Lela Rochon

Rochon was born in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance, the daughter of Zelma, a nurse practitioner, and Samuel Staples, a business owner and graphic artist. She is a 1982 graduate of Cerritos High School in Cerritos, California. In 1986, she graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), where she earned a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism, with minors in sociology and theatre.{{cite web |title=Lela Rochon Fuqua |url=https://www.arblackhalloffame.org/honorees/2000/fuqua/ |website=Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Association |access-date=January 19, 2023}} In 2016, Rochon returned to CSUDH as the keynote speaker at the commencement ceremonies for the College of Arts and Humanities.{{cite press release|url=https://news.csudh.edu/commencement-2016/|title=2016 Graduates Relish in the 'Words' and Draw from the 'Wisdom' Shared by Keynote Speakers During 5 Commencement Ceremonies|publisher= California State University, Dominguez Hills|date=May 25, 2016|access-date=March 20, 2019}}

In 1984, Rochon appeared as an extra in the movie Breakin’, where she met the man who would later become her husband. From 1986 to 1988, while attending college, Rochon was one of the "Spudettes" featured in over 30 national spots for the Spuds MacKenzie Budweiser/Bud Light TV commercials. She also appeared in the 1985 made-for-television film A Bunny's Tale starring Kirstie Alley and Delta Burke, based on Gloria Steinem's experiences as a Playboy Bunny. She appeared as the love interest of Gerald Levert in the video for "My Forever Love" by Levert,{{cite web|last=Levert|title=My Forever Love|url=http://www.mtv.com/videos/levert/46960/my-forever-love.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302051531/http://www.mtv.com/videos/levert/46960/my-forever-love.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 2, 2014|work=music video|publisher=mtv.com|access-date=2012-06-28}} and in Luther Vandross' "It's Over Now" video. She also appeared in the music video for Lionel Richie's single "All Night Long (All Night)", in Al B. Sure's video for the song "Natalie",{{cite web|last=Sure!|first=Al B.|title=Natalie|url=http://www.mtv.com/videos/al-b-sure/46214/natalie.jhtml#artist=1577|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302051524/http://www.mtv.com/videos/al-b-sure/46214/natalie.jhtml#artist=1577|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 2, 2014|work=music video|publisher=mtv.com|access-date=2012-06-28}} and in Tupac Shakur's video "I Get Around" as one of the female dancers. She had many guest starring roles in a number of sitcoms, include The Cosby Show, Amen, 227, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. Rochon made her film debut in 1985, when she starred opposite Fred Williamson in Fox Trap. In 1987, she played the role of Debby in the film The Wild Pair, starring Beau Bridges and Bubba Smith. In 1989, Rochon acted opposite Eddie Murphy in 1989's Harlem Nights, as the memorable "Sunshine" character. She again worked with Murphy in the successful 1992 romantic comedy, Boomerang. In 1995, she was regular cast member during the first season of The WB sitcom, The Wayans Bros.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1995/film/reviews/the-wayans-bros-1200440049/|title=The Wayans Bros.|author=Tony Scott|work=Variety|date=16 January 1995 |access-date=6 January 2016}}

File:Antoine_Fuqua_Lela_Rochon crop (cropped).jpg

In 1995, Rochon landed one of the lead roles opposite Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett and Loretta Devine in the adaptation of the Terry McMillan novel and highly successful drama film Waiting to Exhale. She played the character Robin Stokes, for which she was nominated for an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance and NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.

In 1996, Rochon starred opposite Timothy Hutton in the Showtime cable network film Mr. and Mrs. Loving, receiving a Cable Ace Award nomination for Best Actress. Later that year, she played the female lead in the crime thriller film The Chamber. The following year, she starred alongside Jim Belushi and Tupac Shakur in the crime thriller Gang Related. In 1998, Rochon had the leading role alongside Halle Berry and Vivica A. Fox in the romantic drama Why Do Fools Fall in Love, and well starred in Knock Off with Jean-Claude Van Damme, and The Big Hit, as love interest to Mark Wahlberg's leading character. In 1999, she appeared in Any Given Sunday directed by Oliver Stone. In 2001, Rochon made her return to television with one of leading roles alongside Bonnie Bedelia, Nancy McKeon, Tracey Needham, and Lisa Vidal in the Lifetime crime drama series, The Division. She left the series after a single season.{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/lela-rochon-57311531/|title=Lela Rochon|work=Hollywood.com|access-date=January 6, 2016}}

