \| Friends \| Waitress \| Episode: "The One Where Joey Dates Rachel"
rowspan="2"\| 2004 \| The Bold and the Beautiful \| Insomnia Waitress \| Episode: "Episode #1.4389"
Strong Medicine \| - \| Episode: "Selective Breeding"
rowspan="2"\| 2005 \| The Shield \| Queenie \| Episode: "String Theory"
Full Plate \| Host \| Episode: "The Nanny"
2006-15 \| The Game \| Erica Harrison \| Recurring cast: season 1-4 & 8
rowspan="2"\| 2007 \| Lincoln Heights \| Layla \| Episode: "House Arrest" & "The 'F' Word"
Entourage \| Hostess \| Episode: "Sorry, Harvey"
2010 \| Love That Girl! \| Sexy Lexi \| Episode: "Keep It in the Closet"
2012-14 \| Roomieloverfriends \| Calista \| Recurring cast: season 1-3
2014 \| One Love \| Jenika \| Recurring cast
rowspan="2"\| 2015 \| Liv and Maddie \| Cindy Dippledorf \| Episode: "Neighbors-A-Rooney"
Sexless \| Calista \| Episode: "Surfboard"
rowspan="2"\| 2016 \| Jane the Virgin \| Customer #2 \| Episode: "Chapter Forty-One"
Pitch \| Reporter #2 \| Episode: "San Francisco"
2017 \| Grown Folks \| Brenda Finley \| Main cast
2017-21 \| The Rich and the Ruthless \| Roxanne \| Recurring cast: season 1, main cast: season 4
2018 \| Lucifer \| Emily Armantrout \| Episode: "High School Poppycock"
2018–21 \| Monogamy \| Sincere \| Main cast

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

! Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1985

| Days of Our Lives

| Tracy

| Regular Cast

1985-86

| Fame

| Tina