In 2004, Rochon co-starred opposite Katie Holmes in the romantic comedy film First Daughter. In 2009, she had cameo in crime drama Brooklyn's Finest directed by her husband, Antoine Fuqua. In 2013, she played one of leading roles in Regina King's directorial debut Let The Church Say Amen, the film adaptation of ReShonda Tate Billingsley's 2005 novel for BET.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/steve-harris-naturi-naughton-lela-rochon-headline-regina-kings-let-the-church-say-amen|title=Steve Harris, Naturi Naughton, Lela Rochon Headline Regin - Shadow and Act|author=Tambay A. Obenson|date=14 September 2012|work=Shadow and Act|access-date=6 January 2016}} She later had roles in films Supremacy (2014) with Danny Glover and Derek Luke, and Reversion (2015), playing Aja Naomi King's character's mother.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/deon-taylors-racially-charged-thriller-supremacy-picked-up-by-well-go-usa-ent-danny-glover-joe-anderson-star-20140626|title=Deon Taylor's Racially-Charged Thriller 'Supremacy' Picke - Shadow and Act|author=Tambay A. Obenson|date=26 June 2014|work=Shadow and Act|access-date=6 January 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/danny-glovers-supremacy-gets-u-s-distribution-following-l-a-film-festival-debut-1201250729/|title=Danny Glover Supremacy U.S. Distribution - Variety|author=Dave McNary|work=Variety|date=26 June 2014 |access-date=6 January 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/exclusive-trailer-aja-naomi-king-headlines-sci-fi-thriller-reversion-opens-oct-9-20150918|title=EXCLUSIVE Trailer & Poster: Aja Naomi King Headlines Sci- - Shadow and Act|author=Tambay A. Obenson|date=18 September 2015|work=Shadow and Act|access-date=6 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151026164522/http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/exclusive-trailer-aja-naomi-king-headlines-sci-fi-thriller-reversion-opens-oct-9-20150918|archive-date=26 October 2015|url-status=dead}} In 2017, she had a recurring role in the CBS crime drama series Training Day, and in 2019 on the Oprah Winfrey Network drama David Makes Man.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/10/owns-david-makes-man-cast-trace-lysette-lela-rochon-1202489601/|title=OWN's 'David Makes Man' Adds Ten To Cast|first1=Denise|last1=Petski|date=25 October 2018|access-date=20 March 2019}}

In 2024, Rochon was cast in the leading role in the BET+ crime family drama series, The Family Business: New Orleans as Big Shirley Duncan.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2024/03/yvette-nicole-brown-the-family-business-new-orleans-spinoff-bet-1235847896/|title=Lela Rochon, Yvette Nicole Brown, Orlando Jones, Pooch Hall Among 16 Cast In Carl Weber’s ‘The Family Business’ New Orleans-Set Spinoff|first=Denise|last=Petski|date=March 6, 2024}}

Rochon has been married twice and has two children. Her first marriage was to dancer and actor Adolfo Quiñones, better known as Shabba Doo, from 1982 until divorcing in 1987. In 1999, she married film director Antoine Fuqua. Together, they have a daughter, Asia Rochon Fuqua, and a son named Brando Fuqua.{{Cite web|url=https://bckonline.com/2021/10/14/lela-rochon-and-antoine-fuqua-send-son-off-to-homecoming/|title=LELA ROCHON AND ANTOINE FUQUA SEND SON OFF TO HOMECOMING|access-date=February 27, 2022}} Rochon suffered a miscarriage in 2001.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C74DAAAAMBAJ&dq=lela+rochon&pg=PA58|title=Jet|first=Johnson Publishing|last=Company|date=March 17, 2003|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|via=Google Books}}

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|0005375}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rochon, Lela}}

Category:1964 births

Category:American film actresses

Category:American television actresses

Category:Living people

Category:Actresses from Torrance, California

Category:Actresses from Little Rock, Arkansas

Category:Actresses from Los Angeles

Category:20th-century American actresses

Category:21st-century American actresses

Category:20th-century African-American actresses

Category:21st-century African-American actresses